Faculty and Instructors

Samia Ahmed has been a Writing Instructor with the NYUAD Writing Program since 2018. Before joining the team, Samia graduated from NYUAD (2016), where she studied political science, religious studies, and history. She then obtained her Master's in Religious Studies from McGill University (2017), where, as a Fulbright recipient, she focused on Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic intellectual history. Samia's current research interests include religious studies, Islamic intellectual history, lived religion and religion in the diaspora, South Asian studies, and Muslim women's studies.

As a Writing Instructor, Samia supports various student projects, including capstone projects, research publications, and application materials of all kinds (such as for graduate school, employment opportunities, and global scholarships). Samia also serves as the Outreach Coordinator for the Writing Program and Writing Center.

David is from London, England, and has been teaching since the mid-90s, firstly in Europe, then here in the UAE for the last 10 years.

From poetry workshops with 6-year-olds to assisting PhD students with dissertations, his working life has been diverse. He has enjoyed working with students of all ages and abilities and from many different cultures.

Ideally, he advocates a long-term approach to developing writing skills (over merely problem solving). However, there will always be times when a tricky piece of writing needs a 'quick fix' or even just a fresh pair of eyes.  

His MA in Applied Linguistics used an Exploratory Practice framework: an approach that emphasizes the importance of 'quality of life' for learners (and teachers) both inside and outside the classroom. He believes much of his success (and enjoyment) as an educator is derived from building supportive, creative, and productive relationships with learners. He approaches texts with an eye for detail but without losing sight of the big picture.

When he's not rescuing local street cats, he's listening to podcasts or reading books about history, philosophy, and psychology.

Aieshah has been in a diverse range of roles — marketing manager, French language lecturer, higher education administrator, research assistant, and, more recently, founder of a small concrete design business. Yet, her heart has always been in writing, language, and language acquisition.

With a background in communications and new media, Aieshah has worked for various magazines and publications as a journalist, translator, and editor. She has also worked extensively with students on their writing through the Writers' Centre at Yale-NUS College and the National University of Singapore.

Apart from her love for writing and language, Aieshah has too many hobbies. She spends infinite hours drawing, dancing, reading, making handmade items, and watching horror movies.

Idil is a Writing Instructor at NYU Abu Dhabi with a BA in Marketing and Digital Media and an MA in Applied Linguistics from Curtin University in Australia. She has a wealth of experience teaching students from a range of backgrounds and career paths and has facilitated a multitude of elementary and advanced-level writing programs. Idil finds particular joy in helping students gain confidence in their academic writing and finding their unique 'voice'. Before her time at NYU Abu Dhabi, she worked with international students to increase their capacity to pursue further studies and equip them with the language skills necessary to navigate their new lives in Australia.

Idil considers herself a life-long learner and relishes new experiences. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys cinematic experiences, especially of the sci-fi kind.

Chase Brame is a Writing Instructor at NYUAD. With extensive experience in higher education across North America, Europe, and the Middle East, he specializes in academic writing instruction, multilingual learner support, and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Prior to joining NYUAD, Chase served as an English Language Fellow in Poland and Hungary through a program sponsored by Georgetown University and the US Department of State. He has also taught in the Writing Center at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and in the Intensive English Program at Auburn University with Auburn Global.

Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, Chase holds a Master of Arts in TESOL from Greensboro College and dual bachelor’s degrees in Spanish Literature and Comparative Politics from Appalachian State University. He is currently pursuing an EdD at the University of Virginia, where he is focusing on embedding GenAI into academic writing instruction. Outside the classroom, Chase enjoys traveling, playing soccer, and exploring new places with his wife and children, Alex and Kat.

Sweta Kumari calls herself a storyteller. She immensely enjoys sharing and listening to personal stories, for she believes stories help you appreciate the uniqueness of human beings.

She grew up in a small village in Jharkhand (India) in a family of progressive parents and loving brothers. However, girls in her community were not encouraged to have higher education or dream of a career. She defied norms by not only finishing high school but moving to Bangladesh on a full scholarship to attend college. Asian University for Women became her stepping stone, and she never looked back. After her Bachelor's in Liberal Arts, Sweta moved to pursue a PG Diploma in Liberal Studies, aka The Young India Fellowship, at Ashoka University, India. She worked briefly as a Teaching Assistant at Ashoka University and thoroughly enjoyed teaching. Her passion for Liberal Arts, writing, and academia brought her to NYUAD. As an Assistant Instructor of Writing, she looks forward to adding new dimensions to her Teaching and Learning experiences.

Sweta majored in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE). Her academic interests vary from Gender and Sexuality Studies, Literature and Cultural Studies to the Study of Religions, International Relations, Migration, and Diaspora.

Prashani Rambukwella is a corporate communications professional with over 20 years' experience in the Asia-Pacific region (Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and India), working with organizations to craft compelling stories about their purpose. She enjoys conducting research and interviews with heads of businesses to provide a personal touch to corporate storytelling and has worked in various mediums, including print, digital, and video.

Having published two novels for older children and won an award for her debut novel, Rambukwella has conducted numerous creative writing workshops at schools and literary festivals, as well as at events by organizations such as the British Council. She enjoys working with children and young people as they strive to hone their own unique voices.

Rambukwella has a BA (Hons) in English literature from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, where she also studied Western Classical Culture and Sociology. At university, she enjoyed writing and directing plays and hiking along the beautiful green trails of hilly Peradeniya.

Hind Saddiki has been helping others with their scientific and technical writing in different capacities for the past decade. After a BSc in Computer Science and MSc in Software Engineering, her research interests centered around education informatics and natural language processing.

She believes that no piece of writing is too daunting or too menial, having worked with people from a wide range of proficiencies and helped many write in English when they usually 'think' in Arabic or in French.

When she's not working, Saddiki splits her time between entertaining her cats with DIY toys, entertaining herself with all sorts of reading, and making elaborate Halloween plans 11 months out of the year.