SUPER-Grad Fellows 2023-24

Jack Kaszas

Undergraduate Studies: University of Connecticut

Rise Scholar: Summer 2022

Program: Material Science and Engineering

Brief Bio: Jack Kaszas Graduated from University of Connecticut where he studied material science and engineering. During his time at the university of Connecticut, Jack worked as an atomic force microscope scientist in Dr. Bryan Huey’s lab, where he helped develop novel characterization methods for functional materials. As a Rise scholar, Jack studied carbonate cement, a ceramic material being explored as a more environmentally friendly alternative to modern Portland cement. Jack decided to return to Rutgers to continue his studies in the field of carbonate cement materials under the guidance of his thesis advisor, Dr. Richard Riman.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Take a little vacation in between finishing undergrad and starting work in your graduate lab! You deserve it.

Kylie Bond

Undergraduate Studies: Delaware State University

Rise Scholar: Summer 2022

Program: Microbial Biology

Brief Bio: Kylie Bond graduated from Delaware State University with B.S. in Forensic Biology with a minor in Chemistry. During her time as an undergraduate Kylie studied forensic microbiology, characterizing microbial isolates from selected natural openings of pig carrion in the active stage of decomposition during winter before moving on to study the antimicrobial properties of visible and infrared light. As a RISE scholar, Kylie worked in Dr. Häggblom’s lab where she utilized HPLC to test the ability of bacteria from marine sponges to complete the dehalogenation of ethyl-4-bromopyrrole-2-carboxylate.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and to ask questions.

Victoria Brown

Undergraduate Studies: Kenyon College 

Rise Scholar: Summer 2022

Program: Cell and Developmental Biology

Brief Bio: Victoria Brown graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Molecular Biology, a minor in Anthropology, and a concentration in African Diaspora studies. During her undergraduate career, Victoria worked in the lab of Dr. Matthew Rouhier and researched the location of solute carrier (SLC) and organic anion (OAT) xenobiotic transport proteins in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. As a RISE Scholar, Victoria worked to identify the binding partners of the BSL1 protein of the stomatal developmental pathway under the mentorship of Dr. Juan Dong and post-doc Deepanjali Verma.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Follow your passion and trust your instincts. Don’t try to make your journey look like someone else’s.  Learn to be comfortable with asking questions; no one knows everything!

Rebecca Horwitz

Undergraduate Studies: Carleton College 

NSF Internship in Ocean Sciences (RIOS): Summer 2021

Program: Oceanography

Brief Bio: Becca graduated from Carleton College in June of 2022 with a double B.A degree in both geology and environmental studies. During the summer of 2021 Becca began working with Dr. Travis Miles in the department of marine and coastal sciences at Rutgers University for her RIOS program. They studied the potential effects of the development of offshore wind along the east coast of the United States on the coastal environment in the region. More specifically, they looked at the overlap of a unique coastal ocean stratification with the proposed wind lease areas. Becca continued this work her senior year of college with Dr. Miles, Dr. Daphne Munroe, and Dr. Josh Kohut and after graduating was able to relay the results into a publication. After graduating college, Becca went on to work as a research assistant for Dr. Munroe at the Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory studying the surf clam fishery. Becca is excited to pursue her PhD in oceanography within the department of marine and coastal science as she has loved her experience here for the past two years!

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Surround yourself with people who make you feel like you belong and push you to be your best self.

Zenaida Rosario

Undergraduate Studies: Rutgers University

Ronald E. McNair Program: 2019 Cohort

Program: Higher Education

Brief Bio: Zenaida Rosario participated in the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program in Summer 2019. During this program, Zenaida was able to complete a research proposal under the advisement of Dr. Nichole M. Garcia that focused on the use of counter spaces, faculty and peer influence, and institutional support to increase the degree attainment of Black women who attend predominantly white institutions. Zenaida has presented her research proposal at multiple conferences and has received recognition for her work within the McNair Program. Most recently, Zenaida has earned her Master's in Social Work, focusing on the mental health of adolescents and young adults through her internship for the past two years. Zenaida looks forward to using her education and experiences as she continues her studies in Fall 2023 in the Ph.D. in Higher Education program at Rutgers University - New Brunswick.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students:  Get connected! It's important to connect with the faulty members and current students in the program you are interested in. They can give you great insight into their program and answer any questions you may have.

Stephanie Albarracin

Undergraduate Studies: Hunter College-Cuny

Rise Scholar: Summer 2018

Program: Material Science and Engineering

Brief Bio: Stephanie Albarracin graduated from Hunter College-Cuny where she studied Material Science and Engineering. While at Hunter College-Cuny, Stephanie worked in Dr. Steven Greenbaum's NMR lab measuring the coefficient of self-diffusion of Li⁺ and F⁺ of a novel polymer with promising transport properties for solid state battery application. As A RISE Scholar, Stephanie worked in Dr. Masanori Hara’s lab where she worked to determine which mixing method produced polymers with the lowest glass transition temperature.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Take the time to explore your research interests.

Alexander Hidalgo

Undergraduate Studies: William Paterson University 

Rise Scholar: Summer 2022

Program: Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Brief Bio:  In Spring 2023, Alexander graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medicinal Biochemistry from William Paterson University. Throughout his undergraduate career he gained interest in chemical research while working with Dr. Yalan Xing, in the multistep synthesis of natural products, and the alkynylation of benzylic substrates using photo-redox catalysis. As a RISE scholar of 2022, Alex worked with Dr. Vikas Nanda in the applications of Machine Learning for the design of non-canonical proteins relevant to electron transport channels. Moreover, as a Youth council member at NJCDC, he has served communities of Passaic county, through outreach programs that aim at increasing minority representation in STEM fields. After a transformative experience with RISE, Alex decided to continue at Rutgers pursuing a doctoral degree in Chemistry & Chemical Biology. In the future he intends to become a principal investigator and integrate artificial intelligence with de novo protein design for applications to biotechnology and medicine. During his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: " You are exactly where you need to be, just trust the process!"

Taina Moore

Undergraduate Studies: Tuskegee University 

Rise Scholar: Summer 2021

Program: Toxicology

Brief Bio: Coming soon

Advice for Prospective Graduate Students: Coming soon