Julia Kleponis joined the Meinig School staff in July as a teaching support specialist, working with undergraduates in the Tang Hall teaching labs. Julia holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Virginia Tech, where she served as an undergraduate teaching assistant and participated in a research project involving electrical and engineering education. She also interned with The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in human systems engineering. These experiences provided her with a strong technical foundation and practical skills in education, making her well-prepared for her teaching support role at Cornell.
As a Teaching Support Specialist, Julia helps manage undergraduate biomedical engineering labs, drawing on her recent student experience to enhance lab-based learning. She brings a student-focused mindset and a particular interest in Cellular Engineering labs, which she especially enjoyed during her studies.
Julia has learned the importance of balance and prioritization, especially after realizing in college that productivity doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. Managing workload and taking breaks are key to staying focused and avoiding burnout.
If not at Cornell, Julia would likely pursue a career in human systems engineering, an area she found deeply engaging during her NAVAIR internship, where she applied engineering to improve user interaction with technology and systems.
In her downtime, Julia enjoys her “grandma hobbies” such as crocheting, cross-stitching, needlepoint, and baking/cooking while watching complex TV shows. She also loves hiking and exploring the outdoors as a way to recharge and stay curious.