Scoters are among the most distinctive—and most frustrating—ducks a birder encounters. They are large, dark sea ducks that spend much of their lives on cold northern waters and the ocean, often far enough offshore that even good binoculars leave you looking at little black blobs. Yet, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the…
A chapter of the National Audubon Society
Our mission is to celebrate and protect birds and their habitats in Southern and Eastern Alameda County
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Daisy Nunez Valenzuela
I am a third-year Biological Sciences student at CSU East Bay with a concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology, driven by a strong interest in understanding how cells function and how that knowledge can be applied in the field of dermatology. My goal is to help individuals who struggle with skin conditions such as acne or rashes regain confidence and improve their quality of life. Alongside my academic journey, I have worked at In-N-Out Burger for five years, where I have developed strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced environment. These experiences have shaped me into a resilient and adaptable individual, prepared to thrive in healthcare settings. As I continue pursuing my degree, I am eager to gain hands-on experience through internships and shadowing opportunities in dermatology offices, where I can begin bridging my classroom knowledge with real-world patient care
Maxine Gutierrez
Maxine Gutierrez was born in the Bay Area as the daughter of Filipino American immigrants and is the first scientist in her family. Her appreciation for nature and younger brother, who has Down Syndrome, inspires her passion and curiosity in science. After studying kinesiology, rehabilitation sciences, and Spanish at San José State University, she pursued her masters in cell and molecular biology at CSU East Bay. Her studies and research experience shape her desire to give back to underrepresented groups in STEM. In her free time, she enjoys art, music, reading, film, quadball, sports, and spending time with loved ones.
Kashish Vinayak
My name is Kashish Mehak Vinayak, sophomore at UC Berkeley. I’m majoring in Data Science with a domain emphasis in Economics. I was the valedictorian of my high school, Tennyson High School. In my free time you can find me volunteering at my Church, immersing myself into romance novels, and falling into consumerism as I up my wardrobe. I have a passion for helping people walking through different stages of life. This can look like my activism for the environment through enlisting Data Science to understand water quality in the Bay Area.
Itzel Parada
Hello! My name is Itzel Parada and I’m an Env. Science (ENSC) undergrad at CSUEB. I love nature, which is how I got steered towards studying ENSC. I hope to partake in conservation efforts and to help mitigate the climate crisis in the future. For now, I’m doing what I can to help my community. For the past year, I’ve been a research assistant in a NIC that has implemented an interdisciplinary climate curricula, otherwise known as CELI. It’s been amazing contributing to this wide scale effort of supporting our teachers and students. I hope to do much more!
Sooyun Cho
Sooyun Cho is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology. After graduating in the fall of 2025, she plans to pursue a DDS degree while continuing her passion for immunology research, particularly as it relates to dentistry. Her current research focuses on identifying immune cells that develop resistance to immunotherapy, an important area of study for patients who often do not respond to such treatments in clinical settings. She hopes this scholarship will support her ongoing summer research in an immunology lab and help fund her participation in delivering an oral presentation at ABRCMS.
Muina Zaman
My name is Momina “Muina” Zaman, and I began my academic journey at De Anza and Peralta Community Colleges studying Computer Science. Inspired by the barriers I witnessed in accessing healthcare, I became motivated to use technology to promote healthcare equity. I have been honored to work in medical device development and most recently as a NeURO-CC Fellow at Stanford, where I worked on neuroimaging research. I am now continuing my studies at UC Berkeley, majoring in Data Science with an emphasis in computational biology, with the goal of developing systems that advance equitable and accessible medicine