Meet our 2024 Cohort
2024 Summer First Fellows
Allen Pan (he/him)
I'm Allen from the department of Electrical Engineering. I work on integrated circuits and computer architecture in general, with a current focus on developing novel hardware-software systems for efficient processing of emerging applications. I worked three years as a hardware engineer at Cisco. During the time, I participated in Second Harvest Food Bank volunteering activities to provide nutrition help to local kids who are missing meals. I also led the capstone project team during my time at Berkeley as a master's student, where I gave poster presentations at the fair. Besides English, I'm a native mandarin speaker and can speak some Korean. I'm a big baseball lover.
Brinthan Kanesalingam (he/him)
I am happy about the acceptance into the Material Science and Engineering department, specifically joining Prof. Leora's research group. Presently, I am engaged in working with her and fellow group members, pursuing my own research interests. I am interested about characterising materials and using artificial intelligence and data science to enhance and extract meaningful insights during the characterisation process. I am actively involving in various literature and community groups starting from my school days. Currently, I am closely collaborating with three departments at the University of Moratuwa, aiming to create a vibrant research culture. Additionally, I dedicate my time to mentoring research groups, actively participating in their projects to drive impactful outcomes. In my free time, I read books and engaging in discussions with colleagues, exploring avenues for positive societal impact. I am committed to transforming these ideas into reality through my ongoing efforts.
Colton Crosby (he/him)
I am an incoming Aero/Astro student interested in aerospace structures and have recently taken an interest in machine learning. As a residential advisor for continuing College of Engineering students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I distribute campus resources and host professional preparation events such as resume workshops and mock interviews. I led the avionics and project management efforts for the PowerSat 3U CubeSat before transitioning to a part-time research and development role at JPL. Outside of school, I enjoy climbing the local peaks around San Luis Obispo.
Cynthia Tang (she/her)
I am Cynthia Tang. I graduated from UCSD in 2023 majoring in Bioengineering. I worked as a research associate in the Department of Pharmacology at UCSD, where my research focuses on enhancing immunotherapy efficacy in head and neck cancer through the investigation of tumor-targeted therapies and immune response mechanisms. Beyond my research, I worked as tutor and volunteered in the UCSD Health Volunteer Program. To engage with a broader community, I also organized multiple college resources-sharing events for underrepresented students at high schools. In my free time, I am passionate about music and play the violin, guitar, and piano. I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and snowboarding. A fun fact about me is that I have a 3-year-old German Shepherd named Mochi, who is quite large and keeps me active.
Divine Mbachu (he/him)
Divine S. Mbachu is an incoming Ph.D. Student in the department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford School of Engineering. He aspires to conduct cutting-edge research in the field of sustainable energy technologies, particularly PV cells. And he is a fellow of the Harvard University fully-funded Aspire Leadership program and the United Nations Millennium fellowship. In his free time, he loves playing basketball, watching football games, and listening to music.
Feven Naba (she/her)
Feven Naba is pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on microfluidic diagnostic devices at Stanford School of Engineering. She graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor's degrees in Biomedical Engineering. Feven aspires to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, particularly in resource-limited settings, through the development of innovative medical devices. During her junior year, she established the "Techiyalesh Initiative" with the support of a Projects for Peace grant. This initiative serves as a mentorship program tailored for female students in Ethiopia who are pursuing STEM disciplines. In her free time, Feven enjoys playing soccer, reading, listening to music and trying new baking recipes.
Gina Kittleson (she/her)
I am an incoming civil and environmental engineering Ph.D. student who will be studying desalination plant placement and operation to effectively and equitably address drought in California. I am coming from the University of Michigan where I completed a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering with a focus in intelligent systems engineering and hydraulics/hydrology. I previously worked in the Digital Water Lab studying total suspended solids soft sensing in rivers and wastewater. I love to volunteer tutoring children from low-income communities and at animal shelters!
Juan Jose Aguilar López (he/him)
My name is Juan Jose Aguilar López and I am a first generation college graduate pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering. I am originally from Mexico but have been living in Michigan since I was 9 years old. My research interests revolve around pollution prevention and sustainability particularly through the usage of catalysis and separations. In my spare time I participate in organizations such as SHPE and AIChE, both of which are engineering societies. I enjoy helping others either through mentorship in the lab or in general. I love to hike and be outdoors as well as reading and watching all kinds of movies. Don't ask me what my favorite genre is, any genre is good if they have a good story to tell!
Kevin Murillo (he/him)
My name is Kevin Murillo and I am an incoming Ph.D. student in the Aero/Astro department. My research interests lie at the intersection of solid mechanics and material science, with a special interest in deployable and reconfigurable structures. At Swarthmore College, I have served on the board of ENLACE, which is Swarthmore's Latine student-affinity organization. I have also served on the Student Advisory Group for Engineering (SAGE), which is a board of students within the Swarthmore Engineering Department that are responsible for building community within the department. A couple fun facts about me are that I enjoy woodworking and skateboarding.
Larry Marshall (he/him)
My name is Larry Marshall. I am from The Bahamas, I'll be joining the Mechanical Engineering department. I have very broad research interest in heat transfer, fluid mechanics and computational methods however, at Stanford I intend to research reduced order modeling for cardiovascular flows. Fun fact about me is I am a black belt in Judo and was the team captain of The Bahamian national Judo team.
Ololade Oriowo (she/her)
Ololade is a first-year Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and she earned her bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Howard University. Her research interests lie in nano-synthesis and surface engineering, particularly focusing on applications in energy storage. Outside the lab, Ololade enjoys eating ice cream, crocheting, napping, and learning languages.
Owen Trimble (he/him)
I am in the Mechanical Engineering department with Professor Hanson. My research interests generally include anything that has to do with combustion science. This includes anything from chemical processes all the way to engines in the real world. Because of my interest in combustion, I became the lead propulsion engineer on my rocket design team during my undergraduate and helped give lectures on fluid mechanics to the rocket design team in Denmark during my Fulbright. Some of my favorite non-academic hobbies are rock climbing and running.
Queenie Lin (she/her)
I am a Ph.D. student in the department of Mechanical Engineering with an interest in biomedical technologies, biomechanics, and translational research. I completed my B.S. in Bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, where I was heavily involved with UC LEADS, the BioMedical Engineering Society (BMES), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). In my free time, I watch F1 racing and listen to Taylor Swift.
Yamilet Rivera Cintron (she/her)
As a Ph.D. student in the Chemical Engineering department, I wish to couple electrochemical conversions and membrane separations to engineer a catalytic membrane reactor for wastewater resource recovery. Alongside research, my passion resides in teaching. I particularly enjoy hearing the gasp of understanding when a student has grasped a concept through my explanation, and wish to continue impacting more lives in this manner as a professor and research advisor. Inspiring students through professorship to find their true purpose is my most aspired goal as a Chemical Engineer, and the research experience I will gain as a Ph.D. student will aid in this effort. Given my past research projects have primarily revolved around water, such as water purification and activation, it comes as no surprise that I am deeply enamored by the beach and nature. I enjoy playing volleyball, hiking, and cooking for my friends and family. Rest assured, I plan on providing my future lab mates with a steady stream of tasty Puerto Rican cuisine as a tribute to my little island. What better way to foster scientific innovation than through the stomachs of inspired researchers?