Alumni program 
(for first-year graduate students)

I am a 2nd year PhD student at Lehigh University, where I'm studying ethnic-racial socialization/identity development, youth program intervention, and mentorship. Additionally, I am passionate about mentorship and helping demystify the graduate school admissions process for prospective students like my mentors did for me.

I recently completed my PhD at Virginia Tech, where I studied the interplay between polymer and solution structure on polymer-metal binding interactions. At VT, I am heavily involved in mentoring and outreach, both within my research group and the broader community. The first few years are the hardest part of a PhD because you are transitioning to a new style of learning and new academic norms. I joined the CL-GSMI program to help ease this transition and support scientists of all backgrounds.

I am a PhD candidate at UCLA, studying the solvation structure and dynamics of solvated electrons using ultrafast spectroscopy. My path began at community college before transferring to UC Davis, where I earned a B.S. in Chemistry. As a first-generation student and the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, I often navigated spaces with little representation. Having been a CL-GSMI mentee myself, I now volunteer as a mentor to give back, foster belonging, and support others in their journeys.

I am a Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Washington and Allen Institute, studying the electrophysiological and transcriptomic properties of ventral striatum cell types. As an NIH postbaccalaureate fellow, I co-developed a novel mouse model to study social reward. With all the help I have received as a mentee, I am committed to paying it forward by supporting the next generation of scientists as a CL-GSMI mentor.

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Koch Institute at MIT, where I study pancreas cancer. I'm particularly interested in the ways that cancer cells change over time in response to their environment (drugs, immune cells, metabolism, etc). I received my PhD from Yale University, where I studied crosstalk between the immune system and melanoma. I enjoy interacting with trainees, learning from their experiences and giving any advice I can to support young scientists' growth, excitement, and discovery.

I’m a 3rd-year PhD candidate at the University of Utah, studying how gut inflammation in IBD promotes colon cancer and how the immune system contributes to this process. I’m a first-generation student from Kenya, where I earned my master’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology in China (and learned Mandarin). I have worked in the industry, developing mRNA drugs for pancreatic cancer. Mentorship shaped my journey, and I’m excited to support and inspire future scientists through the CL-GSMI program.

I am a PhD student in Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. I earned my B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. My PhD research focuses on enhancing the removal and destruction of hazardous pollutants in water, specifically per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) also known as "Forever Chemicals". I am a mentor with Científico Latino because I want support the next generation in their transition into gradschool.