SACNAS at UCLA    2023-2024     Board Members

Dr. diana azurdia

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN BIOSCIENCE
CO-ADVISOR
Dazurdia@mednet.ucla.edu​

Jocelyn Rodriguez

PHD STUDENT
CO-PRESIDENT
Jrodr01@g.ucla.edu​

Jessenya Mil

PHD STUDENT
VICE-PRESIDENT
​

jose soto

PHD STUDENT
GRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE
​

NORMA SANDOVAL

PHD STUDENT
CO-OUTREACH COORDINATOR
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Derick diaz

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
CO-INTERNAL AFFAIRS
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VACANT

PHD STUDENT
SEDS REP
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Dr. JEFFrey LONG

DIRECTOR, CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
CO-ADVISOR
JeffALong@ucla.edu​

Emil Dominguez

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
CO-PRESIDENT
EmilDominguez@chem.ucla.edu​

AVA bignell

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
SECRETARY
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Andrea Garcia-angulo

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
FINANCE CHAIR
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Jennifer Gonzalez

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
UNDERGRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE
​

VACANT

PHD/UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
CO-EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
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LEARN  MORE ABOUT US BELOW! 

Co-Chapter Advisor/Liason

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Dr. Diana Azurdia
Associate Director, Graduate Programs in Bioscience
Dazurdia@mednet.ucla.edu
​
Website: http://bioscience.ucla.edu/

Academic History:
  • Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
  • B.S. Biochemistry, California State University, Los Angeles
​

About me: Dr. Diana Azurdia has been a member of SACNAS for 16 years. She is a Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute (2014 LPSI) and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Advanced Leadership Institute (2016 SACNAS - HHMI ALI) Alumni. Currently, Dr. Azurdia serves on the national SACNAS Board of Directors and as a UCLA Chapter Co-Advisor.  
 
Dr. Azurdia leads UCLA’s effort to enhance diversity in the biomedical graduate student population by cultivating a strong inclusive graduate training culture focused on personal wellbeing, professional development, mentorship and leadership. She has directed several programs that broaden participation in science, served as adjunct faculty in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at CSU Los Angeles and performed postdoctoral research in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, investigating the role of Wnt/betacatenin signaling on histone modification and its role in metastasis and proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer cells. She earned her PhD in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry from UCLA, where she was a NIGMS Predoctoral Fellow (F31), and graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from CSU Los Angeles, where she was a NIH MARC trainee and participated in the NSF LSAMP program. Dr. Azurdia is a first-generation Guatemalan-American and the first in her family to attend college. She grew up in a low-income household with very limited resources and her first exposure to the idea that science could be pursued as a career came through the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) program. As the beneficiary of broadening participation programs she believes that initiatives that promote access to STEM degrees are important for equal representation of all identities in science, the creation of innovations that serve all communities and income equity. Consequently, Dr. Azurdia has devoted her career to promoting initiatives that serve those causes. Additionally, she attributes her ability to navigate her academic career to key mentors and therefore a major focus of her work centers on the propagation of effective mentoring of underrepresented individuals in STEM. ​

PRESIDENTS
​​Emil Dominguez 
​
EmilDominguez@Chem.ucla.edu
Standing: 4th year undergraduate
Major/Minor: Biochemistry/Biomedical Research
Research Interest: My background is in natural product total synthesis, electrochemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology, medicinal chemistry and photopharmacology. 
About me: 
​Why choose to be on SACNAS board?: I serve on the SACNAS board because I believe in our mission of recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities. SACNAS facilitates networking and community building that benefits students as they grow in their career.
Jocelyn Diane Rodriguez

Jrodr01@g.ucla.edu
Standing: 2nd Year PhD Student
Program: Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program
Research Interest: Lung cancer metabolism
About me: I am born and raised in Southern California, in my free time I like to go to the beach, the movies and hang out with friends. I think a dream of mine would be to visit the 7 wonders of the world and I chose to pursue translational research because I want to make a difference in patient lives through novel discoveries.
Why choose to be on SACNAS board?: I chose to be on the SACNAS board because I love that it is an inclusive community that strives to increase diversity and put on educational and resourceful programs for students.

  Vice President 
Jessenya Mil
jessenyamil@g.ucla.edu
Standing: 2nd Year PhD Student
Program: Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Doctoral Program
Research Interest: Currently investigating the influence of cell metabolism in cell fate specification during the cortical development. 
About me: I am a first-gen college graduate and graduate student from Beaverton, Oregon. I earned my B.S. in biology and minor in chemistry from Linfield University in 2019. I worked as a research assistant at Oregon Health & Science University where I researched hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as a condition arising in Noonan Syndrome patients. I took the opportunity to explore a different field for my graduate studies and I am now in a neurodevelopment lab. When not in the lab, I enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, spending time at the beach, and playing soccer!
Why choose to be on SACNAS board?: As a first-gen Latina in STEM, I understand the challenges persisting through achieving an education that is not easily brought upon me and I am aware that many first-gen URM students suffer the same disadvantages. I aim to minimize the burden of future URM students pursuing a career in STEM. SACNAS at UCLA's mission exemplifies these values and I am grateful to be part of an organization that advocates for URM students to pursue higher education and careers in STEM.

OUTREACH COORDINATORS
Norma Sandoval 
normaps@ucla.edu
Standing: 3rd Year PhD Candidate
Program: Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology (MCIP)
Research Interest: Studying the effects of hypothalamic estrogen signaling on thermoregulation and metabolic health
About me: Born and raised in Los Angeles, I attended Santa Monica Community College during the first years of my undergraduate studies. I then transferred to UCLA, where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physiological science in 2015. Yearning for more hands-on research experience, I spent 3 years working as a research technician for a laboratory in the Department of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine. This experience made me realize that I had the potential to expand scientific knowledge and validated my desire to pursue a PhD. In the Fall of 2019, I began my graduate studies in the Molecular, Cellular, & Integrative Physiology program at UCLA. I am pursuing my doctorate degree in Dr. Stephanie Correa’s lab, where my research focuses on elucidating the effects of hypothalamic estrogen signaling on metabolic health. As a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of Central American immigrants, I understand the importance of mentorship, outreach, and an inclusive and supportive environment for student success. Through my participation in SACNAS, I want to play an active role in broadening participation in STEM for minoritized students.
​Why choose to be on SACNAS board?: As a first-generation college student, I felt overwhelmed. I had no idea what I was doing and had to teach myself how to navigate the realm of academia and science. This soon changed when I found the SACNAS@UCLA chapter. Walking into my first meeting and seeing a room filled with people who looked like me and who shared similar struggles as myself made me feel at ease. I found a community where we all support each other and share resources to help our journey in academia. As I went on to pursue my PhD, I knew I wanted to be a part of this organization to continue helping other students who come from marginalized communities. Given my personal experiences, I believe that outreach events such as the ones that I have and will continue to organize as Outreach Coordinator of the SACNAS@UCLA chapter, are crucial for providing early science learning experiences to students and will broaden participation in STEM for minoritized students.

Finance Chair 
​​Andrea Garcia-angulo
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Standing: 4th year undergraduate
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Graduate Representative
Jose Soto

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Undergraduate  Representative ​
​​Jennifer Gonzalez 
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Standing: 4th year undergraduate
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Secretary 
​​Ava Bignell
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Standing: 3rd year undergraduate
Major/Minor: Biology
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CO-External

​​Derick Diaz
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Standing: 4th year undergraduate
Major/Minor: Biology
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CO-Internal

SEDS Representative