Meet the AmbassadorsOur ambassadors represent the core of STEM*FYI and come from an incredible diversity of backgrounds and experiences. This cohort of ambassadors span over 10 different STEM departments and include ambassadors who are underrepresented in STEM or identify as people of color, as well as first-generation students. Read more about our ambassadors below! Meet the Graduate Student Coordinators of STEM*FYIAndre GreenPh.D. student in EECS Andre Green is a second-year PhD student at The University of California Berkeley. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in electrical engineering, focusing on integrated circuit design and computer architecture. He received his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and minor in computer engineering from The Pennsylvania State University as a member of the Millennium Scholars Program. Andre has conducted research at The Pennsylvania State University and The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on various projects around the Electrical Engineering field along with other interdisciplinary sectors. At Berkeley, Andre is a member of the Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students (BGESS). He also holds interest in strength training, basketball, and running. Email: [email protected] Santiago Karam PadillaMasters student in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research Santiago Karam Padilla is an incoming Master’s student in the Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (IEOR) program, with a concentration in Financial Engineering, at UC Berkeley. Santiago grew up in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, before moving to Palm Springs, California, at the age of 13. He recently completed his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research at UC Berkeley in the spring of 2024. Santiago’s academic and professional interests are centered around optimizing financial systems and developing innovative solutions within the field of operations research. Email: [email protected] Shafeeq IbraheemPh.D. student EECS Shafeeq is a sixth year PhD student in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences department. His research currently focuses on machine learning applications for protein engineering. He is passionate about making academia a welcoming environment for all, particularly in STEM fields. Outside of work, he love going to concerts, listening to music (mostly KGLW), learning guitar, and going to the gym. Email: [email protected] 2024-25 AmbassadorsBethany SuterPh.D. student in Physics, 5th year My name is Bethany Suter and I’m a fifth year grad student in physics. I work on particle physics beyond the Standard Model. More specifically, I generally work on things relating to dark matter and how we might find it on Earth. When I’m not doing physics, you can find me playing board games, reading or somewhere outdoors in nature. I hope to see you at a STEM-FYI event soon! Email: [email protected] Daisy Horr (she/her)Ph.D. Candidate in Integrative Biology, 6th Year Hi! I’m Daisy, a sixth year PhD candidate in Integrative Biology. I am a student in Dr. Eileen Lacey’s lab based in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ). My dissertation focuses on social and morphological differences between monogamous and polygynandrous mice in California! I am originally from Austin, Texas, first-gen, and proudly CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) to two deaf parents. As someone who has personally benefited from outreach opportunities available to me, I’m eager to help build strong communities and increase the educational opportunities available to students from underrepresented groups. In my free time I love to be out in nature (hiking, camping, etc) and I really enjoy doing any type of art/crafting! Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @DaisyHorr Daphne Lucana (she/her/hers)Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering, 1st year Hi everyone! My name is Daphne and I’m a 1st year PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering department. I work up the hill at the Molecular Foundry in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, conducting research in polymer chemistry for electrochemical energy storage. I moved to Berkeley from New York after finishing my undergraduate studies at Cornell University. On campus, I’m involved in outreach and DEI advocacy through STEM*FYI, Path to the Professoriate (P2P), Graduate Women of Engineering (GWE) and Latinx Association of Graduate Students in Engineering and Science (LAGSES). Also, I enjoy exploring nature, traveling and going to festivals/concerts with friends. Feel free to reach out, I’d love to connect! Email: [email protected] Deibi SibrianESPM, 4th year I’m a PhD student in Environmental Science, Policy, & Management with a Designated Emphasis in Development Engineering. Currently, I identify as an Urban Global Change Ecologist dedicated to Just Sustainable Development and energy transitions. My research examines the socio-environmental health impacts of emerging digital technologies, such as cryptocurrency mining and AI, on marginalized communities, using a One Health framework that integrates ancestral knowledge and multispecies justice.Driven by a commitment to social justice, I work to reshape STEM fields to serve historically marginalized communities better and foster inclusive, trauma-informed learning spaces. I mentor students through programs like GiGS, From Day One, Latinx & the Environment, URAP, & as a graduate student instructor. Additionally, I advocate for equity in leadership roles with the ESPM Graduate Diversity Council, as a Graduate Student Associate Equity & Inclusion Officer, Indigenous Graduate Student Association, and other roles. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, creating mixed-media art, and exploring the Bay Area. Let’s connect over a walk, coffee, or tea—feel free to reach out anytime! Email: [email protected] Social Media: @day_bee (Instagram) / @Day_beez (X) LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deibi-sibrian-531a2a4a Dora Ogbonna (she/her/hers)Ph.D. student in BioEngineering, 1st year Hello, I am Dora Ogbonna. I am a first-year PhD student in BioEngineering. I was born and raised in Nigeria and moved to the United States with my family in 2016. I studied Chemical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). I am currently working in the lab of Dr. Qizhi Tang where I genetically engineer regulatory T cells (Tregs) for therapeutic applications in Type 1 Diabetes. In my free time, I enjoy reading, walking, running, and trying new things. I am excited to meet with you, feel free to reach out to connect and chat. Email: [email protected] Ezinne Nwankwo (she/her)Ph.D. student in EECS, 4th year My name is Ezinne and I’m a 4th year PhD student at UC Berkeley where I work on problems at the intersection of AI/machine learning and society. I’m interested in how machine learning and causal inference can be used to improve public sector decision-making and mitigate data issues of validity and measurement error that arise in social data. I try to develop data-driven methods to improve equity and enhance access for underserved communities. Email: [email protected] Gabriela Paredes (she/her)Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 3rd year Gabriela is a third-year PhD student in the Geosystem program at UC Berkeley’s Civil Engineering Department with a designated emphasis in Global Metropolitan Studies, working under the guidance of Professor Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos. Her research explores infrastructure resilience and social vulnerability, focusing on how climate change impacts urban areas and affects marginalized communities. She integrates engineering solutions with social justice perspectives to enhance urban resilience and equity. She enjoys traveling and seeing new places, practicing martial arts and exercising. Email: [email protected] Grace Hu (she/her)Ph.D. Candidate in Bioengineering, 4th year Hi, I’m Grace! I was born and raised on Long Island, New York, and I am a 4th year Bioengineering PhD student in the joint UC Berkeley-UCSF graduate program. My research explores how 3D-bioprinted cells can self-organize into functional tissue through origami-inspired folding. I am also involved in other organizations on campus such as BEAST and GWE. Today I am incredibly grateful to the teachers and support system that got me here, and in turn I want to build an inclusive environment and help guide others. Outside of the lab, I enjoy singing with the UCSF Vocal Chords, cooking & baking, playing board games with friends, and hiking in the Bay Area’s great outdoors. I’m happy to chat about research or life, so please feel free to reach out! Email: [email protected] Guadalupe Verta (she/her/ella)Ph.D. student in Environmental Science, Policy and Management My main motivation is developing solutions that help reduce human impacts on the Patagonian steppe, with a specific focus on human-wildlife coexistence in a rapidly changing world. Before starting my PhD at UC Berkeley, I worked with Wildlife Conservation Society – Argentina in different projects involving the implementation of nonlethal deterrents and the study of activity patterns of carnivores, prey species, and livestock in northern Patagonia, in an area with intense conflict with livestock production. Email: [email protected] Guangyu FengPh.D. student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Hi, I am Guangyu, a PhD student in the EECS Department. I perform research on embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, and the Internet of Things. My work integrates computation and physical processes, with embedded computers and networks. I am passionate about contributing to a welcoming academic environment and inclusive campus community. I am also involved in the graduate assembly. In my free time, I would like to play sports, go hiking, and explore the wildlife and nature in the Bay areas. Email: [email protected] Hellina Hailu Nigatu (she/her)Ph.D. student in Computer Science, 4th year I am a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley in the EECS department. I finished my undergrad at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia in Electrical and Computer Engineering and received my Masters of Science in CS from UC Berkeley in 2023. I am currently co-advised by Prof. Sarah Chasins and Prof. John Canny. I am part of PLAIT, CannyLab and BAIR. Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @hellinanigatu Maedeh Chitsaz (she/her)Ph.D. student in Environmental Science, Policy and Management, 1st year I am a first-year PhD student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley. My academic journey began with a master’s thesis on determining heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils and plants near a copper deposit in Iran, where I explored how environmental contamination affects soil health and crop safety. For my PhD, I focus on understanding how soil carbon responds to temperature changes by analyzing soil carbon profiles across different depths. My research aims to quantify these relationships and embed them into global Earth System Models to improve climate projections under various future scenarios. By enhancing the accuracy of these models, I hope to contribute to more reliable predictions of climate change, supporting policymakers in developing informed mitigation strategies. Email [email protected] Meg Tanaka (she/her)Ph.D. student in AS&T + School of Journalism, 2nd year Hi! I’m currently a Master’s student in the School of Journalism, while pursuing a PhD in the Applied Science and Technology program. I’ve been in the Berkeley grad school program since 2020, and have been a part of many student support grops like WiCSE, WiM and more. I grew up in the Bay Area and in Tokyo, and my interests are in data journalism and AI ethics education! Email: [email protected] Prastik Mohanraj (he/him/his)Ph.D. student in Bioengineering, 1st Year Hello! My name is Prastik, and I am a first-year Ph.D. student in Bioengineering (jointly-run with UCSF). I’m currently interested in bioimaging and neurodegeneration, but since first-years get to sample tons of research areas through lab rotations, who knows where I’ll end up? Outside of lab, I’m a classical musician, avid hiker, and horror movie enthusiast. I’m dedicated to educational equity and academic empowerment, particularly in STEM, and I’m excited to be working with STEM*FYI this year! Email: [email protected] P.S.NandiniPh.D. student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Bioengineering Graduate Program, 3rd year Hello! I am P.S.Nandini, a PhD student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Bioengineering Graduate Program. I am an international student from India, where I completed my undergrad. I then completed an MS in Neuroscience from Berlin, Germany and Amsterdam, Netherlands, with the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. For my current PhD work at the Chang Lab in UCSF, I am researching invasive deep brain stimulation in humans for treating patients with treatment-resistant depression, as part of an ongoing clinical trial. Apart from academics, I am the Founder of The Keni Project, a student-run organization that sets up libraries in underprivileged schools by collecting used books from the public. I am also a student and performer of Carnatic vocal music and Veena (Carnatic instrument) for the past 24 and 14 years. I am also a painter, for which I won the National Balshree award (second highest civilian honor for the youth of India) given by the President of India. Email: [email protected] Sebastian Franck-Love (He/Him)Clinical Psychology, 1st Year Sebastian is a first year PhD student in Clinical Science in Psychology at the University of California Berkeley. His research focuses on utilizing computational models to understand the cognitive processes of behavior, as well as elucidating underlying mechanisms of psychopathology using neuroimaging techniques. He has most recently completed a fellowship at Yale University as an ESI PREP Scholar in their Department of Psychology. Prior to this he received his masters degree from Georgia State University in their Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. He spends his free time running, boxing, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Email: [email protected] Siqi Huang (she/her)Ph.D. Candidate in Science and Mathematics Education; Master’s student in Mathematics Hi! I’m Siqi, a Ph.D. Candidate in Science and Mathematics Education under the mentorship of Felix Klein Medalist Alan Schoenfeld and a Master’s student in Mathematics under Fields Medalist Richard Borcherds. My dissertation focuses on designing, implementing, and studying a theoretically grounded and locally responsive learning community to support underrepresented students in calculus. Framed as a social design experiment, my work aims to cultivate a community of mathematical sense-makers engaged in learning, being, and becoming through calculus. One of the practical goals of my dissertation is to develop a disciplinary-rigorous and identity-empowering model that can be adapted by campuses and STEM courses to foster deep conceptual learning, promote positive identity development, and advance equitable access to STEM careers for diverse student groups. Email: [email protected] Yao Shen (she/her)Ph.D. student in Chemistry, 2nd year I’m a 2nd-year PhD student from Chemistry department, doing theoretical chemistry. My research mainly focuses on electronic structure, and I’m also interested in quantum computing or quantum information. In my spare time, I prefer to hang out with friends instead of staying at home. I like playing basketball, playing the piano, dancing, cooking and recently I just started climbing. Email: [email protected] Yuki Takahashi (she/her)Ph.D. Candidate in Mathematics, 3rd year Hello! I’m Yuki and I am a PhD candidate in the mathematics department. I study model theory, which is a branch of mathematical logic. More specifically, I am researching the properties of certain “ranks” and “dimensions” in different mathematical structures. I am originally from Tokyo, Japan, but I was on the west coast of Canada for high school and Iowa for college – all very different but beautiful places! I am committed to making mathematics an inclusive and equitable field, and I am involved in various mentorship opportunities like the Directed Reading Program (DRP), Getting into Graduate School (GiGS), and Mathematical and Planetary Sciences (MPS) Scholars program. Outside of math, I like to play the tuba in the wind ensemble, cook Japanese food, and swim in the gym. I’m always happy to chat, so please feel free to reach out! Email: [email protected]