Diversity in scholarship and diversity in scholars

My parents, who only have an elementary school education, are the most well-educated people I know. Through school, I embodied their learning process–their curiosity, critical thinking, and tenacity. Eventually, I learned that the key to their knowledge was also their lived experiences. Now, as an educator and scientist, I believe that key to improving equity in the science is to advocate for diversity in scholarship and diversity in scholars.

To improve diversity in the sciences, as scientists we must advocate and work, with an intersectional lens, to diminish the barriers to entering. In particular, it is important to mentor, train, and support students, regardless of their academic background and experience, in field and lab research. Therefore, as a graduate student I have invested time and resources to recruit research assistants, both high school and undergraduate students, in field and lab settings. Specifically, since I work in agricultural systems, I bring students from the local, rural community into my research.

So it is my pleasure to highlight some of the amazing undergraduate and high school student research assistants I have worked with and continue work with in my research.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Hadomi Aquino de Araujo

2023 - present

Major: Biological Sciences, UC Irvine '25

Career goals: Learn about how the smallest biological mechanisms can affect the globe; researching better farming and fishing techniques; after college, I intend to commission as an active duty Officer in the US army, before switching to the California National Guard and pursuing a Masters in Finance or Herpetology.

Martin Banuelos

2017 – 2018, 2020 – 2021

Major: Conservation & Resource Studies, UC Berkeley '20

Career goals: Develop skills in GIS systems and data analysis software to communicate food system issues.

Gisel DeLaCerda

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2018 – 2021

Major: Environmental Science and minors in Forestry and Food Systems, UC Berkeley '21

Career goals: Attending graduate school to pursue research in agroecology.

Elizabeth Kondo

2022 - Present

Major: Biological Sciences & Minor in Global Sustainability, UC Irvine '23

Career goals: Pursue research relating to environmental sustainability and hopefully make a small, but meaningful impact!

Marisol Montes

2017 – 2019

Major: Conservation & Resource Studies and minor in Science and Math Education, UC Berkeley '19

Career goals: Continue conducting ecological research.

Conny Rios Escobar

2019-2020

Major: Molecular and Cell Biology and minors in Chicana/o Studies and Global Public Health, UC Berkeley '20

Career goals: Work towards food justice and equitable access to the outdoors.

Michelle Tampa Flores

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2020 - 2021

Major: Microbial Biology,

UC Berkeley '21

Career goals: Interested in working in the public health field with a focus on environmental health science.

Paula Yang

2018 – 2020

Major: Biology, CSU – Fresno '20

Career goals: Obtain an M.D. and become a physician who serves the Hmong community.

Kenny Balderas

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2023 - present

Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UC Irvine '24

Career goals: Work for a federal organization like NOAA, USGS, or Fish and Wildlife as an Environmental Scientist

Marissa Chase

2017 – 2018

Major: Molecular Environmental Biology and minor in Forestry,

UC Berkeley '18

Career goals: Pursue research in pollination biology/ecology and climate change.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign

Leke Hutchins

2017 – 2018

Major: Conservation & Resource Studies and minor in Food Systems, UC Berkeley '18

Career goals: Attend graduate school and engage in socio-ecological research.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley

Nada Lamie

2019 - 2021

Major: Genetics and Plant Biology and Ancient Egyptian Archeology,

UC Berkeley '22

Career goals: Attend graduate school and participate in paleoethnobotanical research to learn about people's interactions with plants and their relationship to the land in the past.