Officers
Anastasia Shikanova, Chair
Learning Technologies
1st year, Ph.D.
Anastasia is a PhD researcher in Learning Technologies at The Ohio State University, studying how emerging tools, especially Generative AI, can transform education. Her work examines how technology supports learner motivation, autonomy, and personalized learning across diverse settings. With a background in instructional design and a passion for innovation, she bridges research and practice to help educators use AI responsibly and effectively, with a focus on creating engaging and learner-centered environments.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasiaed/, shikanova.1@osu.edu
Aula Andika Fikrullah Al Balad, Vice Chair
InSTEAM, Teaching and Learning
2nd year, Ph.D.
Aula holds a master’s degree in instructional technology from Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, obtained under a U.S. government scholarship. As an LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) scholar pursuing a doctoral degree at OSU, his research interests include curriculum development, scientific literacy,, instructional technology/design, and teacher pedagogy, with a focus on sociomaterial and science and technology studies (STS) approaches. His work explores how the use of innovative technologies (e.g., mobile augmented reality) influences student engagement, motivation, and student conceptual learning in STEM education, particularly in Ecology and Physics. Besides that, he enjoys cooking, travelling, and photography.
balad.1@osu.edu, Instagram: fa_aula,
LinkedIn/ Google Scholar: Aula Andika Fikrullah Al Balad.
Axa Khalid Warraich, Communications Manager
Adolescent, Post-Secondary, and Community Literacies, Teaching and Learning
4th year, Ph.D.
Axa is a doctoral candidate in the Teaching and Learning department. Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, she did her undergraduate studies from Lahore University of Management Sciences, and her graduate studies from Vanderbilt University. She is a former Fulbright student. Her current research is focused on theorizing and invesitigating ethical ways of reading historical fiction through use of drama. She teaches literacy foundations courses to preservice teachers, and is an editorial assistant for the journal Research in the Teaching of English.
When she is not working, she enjoys reading and writing poetry, tending to her plants, going on long walks, and hanging out with her friends.
Members
Sam Soufi
Kinesiology, Human Sciences
1st year, Master’s
Sam is a first-year Master’s student in Kinesiology, Health, and Exercise Science, specializing in Health and Physical Activity Behavior, and is a graduate research associate and graduate teaching associate. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion, Nutrition, and Exercise Science from The Ohio State University and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist. His research interests include health behavior, exercise and nutritional oncology, and childhood obesity. His goal is to create theory-based interventions to promote long-term physical activity adherence and improved nutritional status among underserved populations to enhance overall health outcomes significantly. In his leisure time, Sam enjoys watching Ohio State football, resistance training, basketball, and spending time with his dog, Bowie.
soufi.3@osu.edu | LinkedIn: Sam Soufi, ACSM-EP
Wonjoon Cha
Educational Psychology, Educational Studies
4th year, Ph.D.
After receiving his B.A. in English Language Education at Korea University, Wonjoon has worked as a nationally certified English teacher and a teacher trainer. He has been conducting classroom-based research that can benefit teachers and students in the field. Specifically, his research interests include situating motivational theories with a nuanced cultural lens and fostering a motivational climate in diverse educational contexts. He is also interested in how technology can be used to facilitate student learning and engagement. He likes jogging and swimming and enjoys any kind of cultural activities (e.g., watching movies, listening to music, traveling).
(cha.170@osu.edu | Twitter: @cha_wonjoon | Linkedin: chawonjoon)
Dorsin Chang
Interdisciplinary Nutrition Program (OSUN), Human Sciences
4th year, Ph.D.
Dorsin Chang is a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Nutrition Program (OSUN) focused on studying liver dysfunction after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Specifically, she is interested in the hepatic manifestation of neurogenic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (neurogenic-MASH). The complex interaction between SCI and liver pathology highlights the need for foundational scientific advances that will integrate nutrition, neurobiology, and clinically-relevant animal models to fully understand these multidimensional factors contributing to neurogenic-MASH. This supports a foundation for comprehensive and clinically translatable approaches to parse out both metabolic and neurogenic factors that increase risk for cardiometabolic morbidities and secondary health complications poorly managed by polypharmacy.
chang.2067@.osu.edu | Research Gate | Dorsin Chang| LinkedIn: Dorsin Chang
Io Terogo
Higher Education and Student Affairs, Educational Studies
4th year, Ph.D.
Io (he/him/siya) is completing his dissertation, leading to his Ph.D. at OSU EHE. A college instructor from the Philippines, he had degrees in English language education and linguistics before coming to the U.S. through the Fulbright-CHED (Commission on Higher Education) Ph.D. Scholarship program. Currently, he is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Dennis Learning Center, handling two undergraduate sections of the Learning-to-Learn course. He has also actively supported student engagement through Buck-I-Serv trips and programs with the Office of International Affairs (OIA). His research, grounded in qualitative and critical postcolonial perspectives, explores topics such as Philippine teacher education, curriculum studies, Catholic higher education, international students, global citizenship education, and higher education organizations and policies. When not presenting at academic conferences, Io enjoys traveling, watching musicals, visiting museums, and volunteering in sociocultural events.
terogo.1@osu.edu | Instagram: @lenoi25 | LinkedIn: Ionell Jay Terogo
Jiarui Xie
Learning Technologies, Educational Studies
4th year, Ph.D.
Jiarui Xie is a doctoral candidate in Learning Technologies at The Ohio State University and a Graduate Research Associate at the Center on Education and Learning for Employment, specifically the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center. She holds a B.S. and an MSc. in Educational Technology from Shaanxi Normal University (China). In 2018, she also studied at the University of California, San Diego as an exchange student. After graduation and before pursuing her Ph.D., she worked as an English lecturer at Xi’an Vocational and Technical College (China). The topics of her studies include asynchronous online discussion, teacher online training, rural education, deep learning, problem-solving, and learning analytics. Her current research interests include online teaching and learning, self-regulated learning, and artificial intelligence in education.
Feifan Ma
Human Development and Family Science, Human Sciences
2nd year, Ph.D.
Feifan is currently a Ph.D. student in the Human Development and Family Sciences program at The Ohio State University, where he has been pursuing his studies since 2024. He previously earned an M.A. in Translation from Wuhan University of Technology in 2024 and an M.A. in Education Studies from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in 2023. His educational journey began with a B.A. in Translation from Yan’an University in 2020. Feifan’s research interests center on multicultural perspectives in education, specifically focusing on the empowerment of international LGBTQIA+ students in higher education. He aims to apply intersectionality theory to understand the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students of color from countries where same-gender marriage is not legal. His goal is to explore their expectations in Western higher education settings and identify ways in which they can thrive both academically and mentally. He has engaged in research related to LGBT diversity and has presented his findings at various international conferences. In his free time, Feifan enjoys traveling, listening to music, and participating in cultural activities.
ma.2761@osu.edu | X: @maff980913 | Instagram: @maff0913 | LinkedIn : Feifan Ma
Zeynep Arslan
Foreign, Second and Multilingual Language Education, Teaching and Learning
3rd year, Ph.D.
Zeynep Arslan is a third-year doctoral student in Foreign, Second and Multilingual Language Education and a graduate research associate at the Crane Center at The Ohio State University. She holds a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Bilkent University and a Bachelor’s in English Language Teaching from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. She is also a holder of the Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA) from Cambridge University. Before starting her doctoral program, Zeynep taught academic English at the college level in Turkey for six years. In the United States, she taught ESL classes at Columbus State Community College and Capital University for over a year. Her research interests include language teacher education, generative artificial intelligence, sociolinguistics, and multilingual language education.
In addition to her academic work, Zeynep has been an active member of the graduate community at OSU. She has served as a delegate in the Council of Graduate Students for two years and is currently a member of the Housing and Family Affairs Committee. Zeynep is also a member of the Graduate Student Advisory Council and serves as the Vice President of the Graduate Student Working Group for Foreign Language Research and Teaching (FLRT), where she helps foster collaboration and professional development for graduate students in language research and teaching.
Vishakha Kumari
Consumer Sciences, Human Sciences
4th year, Ph.D.
Vishakha is a PhD candidate in Consumer Sciences specializing in Hospitality Management. As a proud returning Buckeye, she previously earned her Master of Science in Hospitality and Retail Management. Her research focuses on technology innovation, service marketing, service management, and consumer behavior.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Vishakha is actively involved in several leadership roles. In addition to being a member of the EHE Graduate Student Advisory Council, Vishakha serves as the president of the Hospitality and Retail Management Graduate Student Association (HRMGSA), where she previously held the position of treasurer. Additionally, she is a Graduate Student Ambassador for the Consumer Sciences Hospitality and Retail Management Program.
In her leisure time, Vishakha enjoys running, swimming, and cooking.
kumari.24@osu.edu | LinkedIn: Vishakha Kumari
Fuyi Feng
Dramatic and Arts-based Research, Teaching and Learning
4th year, Ph.D.
Fuyi is a fourth-year PhD in the teaching and learning department. She graduated from the Beijing Normal University, China, and was a former exchange student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford. Her research interests are arts-based pedagogy and storytelling. She had applied storytelling, drama, and arts as pedagogical tools to elementary and secondary literacy and STEAM classes to engage students to embrace their funds of knowledge.
Besides the academic work, she also served as peer advisor in the office of international student at the Ohio State University. She enjoys being a helper to support international students’ needs, desires, and belonging. Previously, she was a volunteer leader in an education NGO in China to design curriculum for rural kids. “Doing something you are passionate about is such an amazing thing!”, she said.
feng.1225@osu.edu |Ins: fuyi0601 | LinkedIn: Fuyi Feng