Aya Aryan

Aya Aryan is a Barnard College of Columbia University student majoring in Environmental Science and pursuing a minor in Italian. Her passion for ecology and environmental conservation has deeply shaped her academic journey. Aya has gained research experience at various respected institutions, including UC Irvine, Concordia University, and Columbia University, focusing on arthropod ecology. Her involvement in these research projects has strengthened her commitment to understanding the delicate balance of ecosystems. After graduating in 2025, Aya plans to pursue a PhD in Ecology, continuing her journey of contributing to environmental science.

Aya was born in San Diego, California, and later moved to Fresno, where she attended Clovis North High School. Growing up, she developed a strong interest in science, particularly environmental studies, which led her to excel academically. Aya earned a spot on the Principal’s Honor Roll and was ranked in the top 5% of her class, graduating with an impressive 4.6 GPA. In 2021, she began her studies at Barnard College, quickly establishing herself as a hardworking and dedicated student. Aya has consistently earned a place on the Dean’s List, maintaining a 3.7 GPA at Columbia. She has also embraced opportunities to study abroad, spending time in Perugia, Italy, in 2022, where she immersed herself in the language and culture. In 2023, she traveled to Bermuda to study marine ecology, further expanding her knowledge of environmental science from an aquatic perspective.

Her research experiences have further reinforced Aya’s passion for environmental science. In the summer of 2023, she worked as a Research Assistant at Concordia University in Irvine, California, where she contributed to a project studying arthropods living in native California shrubbery. Aya’s responsibilities included identifying the species, measuring their characteristics, and collecting data for future publications. Her research experience continued in 2024 and 2025 when she worked at UC Irvine, focusing on the relationship between arthropod populations and bird foraging patterns in California sage scrub. This research is part of a larger project to understand how biodiversity affects the ecological balance. Aya’s contributions are expected to be included in published studies, further establishing her as a committed researcher. Additionally, in 2022, Aya interned at the Laguna Ocean Foundation in Laguna Beach, California.