Peer Leader, CHEM 10171
Fall semesters, 2014 - 2015
Peer-led training groups are weekly small group workshops for students identified as likely to fail or drop-out of first year chemistry.
Teaching Assistant, CHEM 153L (with Prof. Anne Hong-Hermesdorf)
Winter 2017
CHEM 153L is the laboratory course for techniques in biochemistry (protein purification, enzyme activity assays, SDS-PAGE and western blotting, etc.).
Upon receiving the UCLA CMB training grant and NSF GRFP, I was no longer allowed to serve as a TA (TA positions require a 50% time commitment, but these fellowships only allow a 25% time commitment to non-research activities). To continue teaching, I have pursued other teaching opportunities on campus.
Workshop Leader, HHMI Pathways (with Prof. Tracy Johnson)
Academic years, 2018 - 2022
HHMI Pathways are weekly science workshops for under-represented minority students with the aim of encouraging academic excellence and building community.
Courses taught: CHEM14 A/B (first-year general chemistry), CHEM14 C/D (first-year organic chemistry), CHEM 20A (first-year chemistry for chemistry and biochemistry majors)
Writing Tutor and Graduate Student Mentor, Undergraduate Research Center - Sciences (with Drs. Tama Hasson and Janet Goins)
Summers, 2017 - 2021
As a writing tutor, I worked with under-represented minority students (mostly from CARE SEM) to improve their scientific writing and to prepare their graduate/professional school applications.
At the bench:
Summer 2016 6 undergraduate engineers, 1 high school student
In education:
2014-16 10-15 first-year undergraduate science students from under-represented minority backgrounds (with MSPS)
Summer 2017 Katherine Morillo (Amgen Scholar; next step: PhD student at Princeton)
2017-19 Vivian Yang (Departmental Scholar; next step: PhD student at UCLA)
2018-21 Hieu Nguyen (Beckman Foundation Fellow, Goldwater Fellowship Nominee; next step: medical student at UCSD)
2019-22 Emily Martinez (CAMP Scholar, Whitcome Summer Scholar, Goldwater Fellowship Nominee)
As an employee at Novartis:
2023 Career mentoring for Novartis US Foundation HBCU Scholarship recipient
2016-22 Member, graduate Biochemistry Student Association (gBSA)
When I started graduate school, the biochemistry program lacked student leadership and community. With other first-year students, we founded gBSA, a student-led organization to address certain aspects of our program we felt were lacking.
The mission of the gBSA is to aid in the academic, social, and professional development of the graduate students of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. We aim to (1) Grow scientifically, (2) Build community, (3) Support student well-being, and (4) Advocate for student needs.
As a member of the gBSA, I have planned four Summer Seminar Series where we invited BMSB alumni to return to talk about their scientific careers; we also allow current and incoming students and postdocs to share their work. (~$15k)
I have also planned a Navigating Grad School seminar series where we hold events for first-year students. Topics include: how to choose a lab, what grants and fellowships to apply for, topics in mental health, etc. (~$2k).
2016-22 Secretary (16-17), President (17-19), Math and Physical Sciences Council
As a member of graduate student government, I represented students in matters concerning parking and transportation, housing, TA salaries and stipends, and other topics. I also planned social events for our graduate student constituents.
2017-21 Volunteer, UCLA Career Center
With the Career Center, I have served on and helped plan the annual I want a PhD! Or Do I? panels where undergraduates interested in going to graduate school ask current graduate students about preparing for graduate school, graduate student life, etc.
2017 Volunteer, Equity, Inclusiveness, and Diversity Day
2017-18 Science Writer, UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry website
2018 Volunteer for graduate student recruitment at SACNAS, UCLA Physical Sciences
2018-21 Volunteer, UCLA PEERS lab tours
During the school year, UCLA PEERS coordinates with graduate students to give tours of their lab to first-year students interested in science and lab work. For 2020, my lab tour was virtual! See the video here: https://youtu.be/ZW2DQmBIRjk
2019 Volunteer, UCLA BMSB graduate program recruitment
2019 Volunteer, Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering STEM Day
We worked with middle school girls to perform a strawberry DNA extraction
2019 Volunteer, Choosing a lab (Biosciences)
2020 Volunteer, Exploring Your Universe (UCLA)
A virtual day of science and science exhibits for school-aged children and their families. See our video here: https://youtu.be/hCbSoBRF03Q
2020-21 Admissions committee member, UCLA BMSB graduate program
I served as a student member for the BMSB admissions committee. As a student member, I reviewed propsective student applications, managed the recruitment weekends, and reviewed and accepted students to the BMSB PhD program.
2013-16 Phone center caller, ND Office of Development
Raised $45k in gifts over 137 hours of calling
2015 Centennial Reunion Coordinator, ND Glee Club
Planned a weekend of events for 400 Glee Club alumni and their families ($304k)
2017 Solar Telescope Operator, The Great UCLA Eclipse
2017-19 Reporter (Science and Health beat), The Daily Bruin
To read the ~25 stories I have written for UCLA's student newspaper, see my author page: http://dailybruin.com/author/joseph-ong/
2020-21 Volunteer, National Science Policy Network COVID-19 Q&A Team
To accurately communicate information about Covid-19, I took part in the National Science Policy Network COVID-19 Q&A Team. I answered questions submitted by the general public about viruses, viral spread, vaccinations, and immunity.
2021-21 Science Writer, ASBMB Today