Aliya comes to the APO with over fifteen years of academic advising experience, most recently from Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she served as director of the Office of Academic Advising for many years, also serving in similar capacities at The George Washington University prior to Rice. Aliya has worked with a variety of student populations from athletes and transfer students to specialized advising around pre-law and pre-health. Aliya holds a BS in Communication Studies from The University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University. In her free time, she enjoys fitness—especially Zumba and tennis, podcasts, and connecting with family and friends.