01/15/2026
MCC Proud: Meet Elena Dilai
January 14, 2026
Elena Dilai is a Professor of Mathematics at Monroe Community College (MCC), where she has taught for 21 years as a full-time faculty member, following two years as an adjunct.
At MCC, she received the 2019 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, but says her most meaningful moments come from her students. “Every life I’ve touched and every transformation I’ve witnessed—those are my greatest rewards,” she said.
Her advice to students is simple: “Find your why. Once you understand your purpose, everything else falls into place.” She also encourages students to fully engage in campus life and take advantage of MCC’s many opportunities beyond the classroom.
Beyond teaching, Dilai serves as Board Secretary for RocMaidan, a nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Since 2022, the organization has shipped 29 containers of aid. With family and friends still living under constant threat, this work is deeply personal. “Living under a peaceful sky is something we too often take for granted,” she said.
Dilai also owns a portrait studio, where she creates artful portraits of women, children, and families. She began her photography journey at MCC and now competes internationally, earning multiple honors, including three bronze badges at the Professional Photographers of America International Competition for the second consecutive year. Her recent “40+ and Fabulous!” project culminated in a gallery exhibit at Image City Photography Gallery.
She is the proud mother of two accomplished children: a daughter with a Ph.D. in Genetics and Computational Biology working at Pfizer, and a son in his final year of medical school.
When asked who she would most want to share a dinner with, Dilai names Pope John Paul II—not as a celebrity, but as a moral and historical icon. “I would want to hear his wisdom and his guidance on how we can create meaningful, positive change,” she said.
