Executive Committee (EC)

Scott is a "Texan adrift in the Great White North" and a 5^th Year Ph.D. candidate in Applied Economics (CFANS). His current studies investigate network-driven "ecosystem" effects in city-level economies. His hobbies include sleeping, cooking and playing video games by Paradox Interactive.

Federico is a 1^st year Ph.D. student in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. His research interests include community pharmacy services and pharmacy education. He enjoys watching college basketball games, traveling, and watching movies.

Mattea is a 2^nd year Ph.D. student in the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology program. She studies the evolution of human and primate genomes and how it shaped their gut microbiome. Outside the lab she likes to swim, bike, and bake.

Richard is a 2^st year Ph.D. student in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology. He is currently undertaking laboratory rotations; his previous research focuses on the role of hypothalamic inputs in pituitary stem cell dynamics during the post-natal period. Additionally, he has experience in both curriculum design and undergraduate teaching, which he finds to be the most rewarding parts of his work. He hails from the Chicago, IL suburbs, and is an alumnus of the University of Illinois.

Rielle (she/her/hers) is a 2^nd year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Animal Science. Her research focuses on dairy cattle behavior and welfare, specifically the relationship between calf health and feeding behavior collected by autofeeder software. Rielle's previous research includes investigation of fly avoidance behaviors of dairy cows on pasture and stakeholder values of dairy calf welfare. Outside of the lab, she enjoys traveling, being active, and tending to her house plants, dogs, and chickens.

Parandis is a 2^nd year DDS M.S. student in the School of Dentistry. Her studies investigate phosphorylation targets of protein kinase D using proteomic approaches. Her hobbies include creating graphic designs, and reading creative content such as the New Yorker magazine. On her free time, she also enjoys watching YouTube vlogs and game live streams.

Nishank is a Ph.D. student in Public Affairs at the Humphrey School, with a focus on Early Childhood Education, currently working at the Human Capital Research Collaborative (HCRC). He is from India, and in his free time, he likes to go on bike rides or watch Bollywood movies.

Suzie is a 1^st year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. Her studies in computer science involve analyzing the human microbe through sequence analysis and dimensionality reduction tools. You can find her running along the river most days. Otherwise, she enjoys re-watching Psych, reading multiple books at a time, and visiting local breweries with friends.

Dong-gyu is a 2^nd year M.S. student in the Department of Plant Pathology. His studies explore the molecular interactions between nematode pests and soil fungi, with the advancement of pest control strategies in mind. If he is not testing new recipes or cycling, he can usually be found in a local craft brewery.

Aidan is a Master’s student in the Natural Resource Science and Management Graduate Program. He has a strong personal interest in the intersection of natural resource management and agriculture/forestry. His research investigates the adoption of conservational agricultural practices throughout Minnesota, including agro-forestry practices such as living snow fences. He enjoys spending his free time exploring Minnesota’s natural areas through cycling, backpacking and fishing.

Samira is a 3^rd year Ph.D. candidate with the Department of Communication Studies. Her research explores gender, religion and coloniality. She enjoys backpacking in the Minnesotan wilderness in her free time.

Pooja is a 1^st year doctoral student in the department of Medicinal Chemistry. She has a Masters degree from Creighton University, Nebraska.

She is an international student, from Mumbai, India and has been in the states for about 3 years now.

Jennifer is a graduate student in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Her studies center around Learning Technologies in Curriculum and Instruction, with research seeking to promote open education, online teaching and learning, and higher education. She enjoys reading, creating new plant-based recipes and biking.