“Know what you want, know how to ask for it.” A phrase that inspires confidence, said by none other than Professor Ilyssa Monda. Monda teaches neuroscience, a subject she is extremely passionate about, in addition to psychopathology and psychopharmacology. Monda serves as an inspiration to students, as she has worked hard to overcome the many obstacles that going into the field of science as a woman entails. She also opens up discussing how stressful academic life really is, as well as how she found her passion for neuroscience. Monda initially started out as a pre-med student, double majoring in biology and psychology with the typical workload of psychology…
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From Punk Powerhouse to Persian Poetry: Professor Roger Sedarat
As professor, academic scholar and award-winning poet, Roger Sedarat has established himself as an esteemed member of Queens College’s English Department. Yet, before developing the first Middle-Eastern American Literature course on campus and contributing scholarship on the hybrid crossing of Persian and American writing, Sedarat was an undergraduate student taking orders at a fast food drive thru in Texas. “I had a very unconventional academic upbringing. With zero money to attend college, I was lucky to attend a good state university, but I had to work at a Wendy’s drive thru, followed by work study and various temporary jobs to afford school back then,” Sedarat recalled. Although he currently devotes…
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Professor Joyce Warren reflects on life and career
While Professor Joyce Warren may be known around Queens College as both an English professor and director of the Women and Gender Studies program, back home in Western Massachusetts, she was the little girl who read everything, climbed the tallest of trees, and would not tolerate prejudice among any of the kids she played with. Growing up in a small Cape Cod house in a working-class neighborhood and a big swing that her father built, Joyce Warren was anything but your average child. While she enjoyed her days playing outside with all the children of her neighborhood, she was also a voracious reader. Going to the local library once a…
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Professor Noah Tsika discusses his roots in film & media
Graduating from an Ivy League institution of higher education qualifies an individual as a scholastic elite. There’s a reason why Professor Noah Tsika exudes such intellectual confidence when instructing his students. His impact in the classroom is the result of a learner with a voracious appetite for studious achievement. Tsika is a media critic and historian. With his standout deep-toned voice, he has contributed to several projects as a voice-over artist. His other accomplishments include being a journalist and editor, as well as, blogger for The Huffington Post and Africa Is a Country. His first book, Gods and Monsters, was published in 2009. Since then he has written Nollywood Stars:…
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Professor Spotlight: William Gallego
William Gallego has been nominated for three Emmy awards and had the honor of winning one. The former Queens College student has returned to the school to teach as a journalism professor. With a passion for visual storytelling, he teaches students the relevance of broadcast journalism. Gallego works as a full time producer at ABC and is fortunate enough to take on other projects that allow him to travel around the world and tell the stories of others. The 27-year-old of Colombian descent is a journalist, television producer, and professor. Being proficient in multitasking, he took on numerous opportunities that expanded his knowledge in the field and helped him gain…
