Ioana’s thirst for knowledge and dedication to improving the Columbia community have greatly impacted our campus in several different ways. Since 2018, she has been working as a Research Assistant on exploring more efficient cancer treatments, by incorporating mathematical and synthetic biology principles to engineer bacteria to treat and diagnose various cancer types. She has also focused on health advocacy, advising students to get help when needed, and aimed to give back to the communities to which she belongs. Ioana enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for mathematics and supporting her peers, having guided students as a TA for the past 4 years. One of Ioana’s dearest activities has been contributing to the greater Harlem community by teaching and planning art lessons as a tutor for Community Impact. As an active member of the Romanian community, she has also worked to welcome and guide new students from Romania once they joined Columbia.