Oyu-Erdene Ankhbayar finds confidence on campus

Oyu-Erdene Ankhbayar, ‘26, entered Lehigh with plans to pursue public health in the U.S., but was nervous to leave Asia for the first time. 

Ankhbayar, who’s from Mongolia and enrolled in the College of Health, was drawn to studying in the U.S. for its resources and opportunities available. She initially looked at schools with public health majors but said she wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do. 

At the time, Lehigh had recently established its College of Health. After attending a student information session, Ankhbayar said she learned students and faculty were developing the program together, which intrigued her. 

She said hearing about research, internships and student involvement in shaping the college appealed to her, leading her to apply. 

“I didn’t know what to expect and English is my second language, and I was nervous that I was not even that good (at English),” Ankhbayar said. 

After graduating in May, Ankhbayar will attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was accepted into a fully funded Ph.D. program in genetics and biostatistics. She said she’s interested in the quantitative side of public health. 

She said she discovered the program through a Lehigh alumnus currently enrolled there and is grateful for the connections she built at Lehigh. 

Before arriving on campus, Ankhbayar said Jennifer Topp, assistant director of student experiences in the College of Health, reached out periodically during her travels, asking about her flight — something she said helped calm her nerves. 

Throughout her four years at Lehigh, Ankhbayar said her biggest growth was her confidence, both personally and professionally. 

She said her research, team projects, part-time jobs and navigating cultural, linguistic and financial challenges all contributed to her development. 

Her biggest challenge throughout college, she said, was self-confidence, especially in classes where she was the only international student, which made her feel self- conscious. 

Over time, she said she overcame imposter syndrome and realized she deserved to be at Lehigh. She also strengthened her English through campus involvement. 

Ankhbayar works as an office manager at Taylor Gym and at the bookstore, both roles she began during her first week on campus.

She secured her position at Taylor Gym after attending a job fair, where she met Genna Albano, the assistant director of fitness and campus recreation. Albano said one of Ankhbayar’s first priorities at Lehigh was securing a work-study job. 

“She seemed so on top of everything and I was incredibly impressed with her, especially since she had a harder process to navigate, and she did it in the quickest way that any international student has ever navigated that process,” Albano said. 

She initially hired Ankhbayar as an office assistant and quickly recognized her attention to detail and reliability. 

Because Ankhbayar stayed on campus during summers and winters, Albano trained her to program fitness classes in the department’s online system and assist with instructor logistics. 

“She is probably the most trusted member of our staff,” Albano said. “I know everything is in good hands when she is overseeing things.”

Albano promoted Ankhbayar to a managerial role during her sophomore year. 

She said Ankhbayar has taken on multiple responsibilities and was awarded the Francis Spiegel Merit Award, given annually to a student employee who exemplifies the selfless spirit of Francis Spiegel, ‘57, and contributes to improving campus recreation. 

Albano said Ankhbayar demonstrated that spirit by working to improve operation at Taylor Gym and enhance the student experience. 

“She is so intrinsically motivated,” Albano said. “I don’t keep it a secret to my staff that I hold her as a gold standard as what to expect and appreciate in really good staff members.”

Albano also said Ankhbayar pushed herself into uncomfortable situations, such as taking on customer-facing responsibilities and answering phones to improve her English. 

She said she saw Ankhbayar’s confidence grow when applied to be an international student orientation leader. 

Albano said she often jokes that she doesn’t want Ankhbayar to leave and even offered her a graduate assistant position if she chose to stay. 

Ankhbayar also serves on the College of Health student advisory board and works as a research assistant for professor Gideon Gogovi, who’s also her academic adviser. 

Gogovi said Ankhbayar conducts mathematical modeling of infectious diseases and applies machine learning to public health research. 

He said she has a peer-reviewed publication approaching, which he said is a significant accomplishment for an undergraduate student. 

Gogovi said research played a major role in her success and noted that she’s the second of his students to enter the same Ph.D program.

He said his goal is for students to learn from his research while contributing their own work.  

“I would say the biggest thing (Ankhbayar) took from doing research with me was being able to connect her classroom experiences with real-life problems,” Gogovi said. “

Ankhbayar also participated in programs including Iacocca International Internship, Global Social Impact Fellowship and Global Citizenship Program. 

She said her only regret is not networking more at events, attributing that to her focus on academics and work. 

“I was trying to make the most out of what Lehigh had to offer for students,” Ankhbayar said. 

She said English courses for international students and team projects helped her branch out. 

She added that her jobs at the bookstore and Taylor Gym allowed her to interact with a wide range of people — including alumni, incoming students and families — which helped her improve her English quickly. 

Ankhbayar said Albano became a parental figure during her time at Lehigh, helping her navigate challenges such as housing. She added that faculty and staff in the College of Health also supported her throughout her college experience. 

She said she’s sad to leave Lehigh and unsure if she’s ready to graduate but plans to process it after finals. 

“Everyone at Lehigh has helped me a lot to get to where I am in my life right now, so I am extremely grateful,” Ankhbayar said. 

None of Ankhbayar’s family has visited the U.S., but she’s helped her brother and sister-in-law obtain visas to attend her graduation. 

“I told (Ankhbayar) to be really proud of the opportunity she created for herself and to help her family, and I have been in awe at what she was able to do during her time at Lehigh to better herself,” Albano said.