People

Connector Staff

Erin Michael Salius, Director

Erin became the inaugural director of the CAS Experiential Learning Connector on December 1, 2022. It has been her great honor to develop this resource with and for CAS undergraduates. Erin is a proud alum of BU Arts & Sciences, having earned her doctorate in English from GRS in 2015. Her scholarship focuses on contemporary African American literature and religion. Prior to joining the Connector, she served as associate dean in Metropolitan College and director of Summer Term at BU. In her free time, she enjoys running, volunteering at a cat shelter with her family, and baking vegan treats.

Grace Hymel, Program Manager

Grace was thrilled to join the EL Connector in September 2023. After spending several years dedicated to community engagement and leadership development in higher education, she is passionate about sharing the transformative power of experiential learning and supporting students in their leadership toward a more just world. Grace earned her M.S. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University (in Ohio) and her B.A. in Sociology from Loyola University Maryland. Outside of work, Grace enjoys being active in nature, reading/listening to podcasts, and road tripping to new places with friends.

Electra Scarpignato, Graduate Assistant

Electra is pursuing a Masters in Biomedical Engineering. She is originally from Maryland but completed her B.S. in Biomedical Egineering at Florida Institute of Technology. During her undergraduate studies, she was involved in cardiovascular tissue engineering research and served as a resident assistant, where she developed a passion for helping students succeed. This passion has pushed Electra to pursue a future career as a professor. Electra is excited to be a part of the EL Connector and to help students engage in meaningful opportunities that will further their success. In her free time, Electra enjoys hiking, cooking, and trying new coffee shops.

Student Staff

Emma Auth, EL Ambassador

Emma is a sophomore majoring in English with a minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. She is from Wellesley, Massachusetts. Outside of the Connector, Emma serves as a FY101 peer mentor and a Strong Women Strong Girls mentor. She is also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, BU’s professional community service fraternity. In her spare time, you can find her on a run, curating playlists, reading, or exploring the crevices of Boston she hasn’t seen yet. She’s passionate about helping others and can’t wait to meet other students who’re interested in experiential learning!

Vansh Diora, EL Ambassador

Vansh is a junior pursuing a dual degree in Computer Science and Business Administration. He is from Mumbai, India. Outside of the classroom, he is a mentor in the Connector’s EL Mentorship program, a tutor in the LOCK Honorary Service Society, and a part of the Hack4Impact club. Outside of school, his interests include soccer, basketball, robotics, and organizing events. While working at the Connector, his goals are to help his peers in CAS make a smooth transition to college by ensuring they are aware of the resources available.

Seheni Kariyawasan, Communications Specialist

Seheni is a senior pursuing a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Public Health through the BU School Public Health BA/MPH program. She is passionate about working with underprivileged populations and ensuring equal access to health, as well as advocating for mental health awareness and de-stigmatization. She is an international student from Sri Lanka. Seheni is thrilled to be joining the Connector and to help students navigate the confusing world of EL opportunities on and off campus. She is a researcher at the Psycholinguistics lab at BU and is currently a project coordinator for a study examining sarcasm comprehension. She is a recipient of the UROP Student Research Award and hopes to go on to conduct her honors thesis on the topic of non-literal language comprehension. In her free time, she loves to read, write, bake, and is currently on a quest to explore every bookstore in Boston.

Alyssa Lam, EL Ambassador

Aly is a senior studying Political Science on the pre law track and minoring in Business Administration. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Outside of the classroom, she is on the Women’s Water Polo team and serves as the Recruitment Chair of Phi Alpha Delta Pre Law Fraternity. Her favorite part of BU is the diverse student body and the wide variety of activities. When she’s not working, she enjoys snowboarding, spending time in nature, and finding new restaurants and coffee shops in Boston. While working at the Connector, her goals include meeting students with diverse interests and bonding with staff at the office.

Duoduo Luo, EL Ambassador

Duoduo( /d’u:o d’u:o/ ) is a senior majoring in Psychology and Neuroscience. She is an international student from Jiangsu, China. Thrilled to join the Connector’s EL Ambassador program, Duoduo hopes to meet with and share all of the wonderful resources available to the CAS community and to provide support to undergraduate students with diverse interests. Outside of her work with the Connector, Duoduo is a passionate researcher in the fields of psychopathology and cognitive brain science, working as a research assistant in the Quantitative Psychopathology Lab and the Muhe Health Support Group. In her spare time, Duoduo is an independent photographer, a music enthusiast, and an amateur badminton player.