Tag: The King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship Program

My research encompasses the intersection of media, neoliberalism, and feminism. I am interested in how neoliberalism is represented in media as well as women’s agency within that system. I plan to write my dissertation on how neoliberalism is represented in media through the lens of women. Currently, I am exploring the film and photography of Lauren Greenfield and Sofia Coppola. I am fascinated by how their critiques of capitalism and consumerism both subvert and reify neoliberalism.

I would love to teach a class on how neoliberalism is represented in various media. My goal is to become a professor and teach humanities classes that ask students to consider the world around them, beyond what’s in front of them. I want to invite future students to ask questions about media representation and challenge what they see.

I want to extend my gratitude to the Graduate School, Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel, and Dean for this fellowship. I am thankful to the Interim Humanities Department Chair Dr. Kette Thomas, the Rhetoric, Theory & Culture Graduate Program Director Dr. Dana Van Kooy, my co-advisors Dr. Stefka Hristova and Dr. J.W. Hammond, and committee member Dr. Scott Marratto for their guidance and mentoring.

I would like to thank the selection committee for choosing me for the 2025 King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Holly Hassel, my department chair, Dr. Kette Thomas, and my program director, Dr. Dana Van Kooy. Finally, I want to thank my family—my mom Susan, my sister Madison, and my cats Bruce, Dinah, and Wally—for always supporting my educational goals. With this fellowship I will be able to achieve my goal of becoming a professor.

I am a first generation college student, so graduate school was initially intimidating. However, I have been graced with wonderful mentors here at Michigan Tech who have helped guide me through the challenges graduate school presents.

I first knew that I wanted to teach when I became an Assistant Scoutmaster for Scouting America Troop 823 out of Fenton, MI. I grew up in the Scouting America program (then referred to as Boy Scouts of America) and always enjoyed leading others. However, it wasn’t until I became an adult leader that I realized I had been teaching for years—and loving it—while I was a scout. Whether showing new scouters the basics of camping or providing advice to aspiring youth leaders, teaching opportunities were always present.

When I began working as a Graduate Teaching Instructor in the Humanities department in 2023, my path was cemented. After just one week of teaching in the writing classroom I knew I had made the right choice, and that teaching is what I’m meant to do.

Being a first generation college student, I want to use this fellowship to help others who don’t have the same access to education that I have been lucky enough to have and concentrate my skills where they will be best served. Upon completion of my degree at Michigan Tech, I plan to teach in the two-year college space in the Ann Arbor area and focus on creating an equitable writing space for all students.

I am a second-year doctoral student in Forest Science at Michigan Technological University, where my research focuses on plant ecology, herbivory, and community ecology. My dissertation examines how moose browsing and wildfire interact to shape forest succession at Isle Royale National Park, while also using remote sensing and GIS to study patterns of white satin moth defoliation of aspen trees across the island.

As a first-generation college student, my path to a PhD has not been linear. I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology from Northern Michigan University, where I fell in love with ecological research as a McNair Scholar and developed a deep appreciation for the natural history of the upper Great Lakes. Between degrees, I stepped away from academia to work before embarking on a 2,000-mile solo backpacking trip across California, Oregon, and Washington. Somewhere along the trail, I realized I wanted to return to graduate school and pursue a career in teaching. My time on the trail taught me that big goals are achieved through small, steady steps–a mindset that continues to guide my academic journey.

Teaching is one of my greatest joys. I have led labs in plant biology, ecology, and evolution, guest lectured in undergraduate courses, and led field research crews. I strive to create a supportive environment where students feel encouraged to ask questions, think critically, and connect classroom concepts to the ecosystems around them.

Receiving the King-Chávez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship is an incredible honor. This support provides the stability to complete my dissertation and continue my work as a researcher, educator, and mentor. I am grateful to my advisor, my department, and the many mentors who have guided me–and I am excited to inspire the next generation of scientists to be curious and see how tangible science can be.

My passion for STEM, health-related research, and advice from various mentors has driven my journey as a first-generation Latina student from Puerto Rico. After graduating from high school in Puerto Rico, I moved to Florida to attend Valencia Community College, where I earned my associate in arts before transferring to the University of Central Florida to pursue a dual bachelor’s in biomedical sciences and biotechnology. The invaluable mentorship from my professors, Dr. Dheeraj Verma and Dr. J. Marla Toyne opened up opportunities for me to participate in interdisciplinary research projects in biology and anthropology, health-related internships, and leadership positions in student organizations like Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Multicultural Association for Pre-health Students (MAPS), and Scientista.

In the summer of 2019, thanks to the guidance of my aunt, Madeline Mercado Voelker, I had the opportunity to do a summer undergraduate research internship at the Heldt bioseparations lab at Michigan Technological University (MTU). My research project focused on virus purification with an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) for vaccine production. This internship led to the opportunity to join Dr. Heldt’s lab as a PhD student at MTU in the Spring of 2022. Currently, I am a third-year Biology PhD candidate co-advised by Dr. Paul Goetsch (Biological Sciences) and Dr. Caryn Heldt (Chemical Engineering). My dissertation focuses on characterizing tumor-derived exosomes with atomic force microscopy for gene therapy and drug delivery. Since starting my Ph.D., I have taught and mentored middle and high school students in summer youth programs (SYP), helped promote and recruit undergraduate students for the Health Research Institute (HRI) summer research program and facilitated workshops for graduate students. These experiences and teaching conversational English classes to adults during undergrad have strengthened my commitment to an inclusive learning environment and mentoring future scientists as a research professor in postsecondary education.

I am deeply grateful to my co-advisers, Dr. Heldt and Dr. Goetsch, for their continuous support and motivation of my aspirations of pursuing a career in academia and for demonstrating to me the type of mentor I want to be to my future students. I thank my parents, sister, family, and friends from Puerto Rico and the United States for their unwavering support. I also thank the Graduate School, the Biological Science Department, and the state of Michigan for awarding me the King -Chavez- Parks (KCP) future faculty fellowship. The KCP fellowship represents a crucial step toward becoming a tenure-track professor, where I can continue to inspire and support students in pursuing their academic and career aspirations.

Sponsored by the King-Chavez-Parks Future Faculty Fellowship from the State of Michigan