Dean's Student Advisory Council

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The College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Student Advisory Council is a body of A&S students who work closely with the dean and various administrators to tackle college-specific issues/concerns and develop solutions to make an impact within the college. The council exists to bridge the relationship between the dean and the A&S students by being a community where student and administration perspectives are shared, and projects to improve the college are developed as a result of the two-way communication. 

Current Members (Spring 2020):

Co-Chairs:

Rashmi Rao is a senior double majoring in chemistry and biology. Besides serving as co-chair for the Council, she is involved in Cornell Minds Matter, volunteers at the free clinic, and conducts research in the field of biomedical engineering to study heart valve development. Outside of class, she enjoys running and painting.

Lauren Rutzen is a senior majoring in government and minoring in nutrition and psychology. Outside of being one of the Council’s co-chairs, she serves on Class Councils and Convocation Committee. She is also involved in Cornell Hedge Fund and her sorority. She is passionate about nutrition and likes finding new recipes to cook for friends and family. In her free time, she enjoys distance running, spending time with friends, and traveling.

Class of 2020:

Eunice Yiu is a senior majoring in biological sciences, psychology, and economics.Outside the Council, she is involved in the Scientista Foundation, People Care Advocacy Team, neuroscience and human development research, physics teaching assistantship and biology student advising. In her leisure time, she enjoys running and playing the piano.

Nick Smith is an economics major with minors in psychology, business and leadership. In his free time, Nick volunteers within the College of Arts & Sciences, writes about movies for the Cornell Sun , and plays for Cornell’s Club Lacrosse Team.

Class of 2021:

Eugene Kim is a junior studying biological sciences with a concentration in neurobiology & behavior. He is currently involved in behavioral neuroscience research in theGoldberg Lab, where he is studying how birds learn to sing. On campus, he is also a student advisor for freshmen biology majors and an A&S Ambassador. Outside of class and lab, you might find him snapping pictures of the beautiful nature scene around campus or huddled around a board game with friends.

Tyler Mandelbaum is a junior pursuing an economics major and a business minor. Aside from being on the Dean's Council, he is also the Vice President of the service organization Circle K and an Orientation leader/A&S Peer Advisor. He is loving his time in Arts & Sciences and hopes to go to law school after he graduates from Cornell.

Amelia Samuelu is a fourth year student majoring in sociology with minors in Latino studies and inequality studies. Community building and social equity is a big passion of hers, so she is in a number of organizations, such as Mi Comunidad, CU IMAGE, and the Pacific Islander Student Association, that help foster that sentiment. Following her time at Cornell, she plans on working with an environmental equity group focused in Los Angeles that places frontline communities at the forefront of environmental activism.

Class of 2022:

Bella Somoza is double-majoring in history and biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. On campus, she is involved in the Biology Scholars Program, the Cornell Fashion Collective, and stress physiology research in the Vitousek Lab. Off campus, she enjoys hiking, swimming, exploring Ithaca's beautiful gorges and the vibrant restaurant and coffee-shop scene.

Hurya Ahmed is a sophomore from Orange County, California, studying government and pursuing minors in business and law and society. On campus, she is involved with Cornell Consulting, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, and Absolute A Cappella. You can find her talking about being from California, watching Patriot Act, or sipping coffee in Libe Café.

Catherine Zhang is a sophomore from Princeton, NJ pursuing a double major in computer science and sociology with a minor in nutrition and health. On campus, she is involved in Cornell AppDev, Women in Computing at Cornell, Phi Gamma Nu Business Fraternity, and a social sorority. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking healthy recipes, listening to podcasts, and doing pilates.

Margaret Lim is a sophomore pursuing a double major in Government and English. Her academic interests lie in the crossover between law and literature, international human rights, constitutional law, and poetry. Outside of being team lead for the Council’s Outreach Subteam, she is an editor for the Cornell International Affairs Review. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and doing nature photography.

Jojo Aboaf is a sophomore transfer majoring in mathematics with concentrations in operations research and computer science. Currently, he is working on an independent study that analyses nationality bias in international surf competitions. It follows that he has been surfing for 14 years, but he is also training for triathlons, interested in the science behind mobile notifications, and analyzing the difference in the patterns of clothing purchases and usage.

Anthony Sheehi is a sophomore majoring in information science and minoring in computer science, East Asian studies, and game design. On campus, he is a part of the Campus Activities Resource Center Team (so he may have served you popcorn!), and he is very involved with his service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. He has a strong passion for technology but also for learning about languages and cultures. Someday he will travel the entire world!

Valentina Loaiza is a sophomore government major with minors in French and inequality studies. On campus, you can find her at the Big Red Ambassadors general body meetings, First Generation Student Union's workshops and Cornell Lending Library's executive board meetings. After a busy week, she likes to unwind by watching travel vlogs, petting dogs, or getting coffee with friends.

Youssef Aziz is a sophomore majoring in sociology with minors in inequality studies (health equity) and information science. On campus, he is involved with research as a 2Gen Fall Scholar, Arts and Sciences Ambassador, and Alpha Phi Omega. Outside of campus, you can find him exploring restaurants around Ithaca, hiking, and napping in public spaces.

Class of 2023:

Tori DiStefano is a freshman majoring in biology and society. On campus, she is a part of the Class Councils and the Cornell HealthTech Project Team. Her personal interests include culinary arts, fashion and style, and biotechnology.

Madeline Rosenberg is a freshman planning to major in history. Her academic interests span the humanities, and she is interested in journalism. On campus, she is a news writer for The Cornell Daily Sun and also works for their newsletter team. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, sitting under trees on the Arts Quad when the weather is nice, and reading articles.