My name is Loyda. I’m originally from Puerto Rico and attended University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Currently, I am a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology at University of Michigan. My research studies human cells and how these cells use acid-sensing proteins to sense and respond to an acidic outside and help fight against diseases like cancer.

Outside of research, I volunteer, and lead SEEK. I joined SEEK in my first year of graduate school because I enjoy working with kids. Through SEEK events, I had the opportunity to promote early science exposure and exploration in elementary schools. SEEK also allowed me to give back to my community and help bridge access gaps that limit exposure to science education. Through my teaching experiences with SEEK, I continue improving my science communication skills in English and Spanish while fostering an inclusive learning environment for all students.

I have been a part of SEEK since I started my Ph.D. program in Molecular and Integrative Physiology in 2019. SEEK is a wonderful outreach program that brings hands-on science education to the primary school kids in schools of Ypsilanti that otherwise lack a dedicated science curriculum. I have always been grateful to all opportunities that exposed me to science in my early formative years and inspired to pursue a higher degree in STEM. SEEK helps provide similar exposure to science and inculcating a curiosity for it in young kids. SEEK provides a good platform to the volunteers to interact with larger audience consisting of 5th, 4th and 3rd graders which helps with public speaking and skills in science communications. Being part of SEEK has been a very enriching experience as a volunteer teaching the lessons as well as being on the leadership board. We are constantly upgrading/updating our curriculum while working on it as a team, which is again a very unique experience on its own.

I'm a third year PhD candidate in the Biomedical Engineering program specializing in Neural Engineering, and my research focuses on peripheral neuromodulation. I joined SEEK during my first year because I enjoy working with kids, and I wanted to help address the need for science education at the schools SEEK works with. Working with SEEK not only has brought a ton of excitement and meaning to my graduate school life outside of research, but it has also helped me develop a number of skills such as public speaking, curriculum planning, and leadership.

My name is Yoani Herrera and I’m a graduate student at UofM pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience, concentrating on auditory systems neuroscience. My research focuses on the circuitry of the ascending auditory pathway, trying to understand how our brain processes sound. I joined SEEK because I absolutely love teaching kids about how fun science can be, and hopefully show students that STEM can be a future career goal. Growing up, when I thought of scientists, the people I imagined did not look anything like me, so I never thought science was a choice I could make in my career path. I want students to see that ANYONE can be a scientist, no matter where you come from or who you are. I think being visible through SEEK and sharing my passion for science and learning has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in grad school and I plan to continue to help make science education more available in the greater Ann Arbor area.

I initially approached PhD students in Molecular & Integrative Physiology about starting an outreach program that went in early, elementary school, to bring science to kids that were not seeing it as part of their normal school. Since then, I've gotten out of the way and let the students run it. They've done a fantastic job. I'm so pleased they've grown SEEK into a pan-university program that serves several local elementary schools.