International Student Advisory Board 2024-2025

Bemnet Fasil Bekele
Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Major: Mathematics, BS

Bemnet Fasil Bekele, originally from Ethiopia, is an undergraduate student majoring in Mathematics at George Mason University’s within the College of Science. Before joining the ISAB, Bemnet worked as a Contemporary Student Peer Mentor where he mentored over 200 students as they transitioned into university life at Mason. Currently, he serves on the Contemporary Student Advisory Board, as Undersecretary for Contemporary Student Services within Student Government’s Executive Cabinet, and on the President’s Student Advisory Group. 

Bemnet looks forward to continuing his advocacy through the ISAB in search of improved support for career opportunities, employment, and social adjustment for international students. He also hopes to spread awareness of the challenges faced by international students to administrators and domestic students so that the Mason community can create innovative solutions to institutionalize inclusivity. 

In his spare time, he enjoys chess and philosophy, serving as a member and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively. 

Seung Gyo Kim
Hometown: Daejeon, South Korea
Major: Conflict Analysis and Resolution, BS

Seung Gyo Kim is an undergraduate senior majoring in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Jimmy and Rosselyn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. He is from the Republic of Korea (ROK). Most recently, he led the conceptualization, development, and implementation of Korean ArtPop Storytelling workshop: Fostering mutual understanding between international and domestic students at Mason community, alongside Fall 2024 the Peace Week event at the Carter School. His mission is to bridge cultural gaps and unveil diverse narratives arising from a diverse range of students, equipped with the interdisciplinary lens of both Art Song and Peace Studies. This approach has driven him to serve on the ISAB . 

Before serving on the ISAB, he served as a research assistant at The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), as the 12th president of College Leaders: Korea at the UN (CLUN) within the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), and esteemed alumnus of the American Diplomacy House Seoul (ADH Seoul). He is currently serving as Mason Korea Ambassador to uplift the voice of students from Mason’s ROK campus to build a greater inclusive environment at Mason. 

For the sake of personal interest, Seung Gyo Kim also served as a vocalist at Korea Air Force Band. Today, Seung has a Maltese dog called BINU (BINU 비누 means a Soap in English; named it as he looks white as BINU) 

Gnana Sai Sree Kolli
Hometown: Vijayawada, India
Major: Computer Science, MS

Gnana Sai Sree Kolli is a master's Student at George Mason University studying Computer Science within the School of College of Engineering and Computing. Sree is currently focused on expanding her understanding in machine learning, LLMs, and GenAI so that she may apply these to real life matters and support health care workers.

Originally from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India, she has previously worked for MindWise, providing developmental support and services using AIPs and MongoDB. Her current goal is to create her own LLM that provides a website to communicate important health care information. In joining the ISAB, Gnana Sai Sree Kolli hopes to address the financial issues, health care support, and social needs of international students.

Janell Addo-Boateng
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Major: Public Health, MPH

Janell is currently in her last year of her Master of Public Health degree, with a concentration in Health Policy. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she is currently a research and teaching assistant here at George Mason. She is conducting research on maternal health and HIV.  

 Ultimately, her goal is to help ISAB continue to be a proactive and effective advocate for international students at Mason. She is excited about the opportunity to contribute to this important work and to help shape the future of George Mason’s international community. She is most concerned with the discrimination international students may face in addition to necessary health care support and fears of uncertain futures as international student take on a new life in the U.S. 

In her spare time, she enjoys watching sci-fi documentaries and trying new foods with her first recently adopted puppy, a Bichon Frise poodle!   

Mimi Adu Serwaah
Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Major: Health Informatics, MS

Mimi Adu Serwaah is from the greater Accra Region in Ghana. She is currently perusing her master's degree in Health Informatics with a concentration in Data Analytics at George Mason University. Simultaneously, she works as a pharmacist. In her spare time, she dabbles in acrylic art on canvas. 

Mimi has actively sought out opportunities to engage with Mason’s on and off campus community. As a member of the HIMMS NCA chapter mentorship program, she has participated in mentorship sessions and mock job fairs, allowing her to better understand the healthcare landscape in the U.S. Her involvement extends to her work as an intern at Netrin Health, where she collaborated with fellow Mason students on real-world Health informatics projects.

As she continues her journey at Mason, she remains eager to further her involvement by contributing to the International Student Advisory Board. She is passionate about supporting and advocating for the international student community, ensuring that others like her have access to the resources, support, and opportunities necessary to thrive both academically and personally at Mason. 

Amjad Abdalaziz Alghamdi
Hometown: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Major: Communication, PhD

Amjad is from Saudi Arabia and is a PhD Candidate in Health Communications. As a result, he conducts various research projects and focuses on health education, health communication, and climate change.   

While at George Mason University, he earned a master's degree, which provided him with a solid foundation in health communication. His academic journey at Mason was enriched by his involvement in various research projects, particularly in the areas of environmental policy and health prevention coaching. After completing his degree, he taught for three years. His teaching experience allowed him to apply the knowledge and skills he gained at Mason in a practical setting, fostering a deep understanding of the subject matter in his students.   

Today, he remains connected to the academic community, continuously striving to integrate current research and real-world applications into his teaching methodologies. He looks forward to advocating for policies and initiatives that promote a supportive, inclusive, and enriching environment for all international students.  

In addition to his academic work and passion for teaching, Amjad would call himself a home barista who loves good quality coffee. 

Hadeel R. A. Elyazori
Hometown: Palestine
Major: Information Technology, PhD

Hadeel is a doctoral candidate specializing in Natural Language Processing in healthcare data. Her research focuses on chronic pain management and opioid use, emphasizing motivational interviewing techniques. Hadeel aims to develop advanced NLP methods to analyze clinical narratives, enhancing understanding of patient experiences and supporting effective clinician communication. She seeks to empower patients in their treatment decisions, promote adherence to pain management plans, and ultimately improve treatment outcomes. 

Originally from Palestine, Hadeel has lived in Yemen and studied in Lebanon and the United States, enriching her understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives. Moreover, as a recipient of the Tomorrow's Leaders Scholarship for her undergraduate degree, she has volunteered for four years, working with individuals of varying educational backgrounds, abilities, and geographical locations. These experiences enable her to bring a unique, cross-cultural lens to the International Students Advisory Board (ISAB). Hadeel firmly believes in the saying, 'we rise by lifting others,' and is passionate about advocating for the needs of students from all backgrounds, ensuring they feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their origins. 

Before coming to Mason, Hadeel studied medicine for a year before discovering that she could make a bigger impact by utilizing machines to assist doctors and patients, blending her passion for healthcare and technology. In her spare time, she either embraces her inner nerd by reading, playing chess, and solving puzzles, or she challenges herself with a new meal to cook or a hike trail to conquer!  

Mariia Panga
Hometown: Kyiv, Ukraine
Major: Public Policy, PhD

Mariia Panga is a PhD student in Public Policy at Schar School of Policy and Government. Her research interests lay in social network analysis, applied microeconomics, and finance. She is an economist and a former central banker from Kyiv, Ukraine, and a graduate of the Kyiv School of Economics. Mariia is a passionate advocate for Ukraine. She is affiliated with the Ukrainian think-tank "Institute of Legislative Ideas" and American NGO "Shelter for Life International". She passionately advocates for Ukraine and is involved in establishing the Fragile Market Reconstruction Fund in Ukraine. Mariia has joined the ISAB to enhance the experience of international students at Mason. In her spare time, Mariia volunteers at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. 

Nilima Hakim Mow
Hometown: Kushtia, Bangladesh
Major: Linguistics, PhD

Nilima is a third year PhD student in the Linguistics Program. She is from Bangladesh. Specializing in language documentation and revitalization, she works closely with endangered Indigenous languages like Akuzipik/Yupik, Hawrami and others. She is also dedicated to developing teaching pedagogy and instructional materials for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. 

Nilima is passionate about fostering inclusivity and supporting the international student community at Mason. Through her role on the ISAB, she advocates for the needs and concerns of international students, ensuring their voices are heard and helping create a welcoming, supportive campus environment. 

When she’s not researching, Nilima enjoys creating digital content to teach endangered languages to heritage learners. She also loves exploring new cultures through food and language, always looking for new dishes and languages to experience! She loves traveling. As she says, “traveling soothes my eyes, heals my mind and brings serenity to my inner soul.” 

Shreya Guha
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Major: Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, PhD

Shreya Guha is a PhD candidate in Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering (CEIE), with a focus on environmental engineering. She is from Kolkata, India, and speaks three languages. Her primary research focuses on developing air quality models to identify the impacts of policy implementations and changing weather patterns on air quality in China. Her previous work experience with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) helped her gain insight into the gaps between scientific research and the real-life challenges faced during policy implementations.

While working as a teaching instructor for children living in slums in India, she helped develop a curriculum that prioritized spoken language over traditional formal instruction. Shreya is particularly interested in bridging language barriers and assisting new international students in acclimating to life in the U.S. She guides them in finding housing, taking credits, obtaining an SSN, and more. As an immigrant woman of color in STEM with physical disabilities, her primary focus is fostering a sense of inclusivity, regardless of color, gender, orientation, or nationality. She is also a co-founder and officer of the graduate student organization GRACE at the CEIE department, which shares these goals. 

In her spare time, she writes in Bengali and maintains a (very irregular) blog.

Xiarong (Sherry) Shan
Hometown: Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
Major: Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, PhD

Sherry is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Engineering from Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. Her research focuses on the impact of air quality on human health, with the aim of ensuring that communities worldwide can benefit from clean air and healthier environments. 

In addition to her research, Sherry serves as the Executive Vice President of GAPSA and President of the CEIE Graduate Association. In these leadership roles, she is a passionate advocate for student well-being, particularly for international students. Sherry works tirelessly to address student concerns and promote a more inclusive, supportive campus community at Mason. 

When she’s not engaged in research or student advocacy, Sherry loves connecting with nature. Whether she’s hiking or exploring national parks, she finds peace and inspiration outdoors. As she puts it, “nature refreshes [her] mind and revitalizes [her] energy.” 

Dorjkhand Buyantogtokh
Hometown: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Major: Business, BS

Dorjkhand Buyantogtokh is an alumna of George Mason University who graduated in June 2024 with a degree in Business with a concentration in Management Information Systems. Having transferred to George Mason in 2022, Dorjkhand worked as an Office and Special Project Manager, Orientation leader, and Peer Mentor. Since graduating, she has worked at Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning as an AmeriCorps VISTA. 

Born in Mongolia, Dorjkhand immigrated to the U.S. in her childhood and attended middle and high school in Northern, Virginia. Before moving to the U.S., she was a kid’s tv show host in Mongolia.