Access
& Equality
I am dedicated to promoting equality in & access to science. My efforts have been recognized by receiving the 2016 UCSC Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity, the 2015 UCSC Alumni Association’s Graduate Service Award, the 2018 Postdoc Achievement Award for Excellence in Leadership and the 2019 Cook Award for women's advocacy.
Advocacy & Outreach
I am committed to providing scientific experiences and initiateives that peak the scientific curiosities of underrepresented & marginalized individuals and support them throughout their pursuit of these curiosities.
At UCSC I was an Outreach Officer with Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE) and coordinated activities and workshops at local community events, schools and conferences that promoted the participation of young women and advocated for the equitable treatment of all women in STEM.
I am the Science Communications Chair for Graduate Women in Science (GWiS) Cornell. Within GWiS I have:
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Established "Science on Tap", a public seminar series aimed at making science accessible to everyone.
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Created the Science Communications Training Program for Graduate Students and Postdocs.
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Partnered with a community based non-profit, Free Science Inc., to create a bike-driven mobile science outreach program.
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Acquired funding for all the above projects through collaborations with Cornell BEST and The Office of Postdoctoral Studies and an Engaged Opportunity Grant
Insitutional Service
Teaching & Mentoring
I strive to bring awareness to faculty, students and trainees about the challenges that exist for different individuals pursuing STEM careers and offer ways to diminish these obstacles through education, mentoring and advocacy.
Participation in the Institute for Science and Engineer Educators Professional Development Program has equipped me with the ability to design teaching modules using inquiry and active learning-based techniques.
I have implemented such modules in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-funded initiative aimed at building active learning introductory science courses at UCSC.
I established the STEM Active Learning Seminar Series, a forum for communicating the necessity and feasibility of implementing equitable techniques within classrooms. A community now exists at UCSC that is actively engaged in improving scientific teaching.
I've also sought out and mentored undergraduates from diverse, and underrepresented backgrounds. By providing them with training in the conceptual and technical aspects of experimental research these trainees have earned authorship on publications, presentations at scientific conferences and the expertise required to prepare them for graduate programs and scientific careers.
I am dedicated to creating a safer and equal environment in higher education.
At UCSC:
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I served on the Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Council charged with creating environmental conditions that will best provide equal opportunities to all UCSC students, faculty and staff.
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I established the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program for Graduate Students that offers an in-depth examination of issues surrounding bias and discrimination that negatively effect equality in academic communities.
At Cornell:
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I served on the Consensual Relationships Policy Committee, that successfully created a policy that mitigates the harm that romantic relationships could have on students and trainees to ensure academic freedom and protection.
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As a member of the Postdoc Advisory Committee, I aim to enhance the experience of postdocs at Cornell through initiatives that improve their professional and social well-being.
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Serving on the Graduate Professional Development Advisory Council, I am contributing to the organization of a more comprehensive program to offer graduates and post-graduates exploration and professional development in careers outside of academia.
