Meet the 2026-2027 Dean’s Student Advisory Council Leaders

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is proud to introduce the 2026–27 leaders of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC).

Leonard Fomin UMD Senior Government and Politics Major Leonard Fomin

Chair of DSAC
Senior Government and Politics Major

Fomin joined DSAC his sophomore year, and first served as DSAC Chair during his junior year.

During his first term as DSAC Chair, Fomin restructured the annual BSOS Student-Faculty Dinner around departmental networking and topic-based breakout sessions so that students could self-select areas of interest such as current events, internships, post-graduation plans, and key professional skills; worked with the DSAC’s programming committee to host two “Road to Finals: Dimensions of Wellness” events ahead of spring final exams; and implemented a  Council Concerns agenda item where DSAC members could bring concerns they or other students had directly to the council and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Katherine Russell.

This academic year, Fomin’s two main goals are to find a way to better promote advising services to students, and to design a “side-car” course for students taking difficult introductory courses—inspired by a PSYC200 “side-car” course Fomin heard about recently.

“As a senior who has taken many intro classes, I believe that there are other intro-classes, specifically one that focus on data-analysis, that would have greatly benefited from this program,” he said. “This is a larger undertaking, but I am excited to explore this with faculty and college administration.”

Fomin’s 2026–27 term as DSAC chair will be his last; he is on track to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in May 2027. Afterward, he plans to pursue a Masters in Public Administration and launch a career in local government. 

Colin McNamara Colin McNamara, UMD senior sociology and Philosophy, Politics and Economics Double Major

Vice Chair of Academics 
Senior Sociology and Philosophy, Politics and Economics Double Major

McNamara joined DSAC during his junior year, after finding out about the council through an academic advisor. During that time, he worked with the Academics Committee to develop the Psych Terp Research Hub, a website that compiled information about active psychology research opportunities at UMD; resources that explained the process of seeking research opportunities in an accessible and encouraging way; and DSAC Coffee Chats, an initiative that gave BSOS students direct access to DSAC members to share their questions/concerns.

“The visible impact of the Academics committee’s initiatives last year inspired me to run for Vice Chair of Academics, hoping to use my experience to build on enduring past initiatives, as well as develop creative new initiatives enhancing student well-being,” McNamara said. 

McNamara, who aspires to launch a career in sociological research focused on political and civic engagement, aims to develop student stress and mental well-being initiatives this year, and also continue to improve accessibility to academic resources. 

“I also hope that we can continue to increase DSAC’s visibility, so that more students might see the council as a group that can advocate for them as members of the BSOS community,” he said.

Ibhade Akhabue Ibhade Akhabue, UMD Senior Criminology and Criminal Justice and Finance Double Major

Vice Chair of Programming
Senior Criminology and Criminal Justice and Finance Double Major

Though she learned about DSAC during her freshman year, Akhabue waited to join until her junior year, when she thought it would be a good time for her to help work on initiatives that would strengthen the sense of community and belonging within the college.

Two of the initiatives Akhabue worked on last year were the "BSOS Expo: Find Your BSOS Connection”—a club and resource fair environment specifically tailored to BSOS students—and the Finals Fuel-Up event, which was part of the Programming Committee's DSAC's Dimensions of Wellness initiative for the spring semester.

“As a member of the programming committee, I saw and appreciated the effort that my Vice Chairs put into making events like the Student-Faculty Social successful, and I thought it would be rewarding to make a similar impact on the committee this year,” she said. “I ultimately decided to join the exec board because after a year of working on initiatives, I have identified continuing needs/gaps that the programming committee needs to tackle, and my experience on the council so far has equipped me with the skills to address them.”

After graduation, Akhabue plans to attend law school.

Katelyn Keller  Katelyn Keller, UMD Junior Government and Politics Major

Vice Chair of Outreach
Junior Government and Politics Major

Keller joined DSAC during her sophomore year, fulfilling a desire she had to get more involved with BSOS.

Via the Outreach Committee, Keller helped to organize initiatives that focused on introducing new students to DSAC and creating better physical materials for advertising DSAC to students.

“I decided to join the DSAC executive board because I wanted to streamline the outreach process for DSAC and expand our outreach initiatives to the other committees,” Keller said. “I hope to create an outreach strategy future DSAC members can use for their events and resources.”

Looking to the future, Keller hopes to lead a political science research career. 

Emma Barringer Emma Barringer, UMD Junior International Relations and Economics Double Major

Vice Chair of Student Services
Junior International Relations and Economics Double Major

Barringer is kicking off her first semester as a part of DSAC in a big way: As Vice Chair of Student Services.

“I decided to join the DSAC executive board because I wanted to take on a larger role in turning student feedback into concrete improvements. Some of my prior leadership experiences at Maryland have involved supporting other students, whether through peer mentoring, teaching, or my work with the Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office,” she said. “I saw the executive board as an opportunity to bring that same focus on service and advocacy to the broader BSOS community while taking greater ownership over the initiatives we pursue.”

Barringer admits that she is still learning about DSAC, its initiatives and the different ways it supports students, but she says she is excited to begin contributing to projects, collaborating with students across different majors in BSOS, and better understanding where DSAC can have the greatest impact on students.

“As Vice Chair of Student Services, I hope to make it easier for BSOS students to understand and take advantage of the many resources available to them,” Barringer said. “I am especially interested in expanding networking and alumni engagement opportunities, helping students better access existing resources, and identifying practical ways to improve students' lives apart from the classroom. I also hope to hear directly from students about what resources they feel are missing or difficult to navigate, so that our committee’s projects are driven by what students actually need.”

After graduating from UMD, Barringer plans to attend law school and pursue a career in law that combines her interests in government, public service, and advocacy. 

 

Published on Fri, Sep 18, 2026 - 1:07PM