We cannot tell you how thrilled we are to be joining you. Ever since living in Mather House as visiting faculty in 2000-2001, we have dreamed of serving as faculty deans in a House community. As one of seven children, Kevin grew up in a home crowded with siblings who eventually branched out into careers in science, economics, and teaching. Stephanie grew up with her father’s students filling the house with music, laughter and conversations about theology and politics that lasted late into the night. There’s nowhere we’d rather be than in the midst of a community of learners who are sharing and testing their ideas, experimenting with their lives, seeking ways to contribute to the good of the world—and enjoying each other’s company along the way. Eliot’s style of combining the traditional and the new, the serious and the joyful very much appeals to us, and we feel fortunate to get to join your community.
I can't blieve that i have been part of this amazing community for 21 years and it's safe to say, that I probably have one of the best jobs at Harvard. I meet the students as FYs when they get their housing assignments on that famous Thursday in March and then I see them three years later walking across the terrace to receive their diplomas, and not to mention all the great things in between. While working at Eliot House I have met some great people, made lasting friendships, planned many functions and have done a lot of baking for the Faculty Deans, Open Houses.I am here to help you with any housing questions or concerns, reserving a room, or if you just want to chat. My office is located on the second floor of N entryway and is always open.
Allston Burr Resident Dean, Eliot House Assistant Dean of Harvard College Lecturer in Anthropology
Hello Eliot! I am thrilled to start my fifth year as Resident Dean of Eliot House. I am joined at Eliot by my husband, Ajay Sonalkar, and our eight-year-old son, Ziv.
I grew up in a tiny town (population=2500!) in rural Missouri (in case you were wondering, yes there were definitely more cows than people). I completed my B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Science at Lawrence University and an M.A. in Development Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India. Before joining Harvard I was based in Providence, RI where I completed an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology at Brown University and developed a love for Del’s Lemonade. In what feels like another life (i.e. pre- Ph.D.) I spent many years living and working in South Korea where I taught courses on Leadership and Social Activism and served as the International Student Advisor at the Ulsan National Institute for Science and Technology (UNIST).
I’m very excited to serve as a non-resident tutor - I was a resident tutor until 2020. I’m a Nigerian born, London (England) raised, postdoctoral researcher working in the field of wearable sensors at the Harvard Wyss Institute since early 2016. Having left London at 16 to attend boarding school in the North of Scotland, I subsequently moved to the south England to study at the University of Bristol, where I obtained my Masters and Doctoral degrees. After a brief pause to do volunteer work in Bangladesh, I moved to Switzerland to complete my first postdoc at EPFL, where I stayed for 3 years. My passions include dancing, applied research, technology transfer, general life adventuring, and Christian spirituality. I look forward to discussing these and more with you!
Hello Eliot, I am excited to be joining the Eliot House with my wife, Ayantu. I am currently an instructor at the Biogen Community Lab. I am also a graduate student at Boston University School of Medicine in the department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. As an undergraduate at Northeastern University, I studied Applied Biology, while working at the Libermann Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. I am passionate about a number of things; one being running and just being outdoors the other being chess. I look forward to meeting everyone!... Read more about Alazar Ayele
"Hello Domus! My name is Ben and I'm delighted to be (re)joining the Eliot community as a Non-Resident Tutor! Originally from upstate New York, I graduated from Harvard as a Classics major in 2011; I was a lightweight rower for all 4 years and roommates with Dr. Emmett Kistler for our senior year. After college, I attended Naval Officer Candidate School in 2012 where I commissioned as an Ensign and served as a Logistics Officer down in Norfolk, Virginia, on USS MONTEREY (CG-61), a guided missile cruiser; while onboard, I completed a nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and visited 7 countries along the way. After leaving active duty, I spent a few years in DC before returning to Boston in 2020 to start a Master's Degree in Social Work at Boston College, where I focus on Clinical Mental Health and trauma-informed care. This year I will be interning at the VA Boston Healthcare system, working with veterans diagnosed with severe mental illness and suffering from housing insecurity. Don't hesitate to contact me or say hi when I visit Eliot to see Emmett and Moose; I would love to answer any questions you have regarding military service, rowing, and careers in mental health/social work/clinical therapy. FDDE!"
Hello Eliot House! I am very pleased to be a part of the Eliot community and to work as the Academic Coordinator of Eliot House. I grew up in nearby Franklin and I went on to earn a BA in History from Saint Michaels College in Vermont, where I also played on the varsity basketball team. Prior to coming to Harvard, I served as the Director of Constituent Services in the Office of Massachusetts State Representative James E. Vallee. I am always up for a conversation and enjoy discussing politics, history, and of course Boston sports!
I am here to help you with any academic or advising questions you may have, and I look forward to meeting you all and please stop by anytime!
Hello Eliot! I'm currently a second-year at HMS and doing rotations at Brigham and Women's Hospital. I graduated from Harvard College in 2020 with a degree in... Read more about Julie Sunyoung Chung
