Fireside Chat

Kathi Kern

Dr. Kathi Kern joined the U several months ago as the inaugural Vice Provost for Educational Innovation. She is also a professor of Religious Studies. Dr. Kern earned a PhD in History from the University of Pennsylvania and earned tenure and the rank of professor at the University of Kentucky, where she founded the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching and led the expansion of online learning. An award-winning teacher, author and lecturer, Dr. Kern has led faculty development projects around the globe, including sustained initiatives in China, Japan, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Dr. Kern brings her passion for innovative, inquiry-based, hands-on learning, to the U, where she has begun partnering with faculty, schools and colleges, to foster a truly transformative education for our students.

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Pratim Biswas

Pratim Biswas is the dean of the University of Miami College of Engineering. He is a faculty member in the Department of Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering, with an affiliated appointment in the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Dean Biswas is a pioneer in his field recognized for applying aerosol science and engineering to multiple areas, such as energy and environmental nanotechnology, solar energy, air pollution control, and medicine. He is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society, for his pioneering contributions to aerosol science and engineering.

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Lauren Rothschild

Lauren Rothschild is a Senior from Newtown, Pennsylvania majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Lauren has served as the President of the Engineering Student Council for the past two years. Since her sophomore year, Lauren has conducted research as a member of the Neurosensory Engineering research team. Lauren is also a part of Tau Beta Pi Honor Society as well as Engineering Student Ambassadors. Outside of the College of Engineering, Lauren is a member of Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity, a Nicklaus Children’s Hospital volunteer, and a manager at the Herbert Wellness Center. Lauren has enjoyed her time spent at the University of Miami and she is excited for all of the opportunities ahead as she looks to enter the workforce.

Leonor Teles

Leonor is originally from Portugal but has lived in India and Germany. She earned her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester in May 2021. She started her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in the Immunoengineering Lab at the Diabetes Research Institute under the mentorship of Dr. Tomei in August 2021. Her project focuses on biomaterials to mimic the lymph node micro-environment to study immunological tolerance and ultimately create therapies to prevent Type 1 Diabetes. She also has research experience in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Bioprocess Engineering, and Neuroscience. During her free time, Leonor likes to garden, hike and attend music festivals.

Ian Lee

Ian is a sophomore biomedical engineering major on the pre-med track. He currently serves as the Engineering Liaison under the Academic Liaison Council under UM's student government. When he is not working at the research lab in the Public Health Department at the Miller School of Medicine, you can find him playing beach volleyball or at SalsaCraze.