2022 - 2023 Board
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Dr. Anna La Torre
Faculty Advisor Email: alatorre@ucdavis.edu Position: Associate Professor Department: Cell Biology and Human Anatomy Hometown: Campdevanol, Spain About me: I was raised around parents' bakery in Campdevanol, a very small town in the Catalan Pyrenees (Spain). I attended the University of Barcelona and was introduced to the extraordinary world of Developmental Neurobiology by a fantastic mentor... and I never looked back. After my PhD, I moved to Seattle where I investigated several aspects of retinal development, implemented protocols to differentiate pluripotent stem cells, and learned how to smile at the rain. In 2014, I was recruited to UC Davis where I joined the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy. Since then, my laboratory has worked to develop platforms to understand basic principles of retinal development and disease. As an immigrant and woman in STEM, I am passionate about making science accessible to everyone. I love photography, both microscopic and macroscopic. In my free time, I also enjoy reading, the mountains, and traveling around the globe. About my research: I am interested in understanding some of the mechanisms that regulate retinal development to devise novel treatments to restore vision |
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Jasmine Esparza
Co-Founder & President Email: jasesparza@ucdavis.edu Position: Third-year Ph.D. Student Department: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Faculty Advisor: Dr. Satoshi Namekawa Hometown: Lynwood, CA About me: I am from Los Angeles, CA. My family is originally from Mexico and Peru. I am the first in my family to pursue a career in science and first to pursue a PhD. For undergrad, I attended UCLA, where I first got involved with SACNAS. With the help of amazing mentors, I decided to attend graduate school. I completely submerged myself in everything research and grew exponentially as a scientist and a person. I will always be grateful for everyone who helped me reach the point where I am today. Outside of the lab, I love watching movies and spending time with my cat, Pumpkin. I am excited to play an active role in increasing representation in STEM! About my research: My thesis project focuses on understanding how folate (vitamin B9) plays a role in shaping the epigenetic state during sperm development and how its inheritance affects offspring development. |
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Shannon Clayton
Vice President & Co-Graduate Student Representative Email: smclayton@ucdavis.edu Position: Third-year Ph.D. Student Department: Dermatology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Athena Soulika Hometown: Citrus Heights, CA About me: I'm a first gen student who loves to read, paint, play video games, and try new foods. I have an orange cat named Achilles, who I love very much. About my research: My lab studies the mechanisms behind wound healing. |
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Tess Leathers
Secretary & Chair of K-8 Outreach Email: tagibson@ucdavis.edu Position: Third-year Ph.D. Student Department: Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Crystal Rogers Hometown: Williamsburg, VA About me: I moved across the country for graduate school but I feel right at home in Davis where my love for biking has really started to go uphill. I also enjoy baking, volunteering with my church, and cross stitching in my free time. About my research: I work in the Rogers lab investigating how NSAIDs like ibuprofen cause birth defects. |
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Angelica Carranza
Co-Chair of High School Outreach Email: afcarranza@ucdavis.edu Position: Third-year Ph.D. Student Department: Department of Human Ecology (Human Development Graduate Group) Faculty Advisor: Dr. Johnna Swartz Hometown: Simi Valley, CA About me: In my research I study adolescent brain development and mental health but the trajectory to get to where I am today was not linear. I graduated high school and after high school decided to pursue a trade and was able establish a stable career with that trade. Although, I wasn't satisfied intellectually and I decided to enroll in classes at my local community college, while working full time, and eventually transferred to UC Davis where I decided to ultimately stay to pursue my PhD. And since I'm an advocate for taking care of your mental health and self-care, in my free time (and when I'm not researching the brain) you can catch me running with my local community, baking delicious treats on the weekend, or getting outdoors for live music or to just enjoy the world around me. I also love sports and am avid Lakers and Dodgers fan at heart and truthfully, I couldn't be anything else since I'm originally from the Los Angeles area. Some of my current favorites on rotation are [TV shows] Insecure, Great British Baking Show, [Podcast] Crime Junkie, and [Music] Kaskade as they are sometimes what get me through the tough moments. About my research: I research how cultural mechanisms and social-contextual factors are associated with adolescent brain development and mental health. |
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Deana Villagomes
Co-Chair of High School Outreach Email: dvillagomes@ucdavis.edu Position: Second-year Ph.D. Student Department: Molecular & Cellular Biology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Frederic Chedin Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA About me: I am a first-generation college student and proud Mexican American from Sonoma County. Some of my hobbies include at-home manicures, cooking traditional Mexican dishes, and watching gaming YouTube videos. I love trying new foods and restaurants with family and friends. My number one nap buddy is my adorably spoiled chihuahua named Nina. About my research: In the Chedin lab, I research the mechanism of DNA damage suppression by RNase H1 in human cells depleted for RNA export proteins. |
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Elizabeth Reyes Gallegos
Chair of Community College Outreach Email: ereyesgallegos@ucdavis.edu Position: Second-year Ph.D. Student Department: Entomology and Nematology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Neal Williams Hometown: Escondido, CA About me: I am a Mexican-American, first-generation college student with cultural roots in the states of Oaxaca and Durango. I earned my B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Ecology from CSU Monterey Bay. As an undergrad, I attended my first SACNAS National Conference where I found a deep sense of community and belonging. Surrounded by supportive mentors through diverse research experiences, my confidence grew and I decided to pursue my doctoral studies. I look forward to building an inclusive scientific community and actively challenging the status quo in STEM. Beyond research, I'm an enthusiastic dog mom! I love planning outdoor adventures with Alfie. We completed our first backpacking trip earlier this year and we're ready for more! 🐾 About my research: The Williams lab conducts pollination ecology research. I study the functional traits of native plants and wild bees to understand the maintenance of pollinator communities and inform land management strategies. |
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Maribel Anguiano
Co-Chair of Community College Outreach Email: mangui@ucdavis.edu Position: Second-year Ph.D. Student Department: Neuroscience Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tina Kim Hometown: Lompoc, CA About me: I am a first-gen college graduate who started my higher education journey at my local community college. Organizations like MESA and SACNAS provided support and motivated me at each challenging step. When it's nice out, I'm usually outside. I love camping, hiking, and mountain biking. When it's not so nice out, I love to spend my time watching tv or reading. Whatever the weather, I'm always with my dog Nova. About my research: The Kim lab develops tools to study the functional and molecular organization of neurons in the brain. I use these tools to study the underlying mechanisms of neurosphychiatric disorders. |
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Jace Kuske
Co-Graduate Student Representative Email: jkkuske@ucdavis.edu Position: Third-year Ph.D. Student Department: Psychology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Trainor Hometown: Oceanside, CA About me: I'm a queer Latinx first generation college student that spends a concerning amount of time listening to true crime podcasts and playing with my cat. When not researching or doing outreach, I like to bake, write, go hiking, and game/watch anime. I'm either listening to 90s/00s pop punk/emo music or Megan thee Stallion, so I'm always in my feelings but it never stops the grind! About my research: I study the intersection between hormones, the brain, and female animal behavior. Right now, I want to know what in the brain is responsible for female territorial aggression. |
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Dr. Edwin Solares
Postdoctoral Scholar Representative Email: easolares@ucdavis.edu Position: Postdoctoral Fellow Department: Evolution and Ecology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jeff Ross-Ibarra Hometown: Corona\Irvine, CA About me: I lived half of my life in Corona, CA and the rest in Irvine, CA. My parents are both from Guatemala, my mom from the capital and my dad from the countryside. I was first in my family to receive a Bachelors degree, and a Masters Degree, and first in all of our known family to have received a PhD. I do have a few distant cousins that were able to get a Bachelors degree, and motivated one of them to pursue a Masters. When I'm not doing research, I enjoy gardening and raising blueberries, strawberries, various citrus and avocados. I also enjoy DIY and have built a few robots, such as 3D printers and small autonomous vehicles. I also enjoy design, 3D printing, building servers, CNC milling and just making stuff! I love playing zombie apocalypse and sandbox games, as well as flight and space sims. I have an adorable fluffy, chunky and sassy bunny named Frappy. She makes my stress just melt away. About my research: I do genomics research in agricultural plants, as well as make genomic tools. I have worked in fruit flies, wine grapes, maize and avocados. Now I am learning how to do population genomics in Maize. I plan to identify genetic traits import for domestication and adaptation to varying climates in crops. |
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Dr. Dera Alim
Co-Postdoctoral Scholar Representative Email: ccalim@ucdavis.edu Position: Postdoctoral Fellow Department: Pharmacology Faculty Advisor: Dr. Donald Bers Hometown: Nigeria About me: My family is based in Nigeria, I moved to the US to attend undergraduate and graduate school. I got my Ph.D. here at UCD and now work as a postdoc here as well. On a professional level, I enjoy writing drama scripts and technical writing/editing for NGOs. For my social life, I sing a lot - various genres - and I love dancing to afrobeat. Both for fun and for stress relief. About my research: My research centers on proteins involved in heart diseases. I simulate the beating heart in a petri dish (with a combination of electrophysiology, biotechnology, and biochemistry) and then probe for various reactions/conditions. My goal is to understand how these proteins work in heart failure so we can develop more effective therapies, and ultimately reduce deaths from heart failure. In short, I play with heart cells and tissue to understand them better. |
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Paula Vij
External Affair Chair Email: parodriguezcruz@ucdavis.edu Position: Second-year Ph.D. Student Department: Neuroscience Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kyle Fink Hometown: Bogota, Colombia About me: I came to the U.S.A in 2013 to pursue a career in STEM. I finished my Bachelor’s degree at California State University, East Bay in Biology with an emphasis in Physiology. At this school, I worked as a science tutor, which I really enjoyed as it gave me the opportunity to meet students of a diverse range of backgrounds and help them not only with science classes, but also with their path in college. I enjoy helping and guiding other students with the knowledge I have gained from my experience as a Latina pursuing a career in STEM. Besides school and work, I enjoy solving puzzles, playing board games, and watching documentaries during my free time. About my research: I am interested in advancing the understanding of neurological disorders through disease modeling and molecular characterization, as well as therapeutic development. |
2021-2022 Board
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Brigette Monroy, Ph.D.
Co-Founder |
Jasmine Esparza
Co-Founder & President |
Shannon Clayton
Vice President |
Tess Gibson
Secretary & Co-Chair of K-8 Outreach |
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Oscar Manuel Muñoz Herrera
Finance Chair |
Jace Kuske
Co-Graduate Student Representative |
Angelly Tovar
Co-Graduate Student Representative |
Inglis Tucker
Chair of CC Outreach |
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Dr. Edwin Solares
Postdoc Student Representative |
Michael Huh
Lead Outreach Coordinator & Chair of 9-12 Outreach |
Angelica Carranza
Co-Chair of K-8 Outreach |
