Zhu Selected for Graduate Life Leadership Award

Jiayan Zhu, a third-year Ph.D. student in the COE's Teaching, Learning, and Technology (TLT) program, has received the COE Graduate Life Leadership Award. This award recognizes a graduate student in each of Lehigh's five colleges who exhibits exemplary commitment, leadership and service to the university's graduate student community and whose efforts have made significant contributions to graduate student life.

Her research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and STEM education, exploring innovative strategies to enhance learning experiences. She aims to develop novel approaches for teaching STEM subjects and to evaluate the effectiveness of AI-driven pedagogical tools.

In her nomination, Brook Sawyer, COE Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and TLT professor noted, "Jiayan has demonstrated outstanding leadership through her active participation and representation of the COE in the Graduate Student Senate (GSS)" which requires a significant time commitment and receives little recognition." As a senator, Zhu  has consistently advocated for the needs of graduate students, demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the graduate student experience.

Beyond her leadership role in the GSS, she has exhibited extraordinary service through her dedicated work within the RiVR Lab, a virtual reality research and development lab that supports three faculty and approximately 15 undergraduate and graduate students. As lab manager, Zhu has been instrumental in the smooth operation and success of the lab and in developing community partnerships.

Noting that Zhu also made time to tutor a fellow COE student in statistics, Sawyer added, "Across her time in the COE and Lehigh, she is always eager to contribute and help others."