Our Ambassadors for Diversity

Below are individuals who have volunteered to provide insight, perspective, and guidance to prospective students for the University of Michigan who share similar backgrounds and experiences. This was in place so you might get answers to questions that are specific to individuals of your background and needs.

How To Use:

Click "Read more" to learn more about an Ambassador of interest and for their contact info. If there is an identity you do not find here contact us at the email below and we can try to find someone at UMich who also shares this identity with you.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the initiative please contact the AMS E-Board at:

ams-eboard@umich.edu

If you would like to know more about the Program in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Michigan please fill out this inquiry form: Click here

*Categories are based on Ambassadors' input. More than one "version" of a category may be available and not hold all members. For Example, some Ambassadors identify as "Disabled" and some identify as "Individual w/ Disabilities"

Adele Correia

She/Her/Hers

Lieberman Lab

Person of Color, Black, Cape Verde, East Coast, Massachusetts, Liberal Arts College Alum, Graduated from primarily undergraduate institution, Woman In STEM, Low Socio-Economic Status, 1st Gen PhD

Andrea Pesch

She/Her/Hers

Speers Lab

Midwest, UMich Undergrad Alum, Woman In STEM, PIBS Alum

Aníbal Tornés Blanco

Currently Rotating

LatinX, PREP Alum, Naturalized Citizen, Low Socio-Economic Status, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, Cuban, Puerto Rico

Brandon Chen

Yatrik Shah and Costas Lyssiotis (Co-mentor)

LGBTQ+, Child of Immigrants, 1st gen US Citizen

Callie Glanton

Currently Rotating

Black, Woman In STEM, Person of Color, Black Woman, LGBTQ+, 1st gen PhD, Midwest, West Coast, Liberal Arts College Alum, Individual w/ Disabilities, First Generation College Student

Chesta Jain

She/Her/Hers

Shah Lab

Woman In STEM, Indian, First Generation College Student, International Student

Christa Ventresca

She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Parker Lab

LGBTQ+, Woman In STEM, East Coast, Liberal Arts College Alum, Dual-Masters Degree, Took a Gap Year, Worked Before Gradschool

Denise Poltavski

David Ginsburg Lan

Woman In STEM, Child of Immigrants, Jewish, Bi-Lingual, West Coast, Los Angeles, Oregon, Liberal Arts College Alum, Worked Before Gradschool, 1st gen US Citizen

Fatima Javed

Carole Parent Lab

Midwest, Child of Immigrants, Community College Alum, 1st gen US Citizen

Gissell Arlette Sanchez

She/Her/Hers

Smrcka Lab and Jutkiewicz Lab

Mexican American, First Generation College Student, Community College Alum, English Second Language, West Coast, Worked Before Gradschool, Grew Up in a Different Country, California, SoCal, Woman In STEM

Jacqueline Forson

Markos Koutmos Lab

URM, Child of Immigrants, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Low Socio-Economic Status, Inner City Environment

Jess Millar

They/Them/Theirs

Robert Woods

Individual w/ Disabilities, Low Socio-Economic Status, First Generation College Student, Community College Alum, West Coast, Trans/Non-Binary

Joanna Lum

She/Her/Hers

Sriram Venneti

First Generation College Student, East Coast, Immigrant, Took a Gap Year, Worked Before Gradschool

Kassidy Jungles

Speers Lab

First Generation College Student, Graduated from all-women's institution, Woman In STEM, Midwest

Katie Emery

She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Kent Berridge Lab

Rural, LGBTQ+, New Mexico, SouthWest, Graduated from primarily undergraduate institution, Non-Binary, Woman In STEM

Lindy Jensen

Yamashita/Pletcher/Lee lab

First Generation College Student, LGBTQ+, Disabled

Maha Hamed

Duncan Lab

Midwest, URM, Black, Child of Immigrants, Muslim American

McKenna DeFoer

She/Her/Hers

Sekiguchi and Ferguson Labs

LGBTQ+, First Generation College Student, 1st Gen PhD, Chronic Illness, Woman In STEM, Midwest

Monica Bonilla

She/Her/Hers

Marina Pasca di Magliano

Low Socio-Economic Status, Latina, First Generation College Student, East Coast, 1st gen US Citizen

Neikelyn Burgos-Tirado

Auchus

First Generation College Student, Latin@, Puerto Rico, Low Socio-Economic Status, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution

Paola Isabel Medina-Cabrera

She/Her/Hers

Rotation Student

Puerto Rico, 1st Gen PhD, PREP Alum, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution

Shany Yang

She/Her/Hers

Joanna Spencer-Segal Lab

LGBTQ+, Immigrant, Hmong, Woman In STEM, Queer, Gay, French, Asian, Bi-Lingual, Child of Immigrants, Grew Up in a Different Country

Victoria Valvo

She/Her/Hers

Meredith Morgan

Individual w/ Disabilities, LGBTQ+, Midwest

Ali Farhat

He/Him/His

Freddolino Lab

Muslim American, Arab American, Bi-Lingual

Andres D. Rivera Ruiz

Currently Rotating

Puerto Rico, First Generation College Student, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, LGBTQ+, 1st Gen PhD

Ariel McShane

She/Her/Hers

Ljungman Lab

First Generation College Student, East Coast, Woman In STEM, 1st gen PhD, Liberal Arts College Alum, Graduated from primarily undergraduate institution, Dual-Masters Degree, South Region, South Carolina

Breanna McBean

She/Her/Hers

Alan Boyle/Corey Speers

California, West Coast, Woman In STEM, 1st Gen PhD

Candilianne Serrano

Ginsburg and Emmer Labs

Latina, First Generation College Student, Puerto Rico, PREP Alum, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, Low Socio-Economic Status

Chiamaka Ukachukwu

David K. Jones

Nigerian American, Black, Pell Grant recipient, Jersey, 1st gen US Citizen

Daniel Salas-Escabillas

They/Them/Theirs, He/Him/His

Howard C. Crawford Lab

First Generation College Student, Pacific Islander, Guam, PREP Alum, LGBTQ+, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, Bi-Lingual, Took a Gap Year, Person of Color, Parent Illness/Death, URM, 1st gen PhD

Emily Koch

She/Her/Hers

Rotating

Woman In STEM, East Coast, LGBTQ+, 1st Gen PhD

Genesis Rodriguez

Sami Barmada Lab

Hispanic, Latina, Mexican, Low Socio-Economic Status, Inner City Environment, First Generation College Student, Child of Immigrants, 1st gen PhD, East Coast, New York City, PREP Alum, 1st gen US Citizen

Hannah Thompson

She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Currently Rotating

First Generation College Student, Adopted, Community College Alum, Asian-American, Woman In STEM, LGBTQ+, Midwest, Took a Gap Year, Worked Before Gradschool, Chronic Illness

Jaime Fuentes

Martens Lab

Native American, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, West Coast, California, First Generation College Student, 1st Gen PhD

Jessica (Jess) Maung

She/Her/Hers

Currently Rotating

Asian-American, Burmese, Indonesian, West Coast, Child of Immigrants, Woman In STEM, Portland OR Native, Worked Before Gradschool

Justin Redmond

N/A

Community College Alum, California, SoCal, NorCal, Christian, IE, Bay Area, Rollerblading, Fitness, 1st in STEM, Faith, 1st Gen PhD

Kate Giffin

She/Her/Hers

Ben Singer Lab

Low Socio-Economic Status, Transfer Student, Community College Alum, Rural, Woman In STEM

LeeAnn Flowers

She/Her/Hers

Killian Lab

Grad Student Parent, Married Graduate Student, Veteran, West Coast

Madeline Shay

Rotation Student - Ragsdale, Smith, Koropatkin

Diabetes, Disabled, South Region, Chicago

Marcel Elkouri

He/Him/His

Morrow and Aton Labs

LGBTQ+, Low Socio-Economic Status, Latino, Lebanese, Trilingual, Liberal Arts College Alum, 1st gen US Citizen

Michael Pitter

Weiping Zou/Arul Chinnaiyan Lab

Afro-Caribbean Descent, Person of Color, Child of Immigrants, URM, Liberal Arts College Alum, 1st gen US Citizen

Nafisa Nuzhat

She/Her/Hers

Pearring Lab

Bangladeshi, Immigrant, Midwest, URM, Muslim, Inner City Environment, 1st Gen PhD

Nick Lesniak

Schloss Lab

Previously in Industry, 2 Bachelors Degrees, Married Graduate Student, Community College Alum, Transfer Student, Big Family, Michigan Native, Individual w/ Disabilities, Started Grad at later age

Rajer Hsieh

He/Him/His

Dawen Cai

Married Graduate Student, Taiwanese, Grad Student Parent, National Taiwan University, Academia Sinica, Jazz lover, International Student

Terrance James Haanen

He/Him/His

Narla Lab

First Generation College Student, Low Socio-Economic Status, Community College Alum, Alum Of Minority Serving Institution, Married Graduate Student, West Coast, Person of Color, URM

Yoani Herrera

She/Her/Hers

Dr. Michael Roberts

Mexican, 1st gen US Citizen, 1st Gen PhD

Anbarasu Kumaraswamy

He/Him/His

Alumkal Lab

International, Postdoc, Indian

Anthony Garcia

Osawa Lab

SouthWest, New Mexico, First Generation College Student, PREP Alum, Low Socio-Economic Status, Mexican, Child of Immigrants, Bi-Lingual, 1st Gen PhD

Ashley Mello

She/Her/Hers

Currently Rotating

HBCU Alum, Xavier University Of Louisiana, URM, Person of Color, Baltimore MD Native

Brynne Raines

She/Her/Hers

Narla Lab

Black American (non-immigrant), URM, Worked Before Graduate School, Neurodivergent, Inner-City Environment, Detroit Native, Woman In STEM

Carmen Karina Castillo Carmona

She/Her/Hers

Rotation student/ Markos Koutmos lab

Individual w/ Disabilities, LatinX, Low Socio-Economic Status, Community College Alum, Immigrant, English Second Language, LGBTQ+, 1st gen US Citizen

Chloe Rybicki-Kler

Currently Rotating

Low Socio-Economic Status, Midwest, Michigan Native, Detroit, Disabled

Dawit Mengistu

Dr. Freeman's Lab

First Generation College Student, African-American, URM, Child of Immigrants, 1st gen US Citizen, 1st Gen PhD

Farzanna Mohamed

She/Her/Hers

Vanini Lab

URM, Guyanese-Indian-American, Individual w/ Disabilities, Low Socio-Economic Status, First Generation College Student, East Coast, Non-Traditional Student, Neurodivergent, Muslim, Trauma Survivor

Giselle Flores

She/Her/Hers

Rotation Student/ Janet Smith Lab

First Generation College Student, 1st gen US citizen, URM

Henry Gong

He/Him/His

Deng Lab

First Generation College Student, Child of Immigrants, Low Socio-Economic Status, East Coast, Worked Before Gradschool

Jeffrey Williams

Billy Tsai Lab

Michigan Native, Started Grad at later age

Jessica Li

They/Them/Theirs

Lin Lab

LGBTQ+, Non-Binary, Asian-American, Child of Immigrants, West Coast, California, Worked Before Grad School, Took a Gap Year

Karen Wang

Giger Lab

Bi-Lingual, East Coast, Massachusetts, Vermont, Asian-American, Woman In STEM, Child of Immigrants, 1st gen PhD, Worked Before Gradschool

Katelyn Donahue

Marina Pasca di Magliano Lab

East Coast, New England, Bi-Racial, Worked Before Gradschool, Woman In STEM, 1st Gen PhD

Lillia Baird

She/Her/Hers

Currently Rotating

Individual w/ Disabilities, LGBTQ+, Women's and Gender minority college alum, Woman In STEM, Worked Before Gradschool, New England, Sibling w/ Disability