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People

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Undergraduate Resident Fellow

Hi everyone! My name is Cameron Howland, and I am an Urban and Regional Studies major in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. My academic interests include city and community planning, public policy, and politics. I always love to talk with fellow students about their interests, and share mine!

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Undergraduate Resident Fellow

Hi!  My name is Cara and I'm a senior from New Jersey studying Applied Economics and Information Science. This will be my second year as a URF at Becker. Some of my interests are painting, gardening, and baking.

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Graduate Resident Fellow

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, I came to Ithaca in 2022 to begin my PhD in Classics. I study Greek literature pretty broadly, and lately I've been interested in how quotations are used in poetry. I find great joy in learning and teaching languages, which is an important part of my job as a classicist.

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Undergraduate Resident Fellow

Hey everyone! My name is Luigi, and I’m the URF for the 3rd floor in Becker North! I’m a senior majoring in Physics, and I have spent my entire life growing up in Chicago. After graduating, I plan on going to law school (fingers crossed), so I’m currently working on my applications.

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House Professor Dean

Lori Leonard is a professor and serves as senior associate dean, effective July 1, 2025. She was the inaugural chair in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University.

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Assistant Dean

As Assistant Dean, Amanda hopes to facilitate a sense of belonging and well-being for each resident in Becker House. Her office is across from the House Office. Stop by any time with concerns, questions, etc. or if you just need to talk. 

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Administrative Coordinator

Meredith’s career path has traversed the worlds of fine chocolate, coffee, teaching, information technology,  office and event support for the Cornell University Library and the Lab of Atomic and Solid State Physics. She earned a PhD in Victorian literature along the way which has led to an ongoing passion for writing.

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House Chef

Originally from Bucks County Pennsylvania, Chef Matt began working in kitchens as a teenager. He fell in love with the constantly evolving seasonal ingredients and how to best prepare them. Around the same time, Matt became involved in 4-H where he gained an understanding of how raising livestock and growing food can nurture a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

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Assistant Professor in the Department of Government

Oumar Ba is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government. Ourmar was born and grew up in Senegal and moved to the United States at age 23. He has lived in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, and now central New York. His research and teaching interests are at the intersection of international politics and law, violence and humanity, history and world orders.

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Assistant Director for the First-Year Experience

Taylor Bouraad is the Assistant Director for the First-Year Experience. In her role, she oversees programming for new students as they navigate their transition to campus during their first year. Taylor oversees the Tatkon Center for New Student's Hub on North and supervises the Tatkon Peer Leaders. She is also a Master of Public Health Student at the College of Veterinary Medicine.