Get to Know Our Scholars

Chiamaka Chiagoziem Chukwujama is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering at the University at Buffalo. She is enthusiastic about contributing towards solving energy and environmental issues, which has led her down the academic path of obtaining a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, and an MS in Petroleum Engineering from the African University of Science and Technology (AUST), Abuja. Chiamaka is passionate about empowering students and serving others while learning and developing new skills. She was the first female student president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers at AUST, where she teamed to organize social/professional development events and tutorial sessions. She enjoys teaching and aspires to be a professor. In her leisure, Chiamaka loves watching movies, traveling, and visiting family/friends.

Federico studied Philosophy first in Milan and then in Lugano, specialising in contemporary metaphysics and logic in two consecutive MAs. He also got interested in computer science, and found out the two disciplines meshed well in the field of ontological engineering, to which his current PhD is devoted. In the Buffalo he started to apply his competences in a parallel MSc in Biomedical Informatics, while collaborating in side projects with his unflagging advisor. One of his long-term goals is to combine the rule-based approaches of ontology with the statistical methods of nowadays AI. He is still figuring out whether to fully embrace the academia career or to mingle with industry. Beyond academics, Federico is fond of personal development topics, sport, epic fantasy books and drawing.

Joyce Jekayinoluwa is a Ph.D. student, a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a Graduate Fellow at the University at Buffalo. She is also the Vice President GSA of the Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Department and the organizational founder of the UB Chapter of UNA-USA. She obtained her Bachelor's and master’s degrees in English Studies from Adeleke University in Ede, Nigeria. Additionally, she earned a second master’s degree in Women’s Studies at The University of Alabama, AL. She actively advocates against Gender-Based Violence and is deeply passionate about engaging with her community. Her primary academic interests are focused on examining policies aimed at preventing gender violence and understanding its impact, particularly on African and African American women. She hopes to pursue a career working with the United Nations in eradicating Gender violence.

Meirgul Kaleshova is a PhD student in the Management program with Organization and Human Resources concentration. She received a master’s degree in project management from Boston University in May 2020. She worked as a graduate intern in PwC and as a research assistant at Boston University. Meirgul`s main research interests include leader identity, women in leadership and leader well-being. Outside of her studies, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Blessed is a Ph.D. student in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Science of Learning program at the University at Buffalo from Cape Town, South Africa. His research work explores how digital platforms and educational technologies can be leveraged to create more inclusive and diverse learning experiences. He is actively engaged in investigating the nexus of technology, pedagogy, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), championing teaching strategies that not only accommodate but also celebrate diversity in digital learning environments. Blessed envisions a future where technology-driven education is inherently inclusive, and every learner, irrespective of their background, has access to quality education. 

Xuewen Pei is a PhD student in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at UB. She earned her master's degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where her passion for research and public health advocacy blossomed. Before her current studies, Xuewen worked as a Research Assistant at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, actively contributing to numerous impactful projects. Her research interests predominantly revolve around the intersection of air pollution and its effects on various health outcomes.