2022-23 ARCS NCC Scholars

Ahmad Abassi

Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley

Stephanie Adamczek

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Jonathan Aguiñaga

Population Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Peter Andrew

Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of California, Davis

Lilia Baldauf

Chemistry, University of California, Davis

Mattea Berglund

Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Jessica "Jessie" Blumenfeld

Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco

Marina Bozinovic

Geography, San Francisco State University

Anthony Bravo

Chemistry, San Francisco State University

Alena "Laney" Casella

Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis

Will Chapman

Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Gauree Chendke

Bioengineering, University of California, San Francisco

Savannah Conlon

Chemistry, University of California, Davis

Jessica Cook

Oral Craniofacial Sciences, University of California, San Francisco

Alanna Cooney

Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

Sean Cotner

Stanford University

Eric Coyle

Biology, San Francisco State University

Sean Cummings

Science Communications Master’s Program, University of California, Santa Cruz

Nicole DelRosso

Stanford University

Jerry "Tyler" DeWitt

Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Huy Do

Chemistry, San Francisco State University

Jacquelyn "Jackie" Ernest

Pharmaceutical Science & Pharmacogenomics, University of California, San Francisco

Amanda Everitt

Biological & Medical Informatics, University of California, San Francisco

Rosa Everson

Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz

Eleanor Fadely

Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis

Jane Fudyma

Soils & Biogeochemistry, University of California, Davis

Jacquelyn "Jackie" Galvez

Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Brooke Genovese

Integrative Pathobiology, University of California, Davis

Joe Germino

Biomedical Sciences, University of California, San Francisco

Ketrin "Katie" Gjoni

Pharmaceutical Science & Pharmacogenomics, University of California, San Francisco

Elizabeth Grant

Geology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Miguel Guardado

Biological & Medical Informatics, University of California, San Francisco

Cynthia "Abby" Harris

Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Mallory Harris

Stanford University

Hope Hauptman

Environmental Systems, University of California, Merced

Carly Hawkins

Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Jennifer Hofmann

Stanford University

Logan Horowitz

Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley

Carolyn Smith Hughes

Epidemiology & Translational Science, University of California, San Francisco

Samantha Ting Hung

Stanford University

William Hwang

Stanford University

Zunaira Iqbal

Cognitive & Information Sciences, University of California, Merced

Francis Joyce

Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

Nicholas Karavolios

Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Kloe Keeter

Chemistry, San Francisco State University

Matthew Kustra

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Matthew Liu

Stanford University

Meredith Lutz

Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Kenn Luu

Physics, San Francisco State University

Anna Makar-Limanov

Stanford University

Lourenco Martins

Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Charlie McMenomy

Mathematics, San Francisco State University

Maria McSharry

Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Kira Miller

Biology, San Francisco State University

Katherine Montana

Biology, San Francisco State University

Joseph "Joey" Murphy

Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz

Abby Niesen

Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Davis

Rachel O'Sullivan

Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco

Julia Owen

Ecology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Reesab Pathak

Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley

Lekha Priya Patil

Mathematics, San Francisco State University

Andres Patino-Lopez

Biology, San Francisco State University

Courtney Payne

Stanford University

Robin Peter

Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley

Jonathan "Jon" Philpot

Chemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz

Reilly Raab

Computer Science & Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz

Cell Biology, University of California, San Francisco

Sophie Ruehr

Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley

Mays Mohammed Salih

Molecular, Cell & Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Lauren Schechtman

Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, University of California, San Francisco

Carolyn Schwartz

Biology, San Francisco State University

Richelle Smith

Stanford University

Nolan Smyth

Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz

Rachelle Stark

Metabolic Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Nathanial Chase Stevenson

Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of California, Davis

Tanner Stevenson

Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of California, Davis

Paul Summers

Stanford University

Micah Swann

Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis

Rae Taylor-Burns

Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

Michael Trebino

Microbiology & Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz

Kateryna Voitiuk

Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz

Alauna Wheeler

Physics, University of California, Merced

Anna Marie Yanny

Science Communications, UC Santa Cruz

Jeremiah Tsyporin, University of California, Santa Cruz
“As I enter the final year of my PhD, I am beginning to look for mentors to oversee my post-doctoral training. One of the significant ways I can find a mentor is through the networking opportunities offered at conferences. Without this generous support, these opportunities to share my work with the greater neuroscience community would have been impossible for me. In addition to attending conferences and connecting with neuroscientists worldwide, support from ARCS has helped ease the economic burdens associated with the cost of living in Santa Cruz. Because I don’t have to focus so heavily on dealing with basic needs, I have the freedom to spend more time and mental energy focused on research and intellectual pursuits central to a successful PhD.”
Rachelle Stark, University of California, Berkeley
“I grew up in a low-income community in San Bernardino, California where I directly saw the harsh reality of how diet contributes to many diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.). These preventable diseases tragically took the lives of many people in my community. For these reasons, doing research related to nutrition/metabolism is extremely important and fulfilling to me. The [ARCS Award] gives me more options for labs because I will not have to rely on the funding of the lab I choose and can instead choose a lab purely based on my research interests. The funding will also give me more time to work on the research that I find so important and fulfilling.”
Katherine Montana, San Francisco State University
“I will be pursuing my master’s degree in integrative biology at San Francisco State University and conducting my research at the California Academy of Sciences. I am thrilled to get started on my research and mentoring projects. … This combination of research activities will offer me the opportunity to build my technical lab skills, storytelling abilities, and capacity to help other students succeed in science. ... I am deeply honored to receive the [ARCS Award] and take great joy in starting graduate school. I thank you for making this possible for me. I am ready to get to work.”
Micah Swann, University of California, Davis
“I’m conducting applied limnological research on the pristine lakes of Northern Patagonia, in collaboration with Fundación Chile Lagos Limpios. This model will be used to investigate how the physics and water quality of these pristine lakes wi1l be impacted by climate change and watershed development over the course of the 21st century. In September 2019, I had my first opportunity to visit Northern Patagonia … but due to Covid-19 safety and travel restrictions, I have not had the opportunity to return to Chile. With your financial support, I will be able to return to the region in January 2022 and continue collecting data to improve the accuracy of the lake model under development.”
Julie Chang, Stanford University
“The ARCS Award will allow me to focus on my PhD studies without worrying about finances. My research focuses on understanding the physics of breast cancer cell migration using 3D hydrogels and time-lapse imaging. The PhD journey itself has been a rollercoaster and I’m excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! After my PhD, I am hoping to land a role as a clinical scientist in the biotech industry in the Bay Area. In this role, I can help analyze and interpret clinical trial data to develop drugs that can cure human diseases. Thank you again for the ARCS award—funding the next generation of scientific thinkers is truly an impactful mission!”
Nicholas Elder, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
“I am grateful to earn my degree at UCSF which is world-renowned for its stem cell research. Likewise, it has been a pleasure to be supported by the ARCS Foundation and wider community. Research is a costly endeavor and being awarded this fellowship has given me the time and space to focus on impactful research while also sharing it with an interested group of donors and other scholars. The fellowship has also been a reassurance. This fall, my supervisor announced that he was leaving academia for an industry position. As I searched for a new supervisor and lab in which to complete my research, I knew that I had financial support to ease my transition.”