Merhaba, Kirkland - I’m excited for my second year as a tutor in K-Entry! I’m from Edirne, Turkey and a fourth year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering (SEAS) with a secondary field in Critical Media Practice (AFVS). After undergrad at Princeton, I lived in Istanbul for several years where I had my own art studio (sculpture, installation, performance) and worked at a variety of jobs from R&D for household appliances, to urban design work with municipalities, to being a personal assistant to other -less struggling- artists. I completed my Master's in Istanbul, focusing my research on how contemporary art can collaborate with traditional craft practices. Currently I'm working on making soft robots have smarter bodies, improving engineering education practices, and infiltrating the world of engineering with artistic gestures. I’d be more than happy to chat about art, craft, science, education, culture, as well as interdisciplinary and international career paths. I look forward to meeting you all, and let's make some art together!

Hey KHaus! I'm excited to return to Kirkland this year along with my wife, Kori. Originally from Chicago, I graduated from Kirkland in 2014, joint concentrating in {Biomedical Engineering} and {Chemistry and Physics}. At Harvard I had the privilege of performing with the Glee Club, the Krokodiloes, and the Bach Society Orchestra. After graduating, I spent a year in Munich on a Fulbright fellowship working at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics. I'm currently a PhD student in Electrical Engineering at MIT, where I'm supported by a NASA Graduate Fellowship and work with Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington. Accordingly, I tutor in Engineering, Fellowships, and Music. My research entails shooting lasers at diamonds in order to build quantum computers - or at least, that's what I tell our funding agencies. Outside work, I love spending time outdoors, volunteering with the Museum of Science, and singing. Come say hello at STEM office hours, chat me up about ways to fund your dream service/study trip, or come de-stress at our dog Dusty's Woofice Hours!

Hey Kirkland House! I grew up in Boulder, Colorado and have always loved outdoor pursuits like hiking, camping, surfing, and fishing. I went to American University in DC for undergrad, where I studied foreign policy and Russian language. I traveled extensively in college and immediately after graduation, spending time in Russia, Brazil, and Azerbaijan. After coming back to the States, I worked for my dad's roofing company for a year while training for Marine Officer Candidate School. I then spent time on active duty in Texas, Hawaii, and Virginia. My most recent assignment was with an artificial intelligence project at the Pentagon, and in the past few years I have developed a passion for technology policy. I am an incoming Mid-Career Master in Public Administration student, and this will be my first semester as a tutor. I look forward to meeting all of you and building community together in Kirkland!

Hey there, Kirkland! I’m delighted to join the Kirkland family as a tutor alongside Raj. We’ll be running Fridays with Faculty and Arts Outings, and I’m excited to also advise in STEM. Originally from California, I’m currently a third year PhD student at Harvard and the Broad Institute using single cell genomics to better characterize what defines a cell’s identity. I studied at MIT for my undergrad (’18), where I became enamored by data science, biotech, and Boston. Outside of lab, I enjoy nature (hiking, climbing, biking), arts (singing, sketching, poetry), and as of recently, podcasting. I’m thrilled to get to know you all—please never hesitate to reach out!

Hi KHouse! Rachel and I are excited to be back as tutors for our fourth year! You can find us and my dog, Cookie, in DeWolfe 20-38. We are both Kirkland House alums dedicated to bringing the Straus Cup back to its rightful home! I’m originally from a very small town (population <100) in Northern Minnesota and graduated from Harvard with a concentration in Engineering Sciences. I worked at Harvard’s Office of Career Services for two years, and now I work at a startup called Virtudent (founded by one of Kirkland’s non-resident tutors). Outside of work, I love playing board games in the dining hall and am always looking for new players!
... Read more about Edie Johnson

Hi Kirkland! My name is Julia and I'm from sunny San Diego, but now call this freezing place home. I graduated from Kirkland in 2015, concentrating in Chemical and Physical Biology, with a secondary field in English. I graduated from the combined Harvard MD/MBA program in 2020 and am now a physician resident in the Combined Boston Residency Program in Pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital. I'm happy to chat about science, medicine, business, and joint degree programs. In my spare time, I am a theater aficionado (always game for a musical sing-along or a discussion of Shakespeare), martial artist and pasta/udon lover.
... Read more about Julia Pian

I'm excited to return to Kirkland House for a third year! I graduated from Princeton, where I was also on the fencing team. I then spent one year studying in Pisa, Italy on a Fulbright Scholarship. I am now a graduate student in Harvard's Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Apart from research and teaching, I enjoy being involved at Kirkland and getting to know its amazing community. I have a cat, Serena, who is 2 years old and loves to play! We live in the Annex in M-entryway. Please come and say hi when you see me around Kirkland! Schedule a chat: https://calendly.com/lpoliti/kirkland