Students Advising on Graduate Education (SAGE) is a student advisory board and leadership opportunity for graduate students at Illinois that fosters active engagement with Graduate College programs and initiatives. SAGE board members enrich the graduate student community, build leadership skills, and strengthen Graduate College services and programs. This board contributes to the graduate student community at Illinois by providing varied perspectives that enhance the academic, professional, and social experience of graduate students at the university. They also provide valuable input for Graduate College programs, resources, and services. SAGE members are nominated by their colleges.
The 2025-2026 board members are:
Oluwakemi Adeyemi, Esq. is a Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) candidate at the University of Illinois College of Law interested in how developing nations can create systems that attract funding through debt on the security of intellectual properties. An alum of the Illini Science Policy Program and Policy & Research Legislative Fellowship, Oluwakemi worked on a legislative agenda that addressed HIV/AIDS burden on heterosexual cisgender Black women in Illinois. Oluwakemi’s work supported the development of a database of state African-American lawmakers across the United States. Oluwakemi serves as the Vice President of the African Students Organization.
Shehzadi Mahum Agha is a master’s student in Business Analytics at the Gies College of Business with expertise in strategy consulting, market research, and data analytics. She led competitor benchmarking and a SWOT analysis for the Pilot Graduate Success Lab, providing recommendations projected to boost student engagement by 25%. As an Executive Consultant at Sukkur IBA’s Entrepreneurship Consulting Society, she advised over 10 startups, securing $20K+ in partnerships and improving pitch success rates by 35%. Mahum has delivered strategic insights for Fortune 500 clients at S&P Global, exceeded sales targets by 200% at Motive, and advanced AI integration strategies at Wolters Kluwer. She is passionate about business intelligence and the ethical use of AI in decision-making.”
Chelsea Alexander is a fifth-year graduate student in the Human Development and Family Studies Program. She is interested in socializing agents during emerging adulthood development, with a particular focus on Black populations.
Akash Bajaj is a third-year PhD student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He earned his master’s degree from Texas A&M University and gained industry experience before returning for his doctoral studies. His current research focuses on improving the resiliency of asphalt pavements in highways and airfields by characterizing and reducing their cracking potential. In his free time, Akash enjoys traveling, hanging out with friends, and exploring different cultures.
Sydney Benning is a third-year doctoral student in the Information Science Department. Here at U of I, I study data sharing practices and infrastructural management in the archaeological sciences. My current research seeks to understand how different barriers and behavioral patterns amongst diverse user populations impact differential access to archaeological data and cultural heritage information. A little about me outside of academia: I am originally from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and miss it dearly every day. I love to cook and bake - especially macarons! I have also recently started crocheting, adding to a growing list of craft-based activities that I enjoy in my downtime.
Megan Bergman is a third-year PhD student in the School of Labor and Employment Relations. Her research interests encompass law, policy, and organizations, particularly at the intersection of DEI, equal employment opportunity, and corporate governance. Prior to her time at the University of Illinois, Megan was a Senior Academic Advisor and Academic Advisor for six and a half years in the Daniels School of Business at Purdue University – West Lafayette. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication from Purdue University – West Lafayette.
Ingmar Bertram is a German-Swedish professional based in Stockholm, Sweden. He is an education specialist with experience in L&D, EdTech, student recruitment, and marketing for the training industry. He spent part of high school in Oregon. He's an advocate and practitioner of lifelong learning.
Bella Carlson is a second-year Master of Social Work (MSW) student with a macro concentration focused on advancing community well-being. Specifically, she is passionate about youth mental health and hopes to develop educational programs in her future endeavors. She will complete her internship at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. There, she plans to explore her passion for uplifting young communities.
Nikita Chigullapally is a second-year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine with a strong interest in health equity, community engagement, and interdisciplinary innovation. With a background in nutritional sciences, she has led multiple initiatives focused on wellness, cultural inclusion, and advocacy for underserved populations. She currently serves on Carle Student Government and participates in several curriculum subcommittees, where she regularly collaborates with faculty and administrators to improve the medical education experience. Nikita is passionate about representing student voices and ensuring her peers’ perspectives are reflected in institutional decision-making. She looks forward to contributing to SAGE by continuing to advocate for policies and resources that enhance the graduate student experience across campus.
Will Deng is a PhD student in Cognitive Psychology at U of I. He is interested in both how people make complex decisions and how people perceive and remember themselves and the rest of the world. As a result, he uses a combination of research methodologies such as behavioral research, computational modeling, and electrophysiology. The main goal of his research is to test and develop new cognitive theories and models that encompass a diverse population and link perception and comprehension. In his free time, Will enjoys playing the violin, working on his car, exploring local breweries, and refining his espresso-making techniques.
Wendy Dorman is a PhD Candidate in Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences. She took a long hiatus from academia after completing her MS in Ecology and GIS, earning her GISP, working in remote sensing with MAXAR, and curating biodiversity data with the Map of Life. Her interdisciplinary research explores both the mechanisms limiting the distribution of migratory birds and the impact of scale and place on the attitudes of k-12 students towards conservation and climate change. She enjoys hiking with her dog Atreyu, science fiction, birding, and bonfires.
Laura Gray is a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Energy-Water-Environment-Sustainability track of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research is centered in urban studies and global climate modeling, with a particular focus on how green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) can be represented in Earth system models to understand its performance across a wide variety of locations. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2019 and her Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2021. She loves rock climbing, gaming, reading, and traveling, and can frequently be found haunting local Chambana coffee shops.
Dalton Grimes is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Studies, working with Dr. Stodolska. I am most interested in the ways that we construct our identities in recreation and leisure spaces. In particular, I like to focus on the formation of LGBTQIA+ identities in the outdoors."
Yewon Hong is a PhD student at the Institute of Communications Research, specializing in cuteness, affect, and aesthetics in digital media and games. Her research explores how play and pleasure function as mechanisms of ideology and soft discipline. When not theorizing cuteness, she enjoys playing cozy games, baking, and bouldering.
Nicholas (Nick) Leonardi is a PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction. His research focuses on teachers' learning to support students' meaningful and equitable participation in science. Currently, he examines how the design of professional learning experiences supports teachers in learning to customize reform-based curriculum materials for their students and teaching contexts. Nick received his MS in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University in 2019 and his BS in Science Education from the University of Iowa in 2014. Before attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he taught middle school science in Melrose Park, IL, for seven years.
Camila Madariaga is a PhD student in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Trained as an architect and urban planner, she studies how colonial legacies influence rural and urban planning in Chile, with a focus on community-led approaches that center local knowledge and alternative ways of valuing place. Camila completed her master’s in Urban Planning at Illinois, where her research examined the relationships between suburban and rural communities in Valparaíso.
Emma McCabe is a Kinesiology student on track to complete her doctoral work in Spring 2027. Her primary interest is in using physical activity to attenuate cognitive and mental health problems in vulnerable populations. Before joining the University of Illinois, Emma investigated lifestyle behaviors and mental health with student-athletes at Elon University and in patients with alcohol use disorder at the National Institutes of Health. Her current work with Dr. Naiman Khan seeks to understand the relation between mental health and physical activity over one calendar year in early adolescents aged 8 to 14 years. She has received funding from the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity and will report her findings in 2026. She is also assisting with a physical activity and nutrition education intervention for children at risk for poverty. In her free time, Emma enjoys boxing, weightlifting, watching horror movies, and cuddling with her cat, Gerald.
Gabriel Muñiz Negrón is a fifth-year PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests include applied electromagnetics and antennas for wireless communications and remote sensing. In his free time, Gabriel enjoys photography, baking, and talking about his dog.
Jonathan Ruwuya is a fifth-year PhD student pursuing his studies in the Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism. His primary research interest lies in Sport Management, with a focus on safeguarding the integrity of sport and the well-being of athletes through comprehensive anti-doping initiatives. His work delves into the intricate landscape of global anti-doping policies, exploring their implementation in non-Western regions, particularly in the context of Africa. Beyond his academic endeavors, Jonathan finds joy in spending quality time with his loved ones, expressing his creativity through playing the bass guitar, and satisfying his curiosity through travel.
Pedram Zarei is a second year PhD student in the department of Animal Sciences at the College of ACES. He is currently a graduate research assistant in the “Dean repro lab” where they are interested in all aspects of the female reproductive system to understand the molecular underpinnings of infertility and gynecologic cancers so that new treatments can be developed. Prior to joining UIUC, Pedram received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree in 2021 from his country, Iran, followed by an MSc degree in Pathobiology from Penn State in 2024. In his free time, Pedram likes hiking, barbecuing, and outdoor activities.