NALA Executive Board
PAUL FARONBI - PRESIDENT
Paul started his LSAMP journey with a summer internship with IINSPIRE. He was awarded poster presentation awards for several conferences. His summer internship with IINSPIRE in 2014 laid the foundation for his career. He has his Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University. He is a co-founder of IINSPIRE-LSAMP Alumni Committee and Founder of the LSAMP Alumni Group. Paul currently works for Nestle Purina as a Mechanical Packaging Engineer and has a business called IncrediPaul where he helps students and young professionals with professional development. |
LIZETH TAMAYO - VICE-PRESIDENT
Lizeth is a PhD student in the Department of Public Health Sciences. She completed her Undergraduate studies at Augustana College in Biochemistry and French and her Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is interested in addressing health disparities and high risk populations through the interweaving of genetic epidemiology with socio-behavioral research. Currently, she's pursing Ph.D. degree in Genetic Epidemiology at University of Chicago. |
ANA CHICAS-MOSIER, Ph.D. - TREASURER
Dr. Chicas-Mosier received Bachelors of Science degrees in Biology and Psychology in 2015 and a PhD in Zoology in 2020 from Oklahoma State University. Her dissertation focused on the mechanisms and consequences of metal exposure in honey bees. Throughout her time at OSU, Dr. Chicas-Mosier was active in OK-LSAMP as a fellow and mentor. During her doctoral program, Dr. Chicas-Mosier was awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research and Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowships. Now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Auburn University, she is studying alternative pest management strategies in the Fadamiro laboratory. Dr. Chicas-Mosier is a strong advocate for improving representation in STEM fields through outreach and discussion, and her love of the outdoors fostered her interest in entomology. |
JOSE MARTINEZ MATIAS - OUTREACH CHAIR
Jose is a first-generation student and obtained his B.S. at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, where he double majored in Biomedical Sciences and Secondary Education in Chemistry. He has participated in divergent research projects since he started in LSAMP as a junior. Currently he is an NIH PREP Scholar at the University of Chicago. Here he is studying the contribution of dopamine receptors to key behavioral and physiological processes. After completing my post-baccalaureate, he will continue his training through a doctorate in Neuroscience. He is eager to give back and help others to succeed in their own professional paths. |
NDEYE THIAW - UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT CHAIR
Ndeye obtained her Associate in Science degree from Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) before transferring to the University of Kentucky (UK) for a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She joined LSAMP in the summer of 2018 and got to travel with other LSAMP students to conferences for professional development and networking opportunities. She also joined Summit Bioscience, a pharmaceutical company in Lexington, Kentucky, as a Quality Control Microbiologist Analyst in 2019. Ndeye is currently working on her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) to be a PA and is the Diversity Chair of her cohort class. |
AARON WEST - MENTORSHIP CHAIR
Aaron joined the ILSAMP in September of 2019. Although his tenure was short tenure as an LS-AMP scholar, thanks to ILSAMP he has had the opportunity to present independent undergraduate research, assist inside of Dr. Grey-Avis’s aquatic environmental-DNA (eDNA) lab, and was the reigning champion of the 2020 LSAMP Symposium karaoke contest. He attributes his successful undergraduate experience to goal-setting and facing his fears. Currently a graduate student in Governors State University's Environmental Biology program, Aaron seeks a Ph.D. in Biology. He enjoys biking, the outdoors, mentoring, and is rekindling his hobby of reading. |
NATHALIE FUENTES, Ph.D. - FOUNDER
Dr. Nathalie Fuentes has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Penn State College of Medicine. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Fuentes has started to build her career through participation in over 30 professional conferences, having worked in 10 laboratories in 3 different countries, authoring many publications, and receiving recognitions at national and international levels. She is passionate about mentoring students and helping the next generation of scientists. |
NALA Committee Members
ADRIAN SAENZ - OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Adrian is currently employed as a Civil Engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers, where he works on a plethora of water resources and flood risk mitigation models. Adrian completed his B.S. and M.S. degrees at Oklahoma State University where he participated as an OKLSAMP scholar and a Bridge to Doctorate fellow. His interests revolve around water resources, community outreach, and community service. Adrian aspires to attain his Professional Engineering license in Water Resources and serve a lengthy career as a government employee and community steward. |
DOMINIQUE GRAHAM - MENTORSHIP COMMITTEE
Dominique Graham is a doctoral student at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education where she studies the intersections of STEM education, access, and equity. Dominique is a proud (double) alum of Rutgers University where she earned a Master’s degree in Learning, Cognition and Development, and Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences. Dominique’s public service in higher education span approximately a decade where she held various leadership roles, including as Program Coordinator of the Garden State LSAMP alliance. In her professional role with GS-LSAMP, Dominique evaluated the first-ever research study to examine confidence beliefs and transfer rate of 2-year college students mentored by 4-year college mentors in a project called, cross-campus peer mentoring (CCPM). |