Meet the Mentors
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Lorrinda Khan
Serves as the Executive Director and Architect of the Lexicon Ambassador Program
Lorrinda Khan, MFA, serves as the Executive Director and Architect of the Lexicon Ambassador Program. She previously worked as the Senior Instructional Design Specialist in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She has a MFA and has worked as a senior textbook editor for professional publications at Davis Publications as well as an online instructor ( University of Maryland, Capella University, Southern New Hampshire University, Baker College).
Her instructional design experiences include curriculum design and development for the Alabama Fire College and the University of South Florida College of Medicine. At UAB she provided support for online education for multiple graduate programs within the Department of Health Services Administration. She has extensive experience with course development and maintenance using a variety of online instructional technologies. She is an experienced faculty trainer & mentor. She has also published extensively in the area of online instruction.
Queen Molekwa, MS
Mentor, South Africa Literacy Project Track
Queen Molekwa is a researcher and engineer with over 7 years of industry experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and has held both scientific and engineering roles across the energy and chemical manufacturing sectors. Queen has a strong commitment to improving the quality of primary education in South Africa and has played a critical role in developing educational content for a language learning app and a children’s educational app. She has also volunteered as a mentor and facilitator for after-school STEM programs across various South African primary schools, delivering hands-on lessons aimed at engaging young students in STEM topics and cultivating innovation, curiosity and problem solving.
In her spare time, Queen enjoys working on her farm, tutoring, and working on exciting new research projects. Queen will work together with the bright young students enrolled in the Lexicon Ambassadors Program to develop innovative solutions aimed at improving the literacy of South African children.
Dr. Awais Khan
Mentor, Pakistan Cancer Surveillance Project
Board certified in medical oncology and internal medicine and board eligible in hematology, Dr. Khan completed his medical degree at St. Matthew’s University and his residency at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. During the course of his residency, he also trained at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa where he was the recipient of the American Society of Hematology Research Award. Dr. Khan completed training as a fellow in hematology and oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Khan has also earned a Master of Science in the area of Aeronautical Science, Human Factors and Systems and a Bachelor of Science in the area of Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Aeronautical/Space Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
His research activities have included the topics of adoptive T-cell immunotherapy in cancer, prostate and bladder cancer, lung cancer, leukemia as well as transfusion outcomes in a Level I Trauma Center. In addition, he has articles published in the areas of leukemia and bladder cancer. Dr. Khan is a member of the American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Physicians, and the American Medical Association.
Ashan Perera
Mentor, Lexicon Ambassador Leadership Track
Ashan Perera, is a Social Innovation Professional, Advocate, and Strategist who has been the driving force behind many initiatives on social impact. He leads an initiative that supports social impact, the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and entrepreneurial thinking and has chapters in 22 countries and collaborates with 74 universities. Ashan Perera is a recipient of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Award 2018, the JCI Top Outstanding Young Persons Award in Sri Lanka in 2014, and the Human Rights Hero Award in 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.
Ashan Perera earned his Master of Business Administration at the University of Gloucestershire and his Bachelor of Laws at the Buckinghamshire New University United Kingdom. He has completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership at OTHM UK and a Diploma in Diplomacy and World Affairs at Bandaranaike Diplomatic Training Institute. Additional training he has received includes a National Diploma in Training and Human Resource Development at CIPM, and Diploma in Travel and Tourism Economics at the University of Colombo.
Amila Beganovic
Mentor, SAT Prep Course
Amila Beganovic currently resides in Germany and is an international student from Bosnia and Herzegovina enrolled in the MSc Bioinformatics program at the Saarland University (Germany). Amila is currently working as a lab research assistant at the Institute of Human Genetics at University of Saarland Clinic. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biology in the United States from the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut, USA). During her undergraduate, she was a division II student-athlete. One day, she aspires to complete a PhD in the same field as her master’s program and work in the field of disease prevention. Amila is an expert tutor in the areas of mathematics and chemistry who has helped many students successfully prepare for the SAT exam.
Alex Winnicker
Mentor, Academic Advising
Alex Winnicker, MA M.Ed, has been in academia at the PreK-12 and higher education levels for the past 20 years. He holds vast experience in leadership development, coaching, teaching, admissions, and advisement. Alex has been a Director in athletics and admissions at several independent schools and universities, including Yeshiva University, St. Joseph’s College New York, Kean University, Vermont Tech College, Mater Dei Prep, and The Colorado Springs School. In addition, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses both online and in-person spanning the topics of Communications, Public Speaking, Business Ethics, Human Resource Management, and Athletic Administration. He has also served as the Director at a large nonprofit organization based in New Jersey.
