President: Sarah Najera
Sarah Najera is a 4th year in the Biochemistry and Cell Biology track. She is interested in understanding the biochemical and mechanistic aspects of selective autophagy. As a SACNAS member she hopes to give back through outreach programs and mentor/mentee relationships in order to build a welcoming STEM environment for underrepresented people in STEM. She will continue to create such an environment throughout her scientific career.
Email: sarah.i.najera.gr@dartmouth.edu
Vice President: Beatriz Mercado
Beatriz is a 3rd year Molecular and System Biology PhD student. She is interested in how environmental cues and intrinsic mechanisms govern cell fate/plasticity of hematopoietic stem and vascular development. She uses zebrafish as an animal model to study how post transitional modification regulates endothelial to hematopoietic transition. As vice president, her goals are to foster a supportive community at Dartmouth and aid in the academic success of Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM.
Email: beatriz.c.mercado.gr@dartmouth.edu
Director of Activities: Dr. Hector Sanchez
Hector (he/him/él) is a microbiologist turned DEIB practitioner. He earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology & Immunology studying the microscopic relationships between microbes and immunity, now through a macroscopic lens, he hopes to develop new strategies to build diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces. His goals with SACNAS are to support and mentor underrepresented minorities from STEM backgrounds to pursue Ph.D. programs and to increase the visibility of URM students in the workplace.
Email: hector.f.sanchez@dartmouth.edu
Secretary: Michelle Garcia
Michelle is a 2nd year chemistry student in the computational chemistry track. Her work encompasses the intersection of computer science, biophysics, and biochemistry to study the folding and binding mechanisms of intrinsically disordered proteins. She is involved in SACNAS as the secretary to be a small part in a larger mission to encourage a diversity of scientific insights, which does accelerate scientific discovery.
Email: michelle.garcia.gr@dartmouth.edu
National Liason: Sarah Vandal
Sarah is a 3rd year PhD student in the Biochemistry and Cell Biology department. She is interested in the molecular and biochemical mechanisms behind cells size and shape regulation during the cell cycle. As a SACNAS member, she is interested in developing an inclusive community and comfortable environment for URM individuals to work towards their personal and professional goals.
Email: sarah.e.vandal.gr@dartmouth.edu
Treasurer: Angelique Cortez
Angelique is a 3rd year student in the Microbiology and Immunology Department. She is interested genomic research aimed at investigating autoimmune diseases. She hopes that through SACNAS she can contribute to fostering a welcoming community and mentor underrepresented minorities in STEM.
Email: angelique.n.cortez.gr@dartmouth.edu
Community/Outreach Coordinator: Samantha Liu
Sam is a 3rd year student in the Biochemistry and Cell Biology Department. She is interested in the organelle-dependent quality control mechanisms of tail-anchored proteins. Through SACNAS, she hopes to help support a welcoming community for underrepresented groups in STEM and establish/maintain strong connections with early scientists in our local community through outreach programs
Email: samantha.l.liu.gr@dartmouth.edu