Elizabeth Barkin Leight ’89, Chair
Who is someone that inspired you during your time on campus?
The source of my inspiration was not one person, but rather the relationship I had with the students ahead of me and with the graduate students who took me under their wings.
How do you describe the University of Rochester to someone who’s never visited?
It’s an institution that attracts kind, humble, curious, and smart as a whip people who value doing and exploring their interests, not just in the classroom but also outside the classroom.
The Garbage Plate at Nick Tahou Hots or wings at The Distillery?
Wings for sure!
What are you most proud of about your University of Rochester education?
I am most proud of the quality of my undergraduate education and the opportunities I had to develop meaningful relationships with high caliber researchers and professionals as an undergraduate. The close relationships I had with professors gave me the confidence to make the commitment to doctoral studies. At the University, I not only discovered a passion, a career, but also a sense of purpose that continues to help define who I am and how I spend my time.
How do you live the Meliora values everyday?
I am a lifelong learner, I embrace change and try to keep an open mind so I can continue to improve and learn from those around me.
What’s one thing you learned about yourself during your time at Rochester?
I have an insatiable sweet tooth.
What advice would you give an incoming student?
Embrace the unknown, make an effort to get to know people from different places with different interests, make sure to take some classes you know nothing about, each semester get to know at least one professor very well.
Why did you choose to study at the University of Rochester?
At my visit I fell in love with the beautiful campus, the super nice students and faculty and loved it’s human scale. I also applied as a potential psychology major as I learned that its psychology department was extraordinary.