About the FLI Collective

Marlette Jackson (she/her/hers) is a Black womxn and proud Southerner who was the first in her family to graduate from college and graduate school. Motivated by her experiences as a FLI woman of color, she is dedicated to removing barriers and providing equitable opportunity through systemic change. Marlette gives back to her community as a board member for the Stanford FLI Alumni Network (FLAN) and the BORNE Alliance, a non-profit providing neurological care to underserved communities in Ethiopia.

When she is not working or mentoring, you might find her eating barbecue & bundt cakes, drinking brut rose, or dreaming of owning a Birkin bag. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, shopping, eating unhealthy food, watching reality TV, and traveling.

You can follow Marlette on LinkedIn or visit her website.

Edritz Javelosa (she/her/hers) is a Philippine native who migrated to the US in 2002. As a woman of color and being the first in her immediate family to earn a bachelor's degree and a PhD, Edritz understands the value of education and importance of representation.

Edritz gives back to her community by being involved with the Stanford FLI Alumni Network (FLAN) and serving as an advisory board member for Simply Neuroscience, a student ran non-profit providing resources, awereness and educational programs focused on neuroscience and pyschology to the public.

When she is not working or mentoring, you might find her hiking through the forests or climbing rocks. She also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, loves to travel and explore, and shake her booty to the beat.

You can follow Edritz on LinkedIn.

Courtney Peña (she/her/hers) is a Chicana social scientist, educator, and artist. She is the Executive Producer of The FLI Collective Podcast and the Creative Director of JotaReads, an online community for book lovers that centers queer and BIPOC authors, stories, and experiences.

She is a former FLI community college transfer student who completed her PhD at Stanford University. Courtney is passionate about mentorship, community building, and lifelong learning. She now works as an equity researcher and practitioner in higher education.

She loves the visual arts, plants, and science fiction.

You can follow her artwork on Instagram.

Nidia Ruedas-Gracia (she/her/hers) is a Mexican-American West Coaster from Baldwin Park, CA. As the only PhD in her immediate and extended family, Nidia navigates being “of two worlds” and strives to honor the knowledge and lived experiences of both worlds equally. Her FLI background thus informs every aspect of her work. She is currently an assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her research lab explores how individuals from diverse backgrounds experience a sense of belonging in different settings, and how we can foster a strong sense of belonging for optimal human performance.

Nidia hopes to be the academic version of Rihanna. She is dedicated to living her best life and helping other fabulous people live their best lives too. When not working or mentoring, you can find her hosting a Whiskey Wednesday happy hour, attending a concert, or dancing the night away wherever there is good music.

Nidia is obviously an extrovert. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and her website.

Miranda (she/her/hers) is a Mexican and Filipina-American scientist and the eldest of five daughters. She was the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree and earned her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at Stanford University.

She is passionate about mentoring, and creating inclusive communities built on belonging, equity, and diversity. She finds joy in uplifting people as their authentic selves. Her dream is to become friends with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the rest of The Squad, where they would collaborate together on how to change the world while sharing knowledge on how to look and feel good when dismantling oppressive systems.

When not spending time with family or friends, she loves to travel, cook, bake bread, reading, and listen to music or podcasts. She likes to do yoga, dance and sing along to her favorite songs dreaming of the day where she could see Beyonce, Lizzo, Rihanna, or Lady Gaga live in concert. A true California native, Miranda is always down to hit the beach in her signature sunglasses and chanclas.

You can find Miranda on LinkedIn and Twitter.