"I'm a third-year PhD student in Quantitative Biology at UT Arlington studying reptile genomics. I'm passionate about building community, supporting others through leadership and mentorship, and bringing energy and dedication to everything I do, both inside and outside of the organization. When I'm not working, I like to cook, play board games, and cheer on my favorite Bay Area sports teams! "

“Hola! My name is Elizabeth (but most people call me elli) and I am going into my 3rd year of the Mathematics PhD program here at UTA. I love math and I love people, so I am studying Mathematical Biology, it’s under the bigger “Applied Mathematics” umbrella, because it is a way to use math tools to affect people in the real world! Something about me is that I love to talk and I love to sing, so I relate to birds because they never stop chirping 🙂 I’m looking forward to being the new SACNAS Vice President and planning lots of fun events in addition to the events that help us grow academically and professionally.”

“I am Satabdi Mandal (they/them), a PhD student in Dr. Daniela Palmer’s lab at UT Arlington. I come from a Dalit family in India. I will be taking up the role of treasurer for the UTA SACNAS 2025 Chapter. My major research interest is in Evolutionary Ecology. Currently, I am working on understanding the evolution of a phytophagous treehopper, Enchenopa binotata (found in the Eastern US), in sympatry. I am interested in learning more about the evolution of the genome and how it correlates with an organism’s ecological attributes. I love studying the history of different government systems around the world, in my personal time. At work, the field of evolutionary ecology allows me to understand the history of the natural order of the Earth. Outside work, you will find me reading books, listening to people’s experiences, trying to learn and understand the history of different cultures and regions, and collecting stories and memories. I also like to cook for my friends and watch movies!”

"I am an electronic engineer from Argentina, graduated from National University of Córdoba. I worked for more than three years as power design engineer in INVAP - an Argentinian company dedicated to the design and manufacture of complex technological systems. I hold a master in Renewable Energies, Climate Change and Sustainability in the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I am passionate about space and I work to encourage youth to follow the space path through my project, MELIORA. Currently, I am doing a PhD in aerospace engineer at the University of Texas at Arlington. My research interest is in space sustainability, to make space operations more sustainable to maintain space activities with all the benefits that this provides to human activity on Earth. "

“Hi, my name is Pilar Castellanos. I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Biology program. My research focuses on the study of domesticated proteins derived from transposable elements in Drosophila melanogaster. I’m excited to be part of the SACNAS board as an ambassador. Outside of research, I enjoy traveling, learning new languages, and exploring Asian cultures.“

“My research interests are within Host-Pathogen interactions, Antibiotic Resistance, Marine Biology, and Ecology and Evolution to discover new possible treatment routes and promote marine conservation. I will be one of the new Ambassadors for the 2025-2026 term and look forward to meeting those I haven’t yet met and continue to work alongside those of you I have had the pleasure of meeting already. As far as some fun facts about myself, they would include that I quote from movies from time to time due to how many I have seen and that I wear blue consistently to the point that it’s the best way of identifying me in a crowd. For hobbies I enjoy watching movies, fishing, and scuba diving in my free time when I take a break from research.”