Connect with a Grad Diversity Ambassador

The Graduate Diversity Ambassadors are current MIT graduate students who partner with OGE GradDiversity to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community at MIT.

Over the past year, our Graduate Diversity Ambassadors engaged with over 775 prospective graduate students by attending 12 diversity recruitment conferences, hosting eight GradCatalyst sessions, reviewing 20 statements of objectives of our MIT Summer Research Program – General (MSRP) alumni applying to MIT graduate programs, evaluating almost 500 applications for MSRP, acclimating MSRP interns to the MIT community, and established a Graduate Students of Color Advisory Council to foster collaboration across student organizations and enhance the overall graduate student community.

The legend below indicates the various ways the ambassador is involved in Grad Diversity programs during the academic year. Prospective students are invited to reach out to the ambassador of their choice with any questions.

  • View by Department:

Aeronautics and Astronautics (Course 16)

Christopher Kwon

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Virginia

Hometown: 
Burke, Virginia

You can ask me about:

Grad Student Life, AeroAstro Grad Program

Ryann Hee

Degree Objective:
PhD

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, Grad Student Life (first-gen experience), AeroAstro, Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP), Off campus housing

Architecture (Course 4)

Ina Wu

Degree Objective:
Master of Architecture, (M.Arch)

Hometown:
Taipei, Taiwan

Undergraduate Institution:
The University of Hong Kong

You can ask me about:

MIT Architecture; NOMAS MIT Chapter

Gabriel Andrade

Degree Objective:
Master of Architecture, (M.Arch)

Hometown:
Orange, New Jersey

Undergraduate Institution:
University of Virginia

You can ask me about:

Architecture, Urbanism, Consultancy, & Start-ups @MIT

Biological Engineering (Course 20)

Rachel Myers

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Maryland Baltimore County

Hometown:
Springdale, Maryland

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, MIT MICRO, External Fellowships, Biological Engineering Grad Program

Ariana Barreiro

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Tufts University

Hometown: 
Quito, Ecuador

You can ask me about:

Life as an International Student, Grad Student Life, BE Grad Program

Oluremi Akindele

Degree Objective:
PhD

Hometown:
Pittsburgh, PA

Undergraduate Institution:
Stanford University

Biology (Course 7)

Gabriella Lopez Perez

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Hometown:
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

Undergraduate Institution:
Universidad de Puerto Rico – Mayagüez

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, Biology Grad Program, Grad Student Life, Diversity, Mental Health

Giselle Valdes

Degree Objective:
PhD

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Florida International University

Hometown:
Miami, Florida

You can ask me about:
MIT Summer Research Program, Biology Grad Program, Biology Application Assistance Program (BAAP), MIT housing, Grad Student Life

Anais Tsai

Degree Objective:
PhD

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Standford University

Hometown:
Stockton, California

You can ask me about:

Biology Grad Program, Off campus housing, Moving from the West Coast, Grad Student Life, Work Life Balance

Oscar Molina

Degree Objective:
PhD

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California, Los Angeles

Hometown:
San Diego, California

You can ask me about:

Biology Grad Program, Moving across the country, high school outreach programs

Juana De La O

Degree Objective:
PhD

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Chicago

Hometown:
Chicago, IL

You can ask me about:

Navigating the graduate admissions process (GradCatalyst), MIT Housing, off-campus housing, finding well-priced food/groceries, finding/building community making friends (like me!), MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) General or Biology

Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Course 9)

Mingus Zoller

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Reed College

Hometown: 
Chicago, Illinois

You can ask me about:

Brain and Cognitive Sciences Grad Program, neuroscience grad school applications (statement of purpose, CV), honing your research interests, Grad student life, deciding on a lab, rotations, life at MIT as a black person or black woman, mental health resources, work/life balance, dealing with imposter syndrome

Raul Mojica Soto-Albors

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Hometown:
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Undergraduate Institution:
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program in Bio/Neuro, BCS graduate program, grad student life, off-campus housing

Chemistry (Course 5)

Ekua Beneman

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Spelman College

Hometown: 
Burtonsville, Maryland

You can ask me about:
MIT Summer Research Program, Chemistry Grad Program, Off Campus housing, Transition from HBCU

Ayannah Lang

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Hometown:
Edgewater, MD

Undergraduate Institution:
Spelman College

You can ask me about:

Chemistry Grad Program, Grad Student Life, Off-campus Housing, Diversity, Women in STEM

Corshai Williams

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Virginia Union University

Hometown:
Baltimore, Maryland

You can ask me about:

Chemistry, Graduate Housing at MIT , Diversity Initiatives in Chemistry , Social Event in Chemistry, CAMP , BGSA , Women in Chemistry/+ ( WIC/WIC+)

Civil and Environmental Engineering (Course 1)

Zane Schemmer

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution:
University of California, Berkeley

Graduate Institution:
University of California, Berkeley

Hometown:
Park City, Utah

You can ask me about:

MIT Housing, Grad Student Life, West Coast to East Coast Transition

Computational and Systems Biology (CSB)

Emanuel Burgos

Degree Objective:
PhD

You can ask me about:

MSRP, Grad Student Life, Biology/Microbiology/CSB Programs., LatinX at MIT

Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (Course 12)

Alexandra Cabanelas Bermudez

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Nova Southeastern University

Graduate Institution(s):
The Ohio State University

Hometown: 
San Juan, Puerto Rico

You can ask me about:

Grad Student Life, MIT-WHOI Joint Program, Off-Campus Housing, Fellowships, Outdoor Activities, Meal-prepping

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6)

Alvaro Sahagun

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Science, Engineer’s Degree (ScD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Illinois at Chicago

Hometown:
Chicago Heights, Illinois

You can ask me about:

MSRP, EECS Grad Program

Miela Gross

Degree Objective:
PhD

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California, Berkeley

Hometown: 
San Diego, California

You can ask me about:

Grad Student Life, EECS Grad Program, GAAP Program

Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST)

Kimberly Bennett

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California, Riverside

Hometown: 
Mojave Desert

You can ask me about:

First-generation/Low-income graduate experience, off-campus housing, moving from West to East coast, fellowships (NSF GRFP, Ford Foundation, HHMI Gilliam, etc), MIT UCEM/PEM program, HST PhD program, translational research, mentoring, women in STEM, Latinx in STEM, first-gen Mexican-American identity, moving from a rural/small town, co-advisors, grad student life, work-life balance, DEI advocacy

Diana Grass

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Rutgers University

Graduate Institution(s):
National University of Colombia

Hometown: 
Cartagena, Colombia

You can ask me about:

GFLI, Graduate Students with family, HST program

Favour Obuseh

You can ask me about:

Feel free to contact me about: MIT Summer Research Program, HST PhD Program.

Management (Course 15)

Aishu Nambiar

Degree Objective:
MBA

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Graduate Institution(s):
Georgetown University

Hometown: 
Glocester, RI

You can ask me about:

Grad Student Life, Women in Management, Sloan Senate, Education Club, Management Consulting

Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3)

Rachel Luu

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California, San Diego

Hometown: 
San Diego, California

You can ask me about:

Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Fellowships, Grad Student Life

Tatem Rios

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Minnesota

Hometown: 
Minneapolis, MN

You can ask me about:

Materials Science & Engineering Grad Program, Program in Polymers & Soft Matter, DMSE Application Assistance Program (DAAP), Grad Student Life (first-gen), Fellowships (GEM, NDSEG), UCEM

Jacqueline Baidoo

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

You can ask me about:

DMSE grad program, Grad student life, MISTI for grad students

Mechanical Engineering (Course 2)

Vanessa Hernandez-Cruz

Degree Objective:
Master of Science, (SM)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
UC Berkeley

Hometown: 
Ontario, California

You can ask me about:

MIT Mechanical Engineering, MIT housing, LGSA

Tobi Majekodunmi

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Hometown: 
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, Mechanical Engineering Grad Program, National Fellowships

Kaitlyn Gee

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Stanford University

Hometown: 
California

You can ask me about:

Grad student life, Indigenous community

Daniel Maldonado Naranjo

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California San Diego

Hometown: 
Changuitiro, Michoacan, Mexico

You can ask me about:

First Generation, Grad Student Life, MechE Grad Program, MIT housing

Stephanie Ross

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of Delaware

Graduate Institution(s):
University of Delaware

Hometown: 
Delaware, USA

You can ask me about:

MechE Grad, MIT Housing, Co-Advisement, Lithium Batteries

Alex Brady-Miné

Degree Objective:
Master of Science (SM)

Hometown:
Gainesville, FL

Undergraduate Institution:
University of South Florida

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, Mechanical Engineering

Ozioma Ozor-Ilo

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

You can ask me about:

Mechanical Engineering Program, GEM Fellowship, MIT Housing, FGLI

Brandon Rios

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

You can ask me about:

MSRP, Mechanical Engineering, Intramural/ Club Sports

Media Arts and Sciences (MAS)

Raechel Walker

Degree Objective: 
SM

Undergraduate Institution(s):
University of California, San Diego

Hometown:
Temecula, California

You can ask me about:

MIT housing, Grad Student Life, Research Opportunities

Physics (Course 8)

Sergio Eraso

Degree Objective:
Doctor of Philosophy, (PhD)

Undergraduate Institution(s):
Emory University

Hometown: 
Colombia

You can ask me about:

Applying to Grad School, Grad Student Life, Physics Program, MIT Housing

Junior Peña

Degree Objective:
PhD

You can ask me about:

MIT Summer Research Program, Grad Student Life, Work-Life Balance

Timothy Zaklama

Degree Objective: 
PhD

You can ask me about:

Theoretical Physics Program, Life at MIT, Life in Boston, Transitioning from Industry back into Academia

Urban Studies and Planning (Course 11)

Gabriel Andrade

Degree Objective:
Master of Architecture, (M.Arch)

Hometown:
Orange, New Jersey

Undergraduate Institution:
University of Virginia

You can ask me about:

Architecture, Urbanism, Consultancy, & Start-ups @MIT

Katelyn McVay

Degree Objective:
MCP

You can ask me about:
FGLI Student Experiences, Grad Student Life, Summer Research Programs