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LoE: Doctoral

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Interest: Engineering Bacteria and Fungi to Remediate Harmful Emerging Contaminants in Groundwater and Drinking Water

"As an avid enthusiast of all things sustainability and all things interdisciplinary, I decided to pursue graduate studies in environmental engineering because I love how it is an emerging field that is applicable to virtually any aspect in the world, opening up so many opportunities to help others and directly see the impact of my work!

I am so fortunate to have had so many positive role models in STEM and to have never experienced anything negative myself as a woman engineer, but I wanted to share one of my favorite poems of all time: “I stand. on the sacrifices. of a million women before me. thinking. what can I do. to make this mountain taller. so the women after me. can see farther.” - Rupi Kaur

Despite all the little changes here and there, you were right all along about what you wanted to be when you grew up! :’)

You are amazing! <3"

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LoE: Doctoral

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research Interest: Fate & Removal of Antibiotic-resistant Genes in Wastewater

“My love for teaching has definitely been one of the key driving forces in my decision to pursue graduate studies. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, I either excelled or performed abysmally in my classes; a lot of which had to do with the way the content was delivered to me. This, coupled with my compulsive need to solve every problem I stumble upon, has me fairly convinced that training young minds to utilize their unique abilities to make contributions in the field of science and engineering is my personal calling.

I truly believe that every person on this planet is brilliant in their own way. I want to be able to make my students actually feel that, feel that they are brilliant, and have so much to offer this world. Perhaps that’s also what I’d want my younger self, my present-self, and every woman in STEM (possibly with crippling self-doubt) to feel.”

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Material Science and Engineering
Research Interest: Polymeric Vectors for Gene Delivery

"In my senior year of undergrad, I was really unsure whether or not I'd go to graduate school. I applied to both grad school and jobs, and made a last minute choice to keep studying for a PhD. I realized I wanted more experience outside of my undergrad major (which was chemical engineering). I'm really glad I came to UCLA - I just passed my qualifying exam and I'm enjoying the direction my project is going! Being a woman in engineering can have its downsides, as we're all aware. Many of the women I know struggle with some form of imposter syndrome but I just want to let them know how amazing and inspiring and wonderful they all are. If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be that I'd want her to learn how to ask for what she deserves sooner rather than just wait for things to change on their own. Not that I have it all figured out yet of course - I'm still growing too."

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Bioengineering
Research Interest: Polymeric Vectors for Gene Delivery

"I pursued engineering because I am interested in healthcare and using science and technology to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Bioengineering has allowed me to pursue my interest in engineering while also working with clinical collaborators and being exposure to health-sciences.

I would like to encourage women in engineering to be present as their authentic selves. In male-dominated fields, it is easy to feel like you should be less girly or less of yourself. But it's important to be fully yourself and bring your personality and interests with you to everything that you do."

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Interest: Removal/Treatment of Microplastics

"I love science and problem-solving! Never worry about following a set path, you will find your passions and it will all always work out if you just prioritize your interests and always choose to follow your dreams!"

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Interest: Coastal Engineering

"Representation matters. If you can't find someone that looks like you/speaks like you/identifies as you do in the role you want to be in, become that person for the next generation. As graduate women in engineering, we are lucky enough to be able to both follow in the footsteps of amazing women before us, but also pioneer new, uncharted paths and expand the horizon for those that will come after us"

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Interest: Hydrology and Water Resources

"One of the most inspiring women in STEM that I know is my former supervisor, a small Colombian woman who could charm and boss her way through any situation. For most projects, we were the only two women in the room. When my supervisor asked to have more women hired on one particular project, our partners (older males) laughed at us and said that would be impossible. Regardless, my supervisor told me to work hard and prove them wrong; by the end of the project, the same partners thanked us heartily for the work we had done and said we were not only great examples of women engineers but great examples of engineers. Seeing their change in heart, after such an original disappointing response to our gender, was a very motivating moment."

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research Interest: Conservation of Historical Constructions

"My primary motivation to pursue graduate studies was the career prospects and my aspirations to become a scientist. I love problem-solving and I wanted to enhance my skills for it.
Imposter syndrome was the biggest set-back during my journey. In fact, I didn't know of such a thing and later I understood what I was struggling with is called imposter syndrome. Reaching out for help and support and connecting with other engineering grad students through different communities has helped me gain a sense of belonging and feel more empowered, thus overcoming the imposter experience.
And the word of wisdom to my younger self: Don't be afraid of Don't overthink asking for help. :) "

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LoE: Masters
Department: Computer Science
Research Interest: N/A

"One thing I wish I could tell my younger self is get up and say yes to great opportunities."

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Bioengineering
Research Interest: Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

"I wanted to pursue graduate studies in bioengineering because most research job in bioengineering requires a Ph.D.

My engineering journey had some set-backs due to me being a woman. Some people viewed my gender as a benefit instead of looking at what I was capable of. I am still trying to figure out how to overcome that because I don't know whether the accomplishments I received were due to me being a woman in STEM or from my ability.

I have no regrets about my choices right now so I would tell my younger self to trust my intuition because what I was doing was meant for me.

Don't be scared of rejections, be afraid of regrets"

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Computer Science
Research Interest: Machine Learning + Biomedical informatics

"I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science because I wanted to work on impactful problems that have the potential to reach a lot of people, such as health and medical problems. Specifically, I work on developing machine learning methods for biomedical and genetic data with the aim to further precision medicine. One of my biggest obstacles to overcome was my own confidence. Confidence is not always inherent, and it takes time and effort to foster. I wish I could tell my younger self to take that extra time to let my confidence grow and flourish."

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LoE: Masters
Department: Bioengineering
Research Interest: Tissue Engineering

"I first decided how I wanted to contribute to society, and then I figured out what it would take to allow me to reach this goal. A graduate degree in bioengineering was the most logical path towards achieving my goals, but working up the courage to pursue this degree did not come easy. I have always struggled with having enough faith in myself to believe that I could succeed in a technical field. I do feel the lack of female role models growing up is what manifested these feelings. Gratefully, as hard as it was, I ignored those feelings and continued to pursue bioengineering anyways. I have had many successes and failures through the process, but I would not have it any other way!"

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LoE: Doctoral
Department: Bioengineering
Research Interest: Effect of Mechanical Deformation on Cancer Cell Phenotype

"One thing I would tell my younger self and others: Having an identity that differs from the majority, such as being a female engineer in a male-dominated field, will inevitably lead to challenges, including how you're perceived and the unconscious bias that you're subjected to. However, in the grand scheme, being different is good because [evidence-based research shows] you are more likely to view problems differently and solve with unique approaches - all of which will empower you to succeed."