Members of the Advisory Board assist the RA team and Heads of House with their previous knowledge whenever possible. This might include sharing insights on previously adopted policies, report experiences with past events, or reach out to contacts in the greater MIT community. Members of the Advisory Board assist with coordinating events whenever the current RA team is experiencing a shortage of people to maintain the planned schedule. For more information about ABs, see the Resident Assistant FAQ.
Changhwan is a PhD student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, particularly interested in computational simulations of materials. He grew up in South Korea and received his BS from Seoul National University. There is a high chance of finding him in the Colbert room playing the piano in his free time. He also enjoys listening to music and playing badminton in his free time.
Francis earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences in the spring of 2025. Originally from Puerto Rico, he completed his undergraduate studies in Cellular & Molecular Biology at the University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras. During his graduate research, Francis developed a non-invasive intervention that reactivates enhanced experience-dependent plasticity in the primary visual cortex of adult mice. He is now a postdoctoral associate in the Bear Lab, where he is working to translate these findings into safe and effective treatments for amblyopia in humans. Outside the lab, Francis has a deep passion for aviation and currently serves on the leadership team of the MIT Flying Club.
Gabriel is a PhD student in the Operations Research Center. Before embarking on this long adventure, he did an MBAn at MIT. Gabriel is from France and loves bread and croissants. Outside of class, Gabriel likes to bake his own bread, work out, and he can also do (sometimes) impressive magic tricks.
Gyutae is a PhD student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, where he studies nuclear thermal propulsion. Gyutae is from Korea, where he recently finished his military service. In his free time, Gyutae enjoys travelling, discovering new restaurants and gaming.
Océane is a PhD student in the Department of Biology. She did her undergraduate studies at McGill in Montréal and before coming to MIT spent a year doing research in Madrid. She enjoys playing the violin, going on early-morning runs, and reading in bed.
Simar is a PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering working on carbon based membranes for separations. She is originally from India and loves to go for long walks, specially along the river, with her camera ready to capture all colors of nature. She also enjoys exploring new brunch places and taking guided tours of historical sites and on quieter days enjoying the company of a book.
