EK100 Student Advisor Biographies

Name: Abed Tlemcani

Hometown: Casablanca, Morocco

Class year and major: BME, 2025

Unique fact about yourself: I love surfing!

Favorite study spot on campus: Ingalls (obviously)

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Get involved with student orgs and build community :)

 Name: Ada Ucar

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey (I really don’t know about this one but this seems the most appropriate)

Class year and major: Class of 2027 and Biomedical engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I can speak 3 languages fluently now but I used to be native in 5!

Advice: Don’t be scared of the learning curve when you get to college, you are going to be trying to adapt to so many new things simultaneously, no one expects you to master any of it in one week. You will find your place in this school and will be successful in your own time.

Name: Adina Turner

Hometown: NY

Class Year and Major: Electrical Engineering ‘27

Unique fact about yourself: I love fishkeeping!

Favorite Study Spot on Campus: 4th floor in Mugar and Ingalls

One piece of advice: Be patient with yourself and trust in your skills. College can be trying and it’s important to remind yourself that you are here for a reason.

Name: Aleksandra Kimball

Hometown: Mt. Holly, NJ

Class Year and Major: Junior (class of 2026), Biomedical Engineering

Unique fact: I got to hit my AP Calculus teacher with a pie in high school. (It was awesome)

Favorite study spot on campus: Kilachand Study Lounge

One piece of advice: Put yourself out there! Club events are a great way to meet people outside of your major who you wouldn’t otherwise get to interact with.

Name: Alex Mims

Hometown: Austin, Texas

Class year and major: Class of 2026, Biomedical Engineering Major with minor in Chemistry on the Pre-Med Track

Unique fact about yourself: I wear cowboy boots to BU hockey games.

Favorite study spot on campus: Either a random floor on the Upper Levels of CDS or Ingalls Engineering Resource Center

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Go to campus events, you might meet your new best friend or discover something that you find really interesting.

Name: Amrita Kohli

Hometown: San Francisco

Class year and major: 2026, Biomedical Engineering

Unique fact: I have long arms

Favorite study spot: cds building

One piece of advice: If you are struggling in one of your classes, try going to office hours because the TA’s give great insight on how to study for the class and what worked well for them.

Name: Annelisa Fache

Hometown: Los Altos, CA

Class year and major: Senior in BME

Unique fact about yourself: My first language is Flemish.

Favorite study spot on campus: Pardee Library or Life Alive Cafe

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Find people from your classes to study with. Teamwork is key for a lot of classes and it’s a great way to get to know new people.

Name: Anthony Kurtzer

Hometown: Wrentham, Massachusetts

Class year and major: Junior class of 2026 in Mechanical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I can play three different instruments

Favorite study spot on campus: 26th floor of Student Village 2

What is one piece of advice you have for new students: Take things slow… adjusting to a new lifestyle means that becoming overwhelmed is very easy. The solution is living your life one step at a time and taking time for yourself when you need it without worrying about the future.

Name: Brooke Carias

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Class year and major: Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2026

Unique fact about yourself: I was born in Texas!

Favorite study spot on campus: CDS with friends

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Take advantage of Boston! It’s such an awesome place to be with so many iconic sights and fun experiences!

 Name: Cameron Jordan

Hometown: Peterborough, NH

Class year and major: Class of 2026, Mechanical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I had the same surgery on both of my wrists

Favorite study spot on campus: CDS

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Remember that you are here to learn, not to get good grades. Focus on learning the content and grades will follow.

Name: Chinonye Moneme

Hometown: West Chester, PA

Class year and major: 2026 MechE

Unique fact about yourself: I once memorized the Gettysburg Address.

Favorite study spot on campus: Theology Library

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Always ask no matter what. There are more opportunities at BU than you think and asking any questions you have can always put you ahead.

Name: Christian Romer

Hometown: Albany, NY

Class year and major: Sophomore Biomedical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I’m in the honors college and love the show Survivor!

Favorite study spot on campus: CDS

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Be patient with yourself! Coming to college presents a completely different set of norms, and you won’t fully understand them until you spend time here. Don’t let trivial grades define who you are, only you are in control of that.

Name: Eddie Wei

 Name: Ella Hedman

Hometown: San Jose California

Class year and major: Electrical Engineering 2025

Unique fact about yourself: My favorite summer activity is taking my dog to the dog beach on the weekends. It gets very messy.

Favorite study spot on campus: Ingalls

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Balance is so important. Work hard but don’t forget to take breaks and have fun! Also, step outside of your comfort zone. Take classes that will challenge you.

Name: Emma Braatz

Hometown: Pasadena, CA

Class year and major: Junior, Mechanical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I started learning to fly airplanes before learning to drive a car!

Favorite study spot on campus: Photonics 7th floor

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Form study groups! They make studying so much more fun, and it’s so useful to learn from other people.

Name: Eve Cruanes

Hometown: San Mateo, California

Class year and major: 2026 Computer Engineering

Favorite study spot on campus: Any empty CAS classroom with a chalkboard

What is one piece of advice for new students? Don’t be afraid or ashamed to show up to office hours if you have questions! The TA’s are there to help you understand the content and are better at explaining things than professors.

Name: Gabi Porto Machado

Hometown: Fortaleza, Brazil

Class year and major: 2025, Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience (Dual Degree)

Unique fact about yourself: I speak four languages

Favorite study spot on campus: Caffè Nero in West

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Find your people in classes and stick together! The best way to succeed in Engineering is by helping and getting help from your friends.

Name: Irene Skandalakis

Hometown: Queens, NYC

Class year and major: 2027, Mechanical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: My 3 siblings and both of my parents all have brown eyes, and I’m the only one with blue eyes.

Favorite study spot on campus: CDS 12th floor

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Get into the habit of studying/doing homework at consistent times/places so that it becomes a part of your schedule – this helped me procrastinate less.

Name: Jason Li

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Class year and major: Computer Engineering, Class of 2025

Unique fact about yourself: I have lived in every part of campus. East, West, Central, and South.

Favorite study spot on campus: The best place to study on campus is the 9th floor of Photonics. It has the best view and a quiet lounge. 

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Make sure you keep up with all of the campus events if you want free merch and food! You can follow @bustudentactivities and the student government pages of each respective college. Get involved with the community at BU!

Name: Jefferey Sheu

Hometown: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

Class year and major: BME, 2026

Unique fact about yourself: I can move my ears!

Favorite study spot on campus: My dorm usually

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Always read your syllabus thoroughly!

 Name: Jimmy Zheng

Hometown: I’m from Queens, NY

Class year and major: I’m a part of the Class of 2027, and majoring in Biomedical Engineering, with a minor in Biology and Public Health.

Unique fact about yourself: If you say Jimmy in a Chinese accent, a bad translation you get is Chicken Rice!

Favorite study spot on campus: I love studying at CDS or Kilachand 9th floor.

What is one piece of advice you have for new students?: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s so many resources at BU: the advising office, the career center, ENG tutoring, office hours, etc. Being an engineer is hard so asking for help is a perfectly normal thing to do!

Name: Justin Yu

Hometown: New York City

Class year and major: Sophomore, Electrical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself:  My birthday was 4 hours before Christmas

Favorite study spot on campus: Stuvi II 26th floor lounge

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Rejection is Redirection. It is okay to fall two steps backwards per step forward.

Name: Karina Patel

Hometown: Boxford, MA

Class year and major: Class of 2026, Majoring in Biomedical Engineering (with a Minor in Computer Science)

Unique fact about yourself: I can speak four languages!

Favorite study spot on campus: Law Library

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? If you’re unsure about anything, don’t be afraid to ask! There’s most likely other people wondering the same thing.

Name: Maddie Tuck

Hometown: Bolton, MA

Class year and major: Junior, Biomedical Engineering on a Pre-Med Track

Unique fact about yourself: I’ve been to over 20 countries

Favorite study spot on campus: Engineering Resource Center

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Don’t forget about the big picture, one low grade isn’t going to prevent you from doing great things!

Name: Marcus Kankkunen

Hometown: Boston, MA

Class year and major: 2025 BME

Unique fact about yourself: I’m a scratch mini-golfer.

Favorite study spot on campus: Nothing beats the quiet of my dorm room

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Become friends with your lab partners and talk to everyone who sits next to you in class/lecture.

Name: Martin Meinert

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Class year and major: Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I play as a beater on BU’s quadball team.

Favorite study spot on campus: The CFA Student Lounge!

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Make leaving your dorm for something other than classes a part of your schedule – whether that’s a club, or meeting with friends at the same time in the dining hall every day, or going to FitRec every day, make sure you don’t only leave your dorm for classes and office hours.

Name: Sierra Robison

Hometown: Sharon, MA

Class year and major: 2027/Sophomore and Biomedical Engineering

Unique fact about yourself: I am a black belt in karate!

Favorite study spot on campus: Mugar Memorial Library

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Embrace that it’s not going to be a smooth transition, and be flexible because there will be more changes than you can count during your first semester!

Name: Tahira Smith

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Class year and major: Computer Engineering, 2027

Unique fact about yourself: At the age of 19, I have developed an allergy to pineapple after eating it my whole life!

Favorite study spot on campus: Ingalls!

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!

Name: Trisha Shankar

Hometown: Menomonee Falls WI

Class year and major: Biomedical engineering 2026

Unique fact about yourself: i’ve been to 20 different countries

Favorite study spot: mugar 3rd floor

What is one piece of advice you have for new students: work together with other students in you classes. It helps to study with them and it helps to work through classes with them. Remember that the people in your major are your peers not your competition.

Name: Tristan Hou

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Class year and major: BME 2026

Unique fact: My family and I moved to Singapore from Toronto this past summer.

Favorite study spot on campus: Top of StuVi-1

Advice: Engineering can be hard, but don’t forget to take the time to enjoy yourself. You’re starting a whole new chapter of your life!

Name: Turky Alhargan

Hometown: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

Class year and Major: Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2027

Unique facts about me: Although it may sound cliché, soccer is my passion—I enjoy playing, watching, and discussing the game in any form. Beyond the field, I’m an avid follower of Al-Da7e7 on YouTube, where I indulge in videos that explore complex topics in an accessible way. Traveling is another passion of mine, with the ambitious goal of climbing Mount Everest one day. Despite a rigorous study schedule, I place a high value on quality time with friends and family, making it a priority to cherish and nurture these relationships. These activities not only enrich my life but also keep me balanced and motivated.

Favorite spot on campus: Mugar Library because I’m always there hehe!

What is one piece of advice that you have for new students? College is a whole new experience compared to high school, both academically and socially. To transition smoothly, it’s crucial to quickly figure out the best study methods for each subject or course. This will help you manage the substantial course load you’ll encounter. Additionally, collaborating on assignments with classmates is a great way to build friendships with people who share your interests!

Name: Vicky Travnik

Hometown: Plymouth, MA

Class year and major: Biomedical engineering 2025

Unique fact about yourself: Most of my hobbies aren’t STEM related. In my free time, I love painting, learning languages (currently Dutch), and weightlifting.

Favorite study spot on campus: Study lounges in CDS

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Mental wellbeing impacts you academically — be kind to yourself and make time for things that make you happy!

Name: Zainab Alalawi

Hometown: Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Class year and major: Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2026

Unique fact about yourself: I enjoy ice skating

Favorite study spot on campus: Bradford Ingalls Engineering Resource Center

What is one piece of advice you have for new students? Successful people are happy and content, not burned out and sleep deprived.