By Keith Gerald Davis III
BU’s Magaly Koch and Mira Kelly-Fair Studied Coastal Erosion in Brittany, France
International Seminar Brings Together Experts in Physical Sciences
As part of her National Science Foundation-funded research, Dr. Magaly Koch, geologist and research associate professor, co-led an international seminar and workshop in South Brittany, France. For this opportunity, Koch and her U.S. and French collaborators, who are experts in a range of disciplines, including marine geology and geospatial technology, selected nearly a dozen master’s and PhD students from across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, after a competitive selection process, to work on international research and learn from one another.
One of the PhD students who was selected for the seminar is two-time BU student Mira Kelly-Fair (MA ’22), who studies coral ecosystems. Specifically, Kelly-Fair is working on an NSF project based on mangroves in Belize. “This fellowship that I went on [with Professor Koch] is in line with this idea of studying coastal erosion,” says Kelly-Fair. “Obviously, the coastal erosion that we see in Northern France is going to be significantly different from what we’re looking at in Belize, but it was a great way to connect with a lot of other people in the field…and it was cool to learn more about radar aspects of remote sensing.”
Professor Koch specializes in the application of remote sensing and geographic information systems in the study of groundwater resources and environmental change of arid lands. She has traveled to numerous countries studying environmental change and coastal zone challenges in the face of a changing climate and was thrilled to co-lead this opportunity.
“This opportunity was meant for advanced graduate students, where they spent two weeks in a seminar style workshop,” says Koch. “It’s completely interdisciplinary… everyone had different backgrounds, and we wanted it that way. The emphasis was on the physical sciences; we had students with backgrounds in structural geology, tectonics, oceanography, and one student from Puerto Rico who specializes in investigating algae blooms.”
Professors on the trip included experts in satellite remote sensing, data sciences, computer sciences, among other specialties. “The students all learned from each other and from us,” says Koch. “And that was the purpose: to have them give a sort of overview of all these techniques and methods that can be used in many disciplines, with the main focus being the interface between the land and the ocean.”
Kelly-Fair agrees that it was interesting and valuable to have a wide range of specialties represented. “It was great to get such a wide diversity; people really had a range of what they were studying, from people who were more strictly in the area of remote sensing to people to were much more biology-focused,” she says. “I think we really covered the spectrum.”
They also used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of effectively communicating science, and students had time to present their work so everyone learned what members of the group are studying.
Kelly-Fair says the big takeaway for her was around the connections she made in France and that she has since participated in industry conferences where other participants and Professors from the seminar were in attendance. “Some of the people who were instructing us [in France], I have run into at conferences, and they’ve been able to connect me with even more folks, and I’ve gone to their talks.”
She also enjoyed the field trips they went on, which included a visit to one of the islands where they examined different elements of wind erosion and tidal erosion.
“When you are doing remote sensing research, a lot of what you’re doing, in addition to using the satellite imagery, is what we call ground truthing,” Kelly-Fair explains. “Seeing how those things are working on the ground. We have a lot of non-satellites and outputs by things like NASA and the European Space Agency that can map out potentially how wind is moving. We’re seeing a lot of changes with climate change. Being able to understand how those dynamics are shifting is really important, and we can get that information from the sky, but then going there and validating what we’re mapping out is accurate is really crucial.”
In addition to field trips, they went on a cultural excursion to Sous-Marin Flore Et Son Musée, a museum that showcases submarine building dating back to WWII and how the development of military and maritime infrastructure shaped the area.
“I’ve worked on boats for a very long time, so I really enjoyed that aspect of learning more about marine culture,” Kelly-Fair recalled.
This coming summer, Professor Koch is headed to Japan, where earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis are major coastal hazards. They have selected 12 PhD students from various universities across the U.S. This time, Professor Koch is working with Dr. Shunichi Koshimura, a Professor at International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, and the founding deputy director of the Co-creation Center for Disaster Resilience, Tohoku University.
CELOP and BU Dining Partner on English Language Program for Dining Services Staff
Recently dozens of BU Dining employees completed an English language program designed and taught by the Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP)’s Gina Giamei. The program – English for Dining Services – was offered to BU Dining employees who work in various functions across BU’s Dining Halls. Dining services staff members who expressed an interest in participating and were approved by their managers took part in the inaugural program in spring 2023 for six weeks.
The program received high marks from both employees who participated and their managers. Given the all-around success of the first program, Giamei developed and taught two twelve-week classes in fall 2023, and both sessions have been a win-win for CELOP and BU Dining employees.
“This is looked at as a success by Aramark (and I feel confident stating) also by BU,” says Mark Camus, Senior Human Resources Manager at Aramark. “It has also been a win with CELOP staff as well as our clients Kris Klinger and Paul Riel of BU Auxiliary Services.”
Camus, who describes himself as a big supporter of this kind of initiative and has previously instituted ESL classes at other organizations, adds that employee feedback has been strongly positive overall. “Notably, for the pre [and] post assessment testing done for the recently completed fall 2023 class, there were visible improvements for almost all participants,” he says.
“The program is geared towards staff who work in dining services and gives them the vocabulary and linguistic expressions to communicate effectively in the workplace,” says Maria Arruda, Managing Director of CELOP. “We are thrilled to partner with Aramark on this important initiative and training for their employees. Students not only demonstrated that they have made progress, but also the program helps advance Aramark's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic priority.”
CELOP Senior Lecturer Gina Giamei shadowed employees working in the dining halls and kitchens while building the curriculum to ensure it would be relevant to their needs. The focus is on making it easier for employees to do their jobs and communicate while working.
“I talked to managers and looked at the workspaces,” says Giamei. “I tried to stay open to what the student needs are and what they want to know. The students have come from many different countries and backgrounds…Dominican Republic, Haiti, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, China, Hong Kong, and Myanmar.”
Giamei, who specializes in working with beginners and has been teaching for 30 years, also led lessons on following instructions and how to read a recipe. Being someone who learned to speak Japanese fluently, Giamei is empathetic to the challenges of learning how to speak or develop fluency in a new language.
“I have a lot of empathy for my students because when I first moved to Japan in 1993 I knew very little about the language,” Giamei recalls. “It was hard. The first year was very difficult and we didn’t have all of the technology that we have now. I had my phrase book that I carried everywhere. I found translating between English and Japanese to be difficult… It took a long time to understand the meaning of what I translated, and so I can relate to the struggle.”
Robert Luther, Food Services Manager at Marciano Commons, says he sees the benefits of the program and that the individuals working on his team feel more at ease and comfortable approaching him and speaking. He adds that Giamei has been instrumental in helping Aramark employees feel comfortable.
Mark Yates, Food Services Manager at Warren Towers, echoes Luther’s sentiments. “It’s been nothing but positive,” he says. “They are excited to learn and feel proud about what they have accomplished. I am so happy to see this.”
Due to strong interest and demonstrated progress shown by the employees who participated, Aramark is now offering additional classes to employees during the current spring 2024 semester. The spring 2024 classes include a new Digital Literacy component.
“I am so happy with this class…I enjoy it,” says participant Witney Chow. “Gina is a great teacher.”
Giamei says she is thrilled with her students’ success. “I always let my students know I’m there to help and that’s what I want to do – just help them.”
BU’s First Women’s Basketball Recruit from Russia Weighs in on Navigating Life as an International Student
Anastasiia Semenova (CAS ’26) grew up “in a big basketball family” in St. Petersburg, Russia. Both of her parents and her brother played basketball, including at the professional level. With the sport being such a big tradition in their family, Semenova credits her parents and brother with instilling in her a love for the game that she began playing at a young age.
“The idea of going to the States to play basketball was definitely my parents’ idea that they kind of introduced me to because my brother was actually doing the exact same thing,” she says. “He left home when he was 14 and he went to high school…then got a bunch of offers. He was a really great player and decided to go to James Madison University to pursue his basketball career and academics. So I'm definitely following in his footsteps in a sense.”
During recruiting season, Semenova wasn’t able to travel to BU but she made her mark nonetheless – from more than 4,000 miles away – by writing to the coaching staff and sharing a highlight reel that showcased her many talents as a player. She made an impression on the coaches, as Semenova went on to become the first recruit from Russia for the Women’s Basketball program. She also holds the designation as being the first international first-year student athlete in the program since 2015.
“BU was definitely at the top of my list,” Semenova says. “I ended up having like four or five offers from different Division I schools, and that was honestly way more than I expected, being away from the States for recruiting. BU ended up being my top choice because of the academics and strong coaching staff that created an atmosphere where I realized I'll have a family away from my family, which was really important for me as an international student.”
Women’s Basketball Head Coach Melissa Graves describes Semenova as “a great basketball player who has a high IQ, plays with pace, and puts pressure on the defense by being a threat from both inside and the perimeter.” Graves notes how impressive it is that Semenova has grown in so many facets over the past year and says her essential leadership qualities have helped drive their team’s success both on and off the floor.
As an international student at BU, Semenova is double majoring in computer science and economics and minoring in business. She enjoys finding community alongside her fellow international student athletes, of which there are many throughout the athletic department on different sports teams, especially with sports that are popular outside of the U.S.
Bonding with her fellow teammates helped ease the culture shock she felt when Semenova first came to BU. While the women’s basketball team did not have any other international students on its roster when she started, she found community with her fellow teammates and with the coaching staff. Now, as a sophomore, Semenova is thrilled to mentor other international students who are on the team or will join soon.
“This year we have two Spanish girls who are freshmen, and we have one who is a transfer from Estonia, which is kind of close to me [Russia],” she says. “I’ve been to Estonia, and she has been to Russia so we kind of bonded over how we are both from Eastern Europe, which was great… I like that the freshmen international [students] ask me ‘how do we do this?’, ‘where do we get that?’…I tell them don’t worry, I got it figured out,” she says with a laugh.
In addition to navigating cultural differences when Semenova first came to the U.S., she also had to learn the subtle differences in how basketball is played in America vs. in Europe. “That was such a shock to me because certain things that I used to do I can’t do here now, or vice versa,” she says. “There are some differences in rules of the game as well as pace and physicality of it. American basketball is played much faster, and there is an emphasis on getting stronger in the weight room, which leads to a more physical game. There’s also more of a hierarchy here, if that makes sense, where there are stricter restrictions on certain positions.”
Having to learn some new rules of the game while navigating language and cultural differences – all while being the only person on the team from Russia – could have toppled the 6 feet, 2 inches tall power forward, but she rose to the occasion.
With a classic student athlete persevering-at-all-costs outlook, Semenova told herself and tells other new international student athletes, “It will get better. It will get better. Maybe not in a week or a month or two, but it will. You will adjust and everything will work out fine. Don’t lose your hope.”
“Ana was the first to offer help to our newest members of the team who are also international, and she has been a huge factor in their positive transition,” says Head Coach Graves. “Amongst all her team contributions, she has found success in the classroom too. Many people would struggle with everything Ana has on her plate, yet she does it all, in a second language and so far from home. This is why Ana embodies what it means to be resilient.”
On and off the court, Semenova is shining. On the court, she scored a season-high 21 points in early January against Lafayette. “This season, our team is very new with six freshmen and two transfers,” she says. “This has given me a chance to take on a leadership role as one of the few people who know the program and have been with the team for a while.”
Looking forward, Semenova wants to not only improve her leadership skills but also continue developing other skills that will be useful in life after basketball. “I continue working hard in the classroom, looking for internships and future job opportunities. Overall, I am enjoying this stage of my life, knowing that there's more to explore and achieve beyond the basketball court.”
In Russia, Semenova was a member of the expanded Russian National U18 Team. She was an All-Star on the U16 team that captured the European Girls Basketball League championship. In her career, she has won two Russian Championship bronze medals on the U16 and U18 teams and a bronze in the Russian Women's Super League Division I. On a more localized level, she is a three-time gold medalist in the St. Petersburg Championship.
Global Programs’ 12th Annual Photo Contest is Here
Submit Your Photos for The Chance to Win
This year marks Global Programs’ 12th year running our annual photo contest, highlighting incredible photography from around the world. Given BU’s diverse and creative community, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring photos each year that capture even the most remote corners of the globe.
With this year’s contest, we return to the theme of “Global Engagement” and look forward to seeing the ways in which the BU community interprets the theme and shares its remarkable images, be it here in Boston or anywhere around the world.
Submit your photos on this contest webpage, view prize details, and follow us on Instagram @buglobalprograms with #2024GPPhotoContest. And visit our website archive to view the past 11 years of beautiful finalist photos.
Two Extraordinary Pakistani Students Take Part in American Classes, Summer Fun in Boston as Part of Sister2Sister Exchange
During Summer Term 2, two young Pakistani women – Maheen Ali Mir (’26) and Fareena Ahmed (’24) – visited Boston University as part of their participation in the Sister2Sister Exchange Program. The Sister2Sister Program is a highly selective public-private partnership supported by the Department of State, led by American University, and run in partnership with U.S. universities, like BU, that provide summer scholarships to students who enroll in undergraduate course in their field of study and complete a cultural reflections project. The Program not only provides Pakistani female college students from underserved backgrounds with academic, personal, and professional development but also gives them exposure to American culture.
“We were delighted to support Maheen and Fareena this summer in Boston University’s second year supporting the Sister2Sister Exchange Program,” said Willis G. Wang, Associate Provost for Global Programs. “This is an important program in collaboration with the U.S. State Department that helps empower Pakistani women college students, and I have no doubt that Maheen and Fareena will continue to make great strides in their academic and career goals.”
Hosted by Global Programs, Maheen Ali Mir and Fareena Ahmed embarked on their first, solo journeys outside of Pakistan in early July and spent six weeks living in Myles Standish Hall alongside other BU students, many of whom also hail from places beyond the U.S.
Maheen Ali Mir and Fareena Ahmed are pictured with Lauren Thorman, Kamelia Turcotte, and Ellen Song from our Global Programs office.
“There is so much diversity in the U.S. and at BU,” says Ahmed. “We’ve had so many international students here [at BU] and living in Myles Standish this summer. It’s been very positive and fun to see people from all over the world.”
Being able to interact with and meet people from different countries and cultures is part of what drew Ahmed, who studies at the Institute of Professional Psychology, Bahria University Karachi Campus, to apply to the Sister2Sister Program. “I’ve met people from all over the world, and I’m really grateful for those connections, memories, and friends,” she says.
Ali Mir also noted her desire to experience cultural exchange and diversity while participating in the program. “I’m interested in exploring different cultures,” she says. “I’ve noticed that people are very kind to each other here, and that there is a progressive approach to gender equity, a positive way forward to deal with different [societal] problems. I’ve also noticed there’s a certain human connection regardless of where someone comes from or the differences we have, and I’ll take that home with me.”
Ali Mir hails from one of the most remote regions of northern Pakistan, an area that has only scarce healthcare access, educational opportunities, and communication capabilities. As a sophomore at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Lahore, Pakistan, she is studying social sciences and took an introduction to entrepreneurship class while at BU.
“Studying entrepreneurship here was fascinating,” she says. “One thing that was different from what we’d do in Pakistan is addressing the problem where you come up with more than one solution and something that can be put into action. The research and design thinking that we’ve done is definitely going to stay with me.”
This entrepreneurial mindset will serve Ali Mir well, as she has long term goals to run a business and work in her community. “After coming back from the Exchange Program I’ll be an example for the young girls who are hesitant to think out of the box [about their futures]. I’d like to equip myself with skills that will prove to be successful in my professional career and then deliver them to the young girls in my region who would then be exposed to a vast knowledge about career prospects that I didn’t have when I was growing up.”
During their time here, Ali Mir and Ahmed met with several faculty members and administrators to learn more and make connections in their respective fields of study. In the Questrom School of Business, they met with Sandra Deacon Carr, Master Lecturer in the Organizational Behavior Department.
“Fareena and Maheen are remarkable young women whose enthusiasm for learning is inspiring,” says Deacon Carr. “They are inquisitive, intelligent, hardworking, and focused on making the most of their educational experiences. I enjoyed meeting them and learning about their aspirations for the future, and I look forward to following them as they pursue their academic and career goals.”
Before attending the final presentations from Innovate@ BU’s Social Impact Entrepreneurs from its Summer Enlight program, Ali Mir and Ahmed also met with Siobhan Dullea, Executive Director of Innovate@BU.
“Both Fareena and Maheen were social innovators at their core,” says Dullea. “They both discussed ideas they had for improving their communities through a social entrepreneurship lens. They discussed their local social challenges and how they could improve the lives of individuals in their country. Their passion, energy, and desire to improve lives was infectious.”
Reflecting on her time at BU, Ali Mir says, “After coming here and exploring, I feel more connected to my own society. I feel like I am privileged to come here and explore things at a global level. I am representing my region, and what I’m learning is something I want to use for the people in my home and will give back.”
Like Ali Mir, Ahmed has learned how studying in a foreign place has helped her imagine new possibilities for herself and boosted her independence and professional development.
A student of psychology, Ahmed is keen to use her knowledge and experience to help normalize mental healthcare in Pakistan. She says that while the country and culture is moving in the right direction by not treating mental health as such a taboo topic, there is still much progress that can and should be made. “Here [in the U.S.] mental healthcare is not as stigmatized as in Pakistan,” she says. “It seems like mental healthcare is encouraged here, and I am hoping I can do something so it’s the same way in Pakistan.”
During her time at BU, Ahmed took an introduction to clinical psychology course and thoroughly enjoyed the class. She noted how impressed she was with the professor talking about his personal experiences, sharing how he does assessments with clients, and encouraging students to write reflections after class.
“I’ve witnessed a lot of personal growth in myself in the last six weeks,” Ahmed says. “This experience has taught me so much. I plan to contribute all the knowledge I learn to my community and guide others, especially young girls in Pakistan, towards their own career and self-development.”
Long term, Ahmed plans to earn a master’s degree in a sub-discipline of psychology, preferably somewhere abroad – perhaps in the U.S. – and then return to Pakistan to apply what she has learned. “I’d like to help address issues and help people help themselves,” she says.
Traveling Abroad? Learn More about International SOS & Staying Safe
International SOS Provides Health, Safety and Security Assistance Services to Travelers Abroad on BU Business and Students Studying Abroad
Boston University has partnered with International SOS, a leader in the international medical and security services industry, to provide health, safety and security assistance services to travelers on BU sponsored international trips including students studying abroad. International SOS provides destination-specific pre-departure information and advice, such as entry and exit requirements, cultural and customs information, as well as health and safety risks including crime, terrorism, personal freedom, local disease outbreaks, local food/water safety, transportation safety, and more. Most information is available on the member portal and International SOS experts are also available 24/7 at the assistance hotline to answer questions and provide more specific information.
During your trip, International SOS can keep you apprised in real time of any emerging risks based on your current location and/or future destinations. They can help you find trusted local medical providers or identify medical and security concerns related to your trip. The assistance hotline is available 24/7 to provide health and security assistance or advice including arranging for urgent and emergency medical needs or evacuations.
Coming soon, on-demand virtual training will be available through International SOS’s digital learning library. Topics include travel safety for students, avoiding petty crime, stress management while traveling, and more. Once available, details on accessing the library will be included in the pre-travel advisory email sent by BU and International SOS to every international traveler prior to any registered trip.
Your International SOS member portal can be found at internationalsos.com. Log in using membership number 398GDA956456 and your BU username and password. International SOS also has a free assistance app, “International SOS”, available on both Google play and the Apple app store. The app provides access to the same features as the member portal on your mobile device. The 24/7 assistance hotline is available worldwide at +1-215-942-8487.
Boston University cares about the health and safety of all members of the Terrier community, whether you’re on the Boston-based campuses or traveling abroad. Global Programs has a dedicated Health, Safety & Security team to help keep Terriers abroad safe, and they can be contacted at GlobalHSS@bu.edu or 617-353-5401 to find out more information about the services available through International SOS.
How 2 BU Sydney Internships Led to Launching, Growing, and Exiting Australia’s Leading Social Media Agency
For 11 years, Gina Lednyak and Elena Fullerton have built a successful business abroad together
Something indescribable and intangible gripped Gina Lednyak (CAS ’07) and Elena Fullerton (CAS ’13) when they studied abroad in Sydney, Australia – each going abroad during their senior year. They both felt a strong pull to this new, beautiful place and that Sydney was where they would end up long term, despite studying abroad during different years.
“From the moment I landed in Sydney, I knew,” recalls Lednyak. “I remember being on a bus with the facilitator at the time and he said, ‘there’s always one person who falls in love with this place and moves back.’ I remember turning to my flat mate and saying that’s going to be me…I’m going to be the one who moves back. I had no logical reason to think that, but I had a feeling that I just would fall in love with it.”
Turns out she was right.
For Fullerton, she had visited Australia with her family when she was young, and she realized during her senior year that she wanted to visit again. “I got this spark and thought I need to go back.”
At the time, Fullerton was studying political science and thought she may be interested in becoming a lawyer in the future or go into public policy. But when Sydney Internship Specialist Kerry Seymour-Smith told Fullerton about an internship opportunity in which she thought Fullerton would excel, Fullerton dove right in.
The internship was with Lednyak’s nascent social media agency, L&A Social, in communications and social media marketing.
“I went for it, and it was pretty much just me and Gina,” recalls Fullerton. “I got tons of experience and was able to still help L&A when I came back to Boston to finish my degree. I actually added a minor in communications after I interned with Gina because I loved the work so much.”
In many ways, Lednyak knew what Fullerton was interested in getting out of the experience, as Lednyak had also completed an academic internship during her time studying abroad in Sydney. Lednyak, who was born in Belarus and escaped with her family to New York City when the Soviet Union broke up, was keen to study and intern abroad during her time at BU. Studying psychology and having an interest in the law, Lednyak had told BU Sydney’s Seymour-Smith, “I don’t want to be a normal intern; I want to intern somewhere where I can change the world a little bit.”
Lednyak recalls with a laugh, “I was probably a bit of a pain in the butt. I didn’t want to just sit behind a computer…I wanted to do things differently.”
With her entrepreneurial spirit and drive clearly shining through and just a few days remaining to secure an internship, Lednyak decided she would take Seymour-Smith’s advice and go for the internship BU Sydney had found Lednyak with a children’s charity in marketing and events.
“I had such a good experience,” Lednyak says. “The team was really lovely, and this was my first time being exposed to marketing and events. They showed me around Sydney, took me out to see what life was like living and working in Sydney, and it was during this time that I started to think I could really live here.”
She ended up moving to Sydney after graduating, when Australia released the working holiday visa. Upon landing back in Australia, Lednyak knew she wanted to reconnect with BU Sydney.
“Boston is so far from Sydney but especially in those first few years right out of college, there are so many people connected through the BU program. We had a great group going and would do all sorts of things together. It was a really nice community and it kept you feeling connected,” Lednyak recalls.
The Origins of L&A Social
On the work front – before launching L&A Social – Lednyak had a brief contract at a market research company working in positive psychology and, after that, started an adventure dating company. Soon, she realized that the social media marketing she was using to promote her dating company was proving to be a highly valuable skillset.
“I started to get companies asking me to help them with their social media because no one else was doing it at the time,” she says. “And that’s how it all started with L&A. I took on a few clients and just figured it all out as I went. We were the first social media agency to launch in Sydney, and the reason why I even knew about social media was because Boston University was one of the first universities to trial Facebook when it launched. Then, when I moved to Sydney and was using social media, I felt years ahead of anyone else – I had more experience in a new industry.”
Early on, Lednyak knew she wanted to tap BU Sydney for interns for her new agency and was thrilled to have Sydney Internship program students join her firm during their time there. Seymour-Smith, who has led the internship program for 28 years, encouraged Fullerton to pursue an internship with L&A Social, sensing that Fullerton and Lednyak would have a connection and that they would create interesting work together.
“That ended up changing both of our lives completely,” Lednyak says. “We were a startup at the time and we needed people like Elena who would jump in headfirst. Then when Elena said she would move back and work with us full-time it was amazing. She had no hesitations. We’ve worked side-by-side for almost 11 years now!”
Fullerton remembers when Lednyak asked her if she wanted to make the leap and move back to Sydney to work at L&A Social full-time. “I pretty much didn’t ask any questions and just said yes,” Fullerton recalls. “I loved the clients and loved working there, so I knew it was the right move.”
Fullerton started at L&A working in partnerships with Lednyak, building the framework for each department and filling the role hands-on as they scaled and grew the need for more departments and systems.
“Due to the speed of growth that the business saw, I was able to move up through seven roles in under ten years, which was a representation of our high-scale business growth as well as the evolving landscape on social,” Fullerton says. “We had to build out departments as the social landscape evolved and the agency needed them. This gave me a huge opportunity to work with Gina to build out our roadmap and fill the roles of different departments as we developed our offering as one of Australia's first and leading social media agencies.”
Growing Their Friendship & the Business
Just as the social media industry has evolved over the years, so too has their friendship, which first started inside the business but quickly grew and developed outside of the agency. “As we grew together and worked more closely on opportunities together, we found an incredibly strong sense of friendship which made the entire process not only rewarding but incredibly fun,” Fullerton says.
A sense of fun and belonging are critical elements of L&A’s culture, things that Fullerton and Lednyak instill in the company and they believe have been key ingredients in their success.
“Gina is the guiding light for sure, she's got the vision and the big picture thinking,” Fullerton says. “I am more of a planner, good at rolling out the vision. At this point, we are more like sisters than we are friends. We've been through so much – so many amazing, tough, transformative, powerful, and fun times, and our friendship has been as much a part of my journey as the social media.”
As L&A Social’s third hire, it is clear Fullerton made an immediate impact in the trajectory of the agency. Today, as Managing Director Fullerton focuses on strategy, business development, and agency growth. Both Fullerton and Lednyak are proud of the agency recently being acquired by global marketing firm, Tag, and L&A Social becoming part of a larger agency holding.
“This means we can take the business truly global and can have a lot more growth,” Lednyak says.
Being able to grow your business alongside a dear friend is a gift, and both women know the rarity of this opportunity. They also express gratitude for the experience and the wealth of knowledge they’ve acquired – and contributed to – by being surrounded by strong female leaders along the way.
“We have grown L&A to 75% female leadership…I have learned so much from the powerful women in my life, not only Gina but also my mom who is a business founder & CEO and from our L&A leaders,” Fullerton says. “As we have broadened our team with the acquisition into Tag, we have had the opportunity to work with more females in global leadership positions and have also become mentors to young women in the business across developing markets.”
Another woman who has been steadfast in her support of Fullerton and Lednyak is BU Sydney’s Kerry Seymour-Smith.
“Kerry was absolutely instrumental,” Lednyak says. “She has so much wisdom, and I think she tries to look under the surface of what people are asking for and sees what students are really good at – as she had done with me.”
They’ve won “Best Place to Work” awards and have top-tier clients in many different countries. They’ve grown the business together and now offer a full suite of marketing services to renowned, global brands. But perhaps one of the most meaningful accomplishments is L&A Social’s ability to sponsor work visas for people who want to move to Sydney.
“When I first came here I had trouble getting sponsorship and becoming a citizen because I had my own business,” Lednyak says. “When we started sponsoring people and helping them gain citizenship that was really rewarding for me. It made me really happy to help bring people to this beautiful place.”
Recent Grad Launches Organization to Empower Refugees and Immigrants, Wins BU Refugee Challenge
Maria Gorskikh’s Nonprofit Helps Immigrant & Refugee Entrepreneurs Realize their Dreams
Maria Gorskikh (Questrom ’23), a recent graduate who majored in finance and hails from Russia, won the Boston University Refugee Challenge earlier this year with her non-profit organization DREAM Venture Labs. Gorskikh’s organization is dedicated to empowering refugees and immigrants in starting and growing their own businesses, and it serves as a connection between immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs and essential resources to boost their business ventures.
Gorskikh started DREAM Venture Labs to address the notable challenges faced by immigrants and refugees, such as language barriers, limited access to resources, and lack of professional networks in the U.S., even for those with prior business success abroad.
“Our organization carefully tackles these issues by providing practical resources and fostering a supportive community that understands and navigates the unique hurdles of starting a business in a new country,” Gorskikh explains.
The organization runs events and offers access to its partnership network as well as a targeted accelerator program, linking entrepreneurs with dedicated student volunteers and seasoned mentors. DREAM Venture Labs has a dynamic team of more than 300 student mentor volunteers, hailing from a range of Boston-based universities including BU, MIT, Harvard, BC, Tufts, Northeastern, and more.
“Our mentors’ dedication and skill breathe life into our mission, helping us create a powerful support network for the immigrant entrepreneurs under our wing,” Gorskikh says. “We thoughtfully pair entrepreneurs with student volunteers from similar cultural backgrounds and linguistic capabilities, ensuring that language barriers are minimized and connections are forged through shared cultural and linguistic understanding.”
Growing up in Russia and immigrating to the United States at age 17, Gorskikh has firsthand experience and understanding of the myriad issues many immigrants and refugees face. From a young age, she was engaged with liberal political movements, feminism, and sustainability movements in Russia, fostering an intrinsic entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for social impact.
It comes with little surprise that Gorskikh is using her business and finance acumen to support others and to bridge the gap between ambition and realization. Winning the BU Refugee Challenge gave Gorskikh $10,000, which she says she has allocated to fortify DREAM Venture Lab’s foundational and operational facets. “This includes covering legal organization fees, recruiting adept students for mentoring, hosting in-person events, amplifying our visibility through marketing, providing support and appreciation for our interns and volunteers, and investing in software and fundraising endeavors to ensure sustainability and growth.”
Gorskikh credits Innovate@BU for being an indispensable ally in launching DREAM Venture Labs. “Their mentorship, pivotal advice, vital connections, and generous $10,000 grant from the Refugee Challenge not only provided financial support but also enriched our framework, enabling us to sculpt an impactful and sustainable organization. Their role was pivotal in translating our mission into actionable impact.”
As a recent graduate, Gorskikh is completely dedicated to her organization and is working to ensure sustainable growth of DREAM Venture labs. Long-term, her vision expands beyond Boston, as she aspires to assist hundreds of businesses nationally and grow DREAM Venture Labs’ network across the U.S.
When Museums & Street Art Tours are the Classroom
Madrid Students Analyze Classical and Modern Art, Try Stenciling at Street Art Workshop
Anticipation and excitement filled the air when students of the spring 2023 Madrid Spanish & European Studies program entered the classroom for their course Art and Architecture in Madrid: 1561-Today. Several of the students were completely new to art history and embarked on the course and the program despite the content having little to do with their degree programs. In fact, the temporary departure from STEM courses was one of the draws for Karina Mihura (CAS’24), a biology student with long-term goals to pursue medicine.
Mihura had always wanted to study abroad, and this Madrid program looked particularly interesting to her, even if it’s not directly related to her biology major. Mihura found the program helpful in expanding her thinking and having an open mind learning about issues unrelated to STEM.
“I was really interested in kind of taking a step back from my STEM courses because it was at a difficult time in my college career, and I wanted to take a deep breath before going into my senior year,” Mihura says. “I felt like Madrid and doing something that isn’t what I’ve been studying for the past three years was a good way to do that.”
Another benefit for Mihura was that the Madrid art and architecture course fulfills the Creativity and Innovation Hub requirement, a Hub unit that she had been needing to satisfy. The course also fulfills a Hub unit in Aesthetic Exploration and in Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Isabel Carrasco, PhD, who has been teaching this course for about ten years, shows students how approachable and inspiring art can be – even that from hundreds of years ago – and how art, especially street art can connect to different aspects of life and even make a statement in public spaces.
“To be honest, I was scared at the beginning because I didn’t know much about art history and I wasn’t used to writing in that style,” Mihura recalls. “But our instructor gave us such an open mind set about everything, where she taught us how to approach art history as a whole and how to approach it in terms of papers and exams. She was so understanding that not all of us may be experts or not even super into art history but she made it so interesting and easy to approach. That’s something that will always stay with me.”
Part of Carrasco’s approach involves taking students on a city street art walking tour and to museums weekly, including the Prado Museum and Museo Reina Sofia, to introduce students to relevant works of art in Madrid while taking into consideration the historical context in which they were created.
“I enjoy being in front of real things where you can actually see the brushstrokes and the details, instead of explaining in front of a screen,” says Carrasco. “We are in Madrid – we go see the paintings here!”
Sociology major Ariana Tarhanidis (CAS ’24) says visiting museums and analyzing art was something entirely new to her. “Before this course, I’ve never studied technique, but I will say that now when I go to a museum I have a better understanding and can put that into context.”
While in museums, on the city street art walking tour, and in class, students learned about a wide range of art and the evolution of the arts from 1561, when Philip II moved Spain’s capital to Madrid, to the current trends of today, including street art and graffiti. Carrasco does not see herself as a professional artist but she does create art, including calligraphy, watercolors, and some street art.
Her research focuses on “the relationship between images and writing (calligraphy and graffiti) in contemporary art and their interaction with public spaces,” bringing this expertise into the classroom for students. Carrasco’s interests in graffiti and street art paved the way for interested students to attend a street art workshop with her at a collective called El Keller, where students tried their hand at stenciling toward the end of the study abroad program.
“They had to design on stencil, which can look simple, but can be very complicated,” Carrasco explains. “When you start adding layers, you need to think in two dimensions and in terms of positive and negative [space]. I think the best way to understand is by trying it…Some students were feeling vulnerable about the lack of skills and how to face a blank white paper, but I think the students were proud of what they tried, and they surprised themselves.”
Tarhanidis and others appreciated the opportunity to learn from professionals at El Keller and try something new. “I loved how many opportunities Isabel gave us during the course to take advantage of what’s around and to grow as a student,” Tarhanidis says. “I don’t speak Spanish that well, and if I had gone to this workshop without Isabel it would have been very intimidating. Now I am more open to doing things like that because she introduced me to it. And I was able to meet a lot of prominent Spanish street artists whose work I was able to recognize around Madrid.”
Mihura counts the art course and street art workshop among her favorite parts of studying abroad. “It was so interesting to see the stencil art/street art being done,” she says. “It [the workshop] was free and open to everyone and they knew we didn’t necessarily know how to do it, and that was okay. They helped me every step of the way into creating [a stencil], and they had walls everywhere where you could spray paint however you would like.”
Another student who attended the workshop, Sophia Trief (COM ’24), found it interesting to see artists at work in the warehouse studio. She also enjoyed looking for street art around Madrid, having learned about an artist who disguised his name into the world. “I remember walking around and seeing a fence, and if you looked at it a certain way, you would see his ‘E and 1000’, so my friends and I would try to find his art as we explored the city.”
Carrasco also took students around the city during class, exploring street art activism, murals, graffiti tagging, and more. On the street art tour, she points out small, sometimes inconspicuous, things – specific tiles or graffiti tags – and explains their significance.
“Street art is made for the broader public, and it is very much alive in Europe and Spain compared to the United States,” Carrasco explains. “It’s meant to attract the attention of the public to provoke a smile or to even attract the attention of galleries and art collectors.”
Carrasco says street art can take any form – ceramics, paintings, posters, and more – while graffiti art is mostly done with spray paint. “Graffiti is a little bit more invasive and about tagging and saying ‘I was here’,” she says. “It’s more connected to calligraphy and graphic design, and graffiti is a sort of subculture, and graffiti writers don’t feel a part of the art world or the art system. In fact, they write for other graffiti writers. What we see in the street is not for us to understand.”
As students learned firsthand in Madrid this past spring, street art and graffiti are close art relatives, but they are for different audiences, with different purposes.
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Global Feature
Global Feature
Global Feature
