“I really thought this class is great - it's always hard to talk about sensitive and complicated subjects regarding race, ethnicity, and leadership and I think the classroom served as a "Safe" environment to talk about these topics. Talking about it is necessary, and I benefitted a lot from the course.”

Leadership & Intersecting Identities:

Stories of the MULTI racial/ethnic/cultural Experience

University of Maryland | College Park

“Dr. Kaya is an amazing professor. She makes class very entertaining. She asks good questions and brings real world scenarios into her lectures. Her tests and quizzes are simple, but you have to be able to apply the knowledge that you read. She is very respectful of all her students, and you can tell she cares a lot. I would 100% take her class!!”

Introduction to Sociology

Montgomery College

“I love Dr. Kaya!! This class was unlike another other course I've taken at UMD. We had a great classroom environment and amazing discussions that Dr. Kaya herself would participate in instead of only facilitating-- which I loved because she has great perspectives on things! This is the only class this semester I've looked forward to going to. GREAT course, and I loved the small class size too.”

Contemporary Social Problems

University of Maryland | College Park

“She is a very understanding and hip professor. She uses real-world issues in her class to make it easier to understand the material but never makes her students feel uncomfortable or out of place in the classroom or on Zoom. She also gives great feedback on assignments. I wish more professors were like her.”

Honors Social Problems & Issues

Montgomery College

“Though this class is online, Dr. Kaya seems to be a very sweet & thoughtful prof. You don't need to do too much to earn an A, but some discussion Q's are quite time-consuming & generally require some research. As a STEM student, this class showed me how SOCY can be a really interesting subject, & I regret not taking it in a classroom setting. 5/5”

Introduction to Sociology

Montgomery College

“She was amazing. She pushed me to be more creative with my work and to communicate my emotions and thoughts effectively. I learned a lot about other people backgrounds and how to communicate with them through workshops. Overall, it has helped me grow more in my public speaking skills.”

TOTUS Spoken Word Colloquium

University of Maryland | College Park

“Dr. Kaya is literally the BEST professor you will ever have. She's so thoughtful, her class is engaging and she is so passionate about sociology. There's a lot of peer interactions and think and share activities. Her lectures are really fun, and the tests are easy if you pay attention to the lectures and ask for clarification.”

Introduction to Sociology

Montgomery College

“We had a lot of discussions on topics that are typically considered sensitive. This is nice because UMD is in a diverse area so students should know how to discuss these topics with one another and not feel attacked or judged. This was nice and different and I was not expecting it from this class. But I was able to gain a different perspective for all of my other classes.”

TOTUS Spoken Word Colloquium

University of Maryland | College Park

“Naliyah was honestly top 5 favorite professors during my time here at Maryland! This class was awesome and engaging. I really learned a lot and expanded my thinking on things that I previously knew as well. I strongly encourage everybody at the university, even professors, to take this class. You really learn a lot and the class leaves you with knowledge that you can apply to your everyday life.”

Leadership & Intersecting Identities:

Stories of the MULTI racial/ethnic/cultural Experience

University of Maryland | College Park

“Excellent required reading and videos, very thought provoking and important. Professor Kaya is inspiring, knowledgeable, supportive, encouraging, kind, and available to help. It's clear she's passionate about what she teaches and she really cares about her students. So glad I had the opportunity to take a class with her and that UMD offers this class at all. It needs to be 3 credits though not just 1. I put just as much time and effort into this class as my other workshop. Really appreciate that it was offered online and that reflections were allowed to be recorded vs. written.”

TOTUS Spoken Word Colloquium

University of Maryland | College Park

“For this course to be geared towards creativity, it was one of the most difficult classes I've taken on campus but it was pleasant working through the course. I learned a lot about a field I'd never researched and it was a great compliment to the other courses I took. I strongly believe this course is a great additive to UMD's mission to provide students with a sound education.”

TOTUS Spoken Word Colloquium

University of Maryland | College Park