The Spring 2026 Central Asia & Diaspora Futures Symposium was led by the students in the class. In this post are participant bios including their symposium roles and favorite Central Asian food.
Darla Aquino
- Main Symposium Moderator
- Class of 2026
- Queens College
- Favorite Central Asian food: Ughur Special Tea
Zoe Davis
- Main Symposium Moderator
- Class of 2026
- Brooklyn College
- Favorite Central Asian food: Oven Baked Samsa
Kilhah St Fort
- Moderator for Speaker One, Omid Jahan
- Class of 2026
- Lehman College
- Favorite Central Asian food: Manti
“Kilhah St Fort is a graduating Lehman Macaulay student. Although she studies Data, Technology, & Society, she took this class because she loves learning about different cultures. As a Haitian-Jamaican American, Kilhah is used to people knowing little to nothing about her own culture. So learning about various cultures and histories throughout Central Asia ended up resonating with her more than she initially thought it would. When she’s not in school, Kilhah loves crocheting, jewelry making, playing with her cats, binge watching Bob’s Burgers, and doom-scrolling on Twitter.”
Brenda Flores
- Panel member for Speaker Omid Jahab
- Class of 2026
- Name: Brenda Flores
- Major: Biology with a Concentration in Biomedical Sciences.
- Favorite Central Asian food: Uyghur Polo and Uyghur Special Tea
Shiela Bakhtari
- Panel member for Speaker Two, Makez Rikweda
- Class of 2026
- Favorite Central Asian food: Mantu
Kitty Chan
- Moderator for panel featuring Makez Rikweda
- Hunter College
- Kitty will be studying abroad in Taipei next term with the Chinese Flagship program
- Fav Central Asian Food: Pumpkin and Potato Samsa from Farida’s in the Financial District
Daniel Nudelman
- Moderator for Speaker Three, Dralla Aierken
- Class of 2026
- Hunter College
- Favorite Central Asian food: Plov/Palau/Pilaf
“Daniel Nudelman is a recent graduate of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, where he studied Biological Sciences. He is currently pursuing a career in medicine while wrapping up his time as a competitive ballroom and latin dancer. Daniel has always taken a multidisciplinary approach to his scientific studies, complementing them with courses in the humanities, to which Central Asian Film and Literature is no exception. As an immigrant himself, with parents who hail from the former Soviet Union, Daniel was drawn to this course as a way to connect with and learn more deeply about a region that shaped his family’s history. Growing up eating plov/palau/pilaf at special family dinners, it’s no surprise that it remains his favorite Central Asian dish.”
Mia Chang
- Moderator for Speaker Three, Dralla Aierken
- Class of 2026
- Hunter College
- Favorite Central Asian food
“Mia Chang is a senior at Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, pursuing a B.A. in Computer Science with a focus in bioinformatics and computational biology. She is also a member of the Hunter College Women’s Swim and Dive Team, where she has earned recognition as MVP and a CUNY All-Star Student Athlete. Over the past winter, Mia used her Goldsmith Opportunities Fund Scholarship to study Australian Studies in Australia, while also taking the opportunity to explore the country and travel “down under!”Mia took the MHC Seminar Course: Central Asian Literature, Film, and Diaspora because she was interested in learning more about the region’s cultures, and contemporary identities, especially through personal narratives, art, and performance. After graduation, Mia hopes to pursue a career in biotech, with a particular interest in work related to immunology.”
Fernando Tepalzingo-Lopez
- Panel Member for Speaker Four, Ali Baluch
- Class of 2026
- Queens College
- Favorite Central Asian food: Ughur Special Tea
“My name is Fernando Tepalzingo-Lopez, a senior graduating from Macaulay Honors at Queens and a First Ten College Student. I’m majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Studio Art. I submitted my artwork for the final litho-project at QC’s Klapper Hall and displayed my photos in the Photo Show at the Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library, 6th Floor, in the last Fall semester. “
Wilson Wu
- Symposium panel member
- Class of 2028
- College of Staten Island
- Favorite Central Asian food: Plov
“My name is Wilson, and I am a sophomore health student at the College of Staten Island. As someone whose favorite hobby is photography and who has a strong passion for traveling around the world, the MHC 387 course has provided an invaluable opportunity to explore Central Asian culture before visiting those places. It has also made me realize that my favorite cenasian food is plov.”
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