Aruna Ullal, OCT, MA, MEd

Aruna Ullal is an academic counselor and lecturer at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) at Sint Maarten. She joined AUC in February 2019. 

She earned her master’s in education (MEd), specializing in educational psychology and management, and master’s in English (MA) from Bangalore University, India. She is licensed with the Ontario College of Teachers in Canada. 

At AUC, she has been extensively involved in teaching the Learning Enhancement Course (LEC) for medical students in providing additional support to advance their academic performance and study skills. She teaches the non-cognitive modules which help students to strengthen their study strategies and critical thinking and enhance their scholastic performance. Aruna leads the AUC tutoring program which is a big part of the AUC culture where many students benefit from this student mediated teaching sessions that help their peers in reviewing, practicing, and enhancing their course competency and achieve academic progress. At the Academic Support Department, she meets with students one-on-one that seek help to improve their study skills, time management strategies, goal setting and examination preparations. 

She has over 12 years of teaching experience broadly ranging from the higher secondary to medical students. Previously, she has worked as a medical board review coordinator at Medical University of the Americas, St. Kitts & Nevis from November 2015 to October 2016.  Prior to that she was a case manager at the Salvation Army Lawson Ministries Autism Centre, Hamilton, Canada from November 2010 to August 2013 where she designed, implemented, taught, and evaluated individualized life skills and literacy curricula for adults with developmental disability. 

Further, her passion to serve is reflected in her contributions to many other organizations where she has volunteered, including Women without Borders and St. Martin’s Manor in Hamilton, Canada, where she helped new immigrant and refugee women find jobs and settle down in a new country. Presently, Aruna is an active member of the AUC Wellness THRIVE Committee. 

Aruna has been an active member of the Global Initiative Committee of NACADA-The Global Community for Academic Advising since 2019. She has contributed her expertise in advising in their international and national conferences and at their panel discussions and global lounge presentations.