Malika Jeffries-EL ’96, doing the hard work

She was born in Brooklyn. She was “always curious about why things happened.” Her philosophy: “Don’t shy away from hard work.” She toured Wellesley, saw the students, and thought: “I want their lives.” Became the first member of her immediate family to go to college. Found a lifelong community of friends at Ethos; found lifelong mentors in the chemistry department. “My professors said, ‘Chemistry needs you. Students need to see you. You can teach, train, and inspire.’” Currently the senior associate dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences at Boston University, where she has done research on organic semiconductors and solar energy conversion.