"Hi! My name is Leslie and I am a teacher, professor, historian, debate coach, and expert in international affairs. I hold or have held positions at three Ivy League universities, as well as at other world-leading universities and institutes. I offer tutoring in 1) any field of history, 2) all forms of analytical and persuasive writing, 3) all categories of competitive speech and debate, and 4) public speaking and leadership. I also offer mentoring, guidance, and lessons on thriving in elite academic spaces and navigating the transition between education levels.

I am a professor at Harvard University, where I teach history, leadership, debate, and global affairs. I have also taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Saint Joseph's University, and the Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy. I taught history and English at Germantown Academy from 2019 to 2021, where I also served as the head coach of the school's champion Speech & Debate Team. I now serve on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League as the university liaison. I am a member of Cornell University’s Fulbright Committee and am a long-time Cornell research affiliate in international studies. I am also the Academic Director of the Senior Leadership Program for the Great Books Summer Program—an institute for middle- and high-school students that offers summer seminars at such schools as Stanford University, Oxford University, Amherst College, Haverford College, among others.

I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hamline University in History & Religious Studies. I received my PhD in History from the University of Minnesota, and I earned professional certificates from Cornell University in Business Economics and UX Design. In 2017, I was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), for my outreach work on refugee affairs in the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2024, I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) in honor of my book, "Democracy and Diplomacy, Orientalism and Empire."" less...