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Our History
Our History
SACNAS stands for the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. As the name states, SACNAS is an inclusive nonprofit organization founded in 1973 dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM, at both the college level and into professional roles.
Our UCSB SACNAS Grad Chapter only recently became a nationally recognized chapter in 2025. We have been working diligently to host events that promote community building, professional development, and outreach/mentorship. We invite you to join our SACNAS familia!!
Meet the Team!
Meet the Team!
Victoria Diaz
Victoria Diaz
Co-President
I am a 4th year PhD student in the Chemical Engineering department working under Mike Gordon and Brad Chmelka. My research is inspired by a protein responsible for cephalopod color change where I aim to integrate said protein into solid-state devices for dynamically tunable photonic devices. I am very easily entertained so I enjoy all kinds of activities, both indoor and outdoor!!!(:
Michael Keith
Michael Keith
Co-President
I'm a PhD student in the mathematics department. My main work is at the interface of mathematics and biology, where I produce 3D models of viruses and viral proteins by use of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Other works include leveraging topology to understand DNA knotting in bacteriophages and energy minimisation in molecular simulations to understand the protein-protein interactions in bacteriophage P4.
Rae Yee
Rae Yee
Co-President
I am a 4th year PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Program in Quantitative Biology (Formerly Biomolecular Science and Engineering). I am a part of Dan Morse's group where we study the phase behavior and membrane interactions of the proteins in squids responsible for their fantastic camouflage abilities!
Janelle Arnold
Janelle Arnold
Vice President
I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Chemical Engineering department advised by Michelle O'Malley and Carolyn Mills. My research is on in vitro protein synthesis for weird microbes. In particular, I am interested in anaerobic fungi that have been isolated from the guts of herbivores. In my free time, I like to go on hikes, hang out at the beach, and watch new movies. Feel free to reach out!
Alessandra Vidal Meza
Alessandra Vidal Meza
Treasurer
I am a 2nd year PhD student at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management's Oliver Lab. My research sits at the intersection of macroecology and urban systems. I use tracking technologies to answer how social inequity affects wildlife behavior in urban environments. At UCSB, I'm also a part of AISES and ESA SEEDS.
Arturo Juan
Arturo Juan
Community Service/Philanthropy Chair
I am a 4th year PhD student in the Materials department working under Steve DenBaars. My work is growing epitaxial thin films of III-Nitrides via Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition. They are then processed into edge emitting lasers for optical communication systems. In my free time I enjoy doing endurance events – I’m usually training for a marathon and dabbling in triathlons.
Daniela Rivera Mirabal
Daniela Rivera Mirabal
Graduate Student Advisor for Undergraduate SACNAS Chapter
I’m a 5th year Ph.D. student in the Chemical Engineering Department, co-advised by Prof. Scott Shell and Prof. Rachel Segalman. My research leverages sequence-defined polypeptoids and advanced computational methods to explore how monomer sequences can impact polymer properties. In my free time I like dancing salsa, or cooking and baking while binging the Great British Bake-off.
Alfredo Ramirez
Alfredo Ramirez
Secretary
Hi! My name is Alfredo Ramirez and I use he/him/his pronouns. I am a 5th year in the Mathematics department. I am working most generally in the field of Topology, but more specifically in Geometric Group Theory. I am looking at Coxeter and Artin groups and their connections to real and complex reflection groups. In my free time, I have recently gotten into rock climbing and into drag culture. :)
Reina Gomez
Reina Gomez
General Officer
I am a recent graduate student from the Materials department who worked under Dr. Stephen Wilson. My research was geared towards exploring the electronic and magnetic properties of various nitride materials through implementing X-ray and neutron characterization methods.
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