Ayaa Elgoharry

Academic Advising Liaison

Ayaa Elgoharry (She/her) is a doctoral candidate in the Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy program at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. She earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut, double majoring in English and Human Development & Family Studies, and holds an M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Rochester.

Throughout her academic and professional journey, Ayaa has worked across multiple areas in higher education, including Multicultural Student Affairs, International Student Services, Refugee and Asylum Student support, Greek and Residential Life, Athletics, and Academic Advising. Prior to her Ph.D., Ayaa was an academic advisor at Indiana University, working with graduate and undergraduate students in Computer Science and Data Science. She also served on the campus-wide Staff Council to help implement equity-minded policies for staff and faculty.

As a first-generation immigrant of African and Arab descent, Ayaa brings a deeply personal and critical lens to her work. Her research focuses on humanizing the lived experiences of marginalized communities within U.S. higher education, particularly those navigating historically and predominantly white research institutions. She is committed to challenging narratives shaped by global anti-Blackness, anti-Muslim racism, anti-immigration policies and practices, sexism, and classism, while contributing to more just and inclusive educational environments.