2016 Organizing Committee

EYH 2016 Organizing Committee:

Jon Yaggie, Coordinator

Jon Yaggie is a Ph.D. student in mathematics at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is interested in logical models of artificial intelligence. She has worked with a wide variety of students leading hands-on mathematics activities designed to promote experimentation and problem solving. She served as Volunteer Coordinator during EYH 2014 and as committee member in 2013.

Dimple Modi, Assistant Coordinator

Dimple Modi is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Chicago with a focus on Ovarian Cancer Biology. In addition to research, she is involved in volunteer organizations focused on promoting science education to the youth. Apart from science, she enjoys traveling and exploring diverse global cultures and cuisines.

Heidi Park, Student Recruitment

Heidi Park is a science teacher at Jones College Prep HS in Chicago. Outside of teaching and preparing for EYH, she volunteers at the Field Museum and with her church. She is also a teaching fellow with the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation.

Nicole Wickliffe, Parent Program Coordinator

Nicole Wickliffe, M.A., M.Ed.L- works within the Cook County ACHN clinic, and is a Leadership/Mentoring instructor both in and around the Chicago land area. She enjoys working with both children and adults educating them about the importance of education, community, leadership and self-love amongst other things.

Erin Boyle Anderson, Website Management

Erin Boyle Anderson is a Ph.D candidate in Developmental, Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Chicago. She researches fin and heart development in zebrafish.

Caitlyn Mulherin, Online Publicity

Caitlyn Mulherin is very involved in STEM outreach and is so glad to be joining EYH for 2015. She currently runs EYH’s twitter account(@EYH_Chicago) and is actively working to promote and grow the organization.

Supriya, Workshop Leader Coordination

Supriya is a graduate student in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago. She studies interactions between birds and ants along an elevational gradient in Eastern Himalayas.

Sarayu Ratnam, Workshop Leader Coordination

Sarayu Ratnam is a Research Scientist in Molecular Genetics at the University of Chicago. In addition to research she is also involved with various volunteer organizations that work with children and on the board for Association for Women in Science (AWIS), Chicago. In her spare time she loves to hit the lakefront trail, be it for training runs or running behind her two energetic boys!

Laura Manning, Volunteer Coordination

Laura Manning is a Ph.D. student in neurobiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She studies the genes and proteins involved in neuronal development and transmission. She enjoys connecting with local middle school girls through EYH as part of her passion for outreach in STEM.

Lisa Nash, Workshop Leader Coordination, Newsletter

Lisa Nash is a graduate student in Physics at the University of Chicago. She studies topological mechanical metamaterials, which are analogs to topological quantum materials. Besides working with EYH, she also volunteers as an instructor with an organization that teaches programming and electronics to middle school students in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood.

Irina Horoi is a Ph.D. student in Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on aspects of formal schooling in relation to the formation of human capital (student learning). She also does work understanding how the built in environment impacts health behavior. Besides research and volunteering with EYH, she loves to go on adventures all over the world to explore cultures, the land, and the food!

Cassandre Coles is a PhD student, in the Pharmacology Department, at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Currently, she is interested in understanding the relationship between caveolin-1 and angiogenesis.

Breyauna Spencer is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago Honors College. Breyauna is currently a Psychology Major with a professional goal of becoming an Adolescent Psychiatrist with a PhD in Neuroscience. When Breyauna is not busy studying, she enjoys tutoring fellow peers and high school students in various topics related to the STEM field.

Natalia M. Gonzales is a Human Genetics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago. She is interested in the genetic etiology of complex behavioral and psychiatric traits. She spends her free time volunteering with STEM outreach organizations, cooking, drawing, traveling, and reading science fiction.

Kavita Chandra is a PhD candidate at Northwestern University in Teri Odom’s lab. Her research is on nanoparticle synthesis for cancer therapeutic applications. Outside of research, Kavita has a passion for science outreach and policy, specifically she serves on the executive board of the Graduate Women Across Northwestern and participates in a mentorship program at the Science Club housed in the Uptown Boys and Girls Program. For fun, Kavita loves traveling around the world, especially trying new foods. Additionally, due to this fervent love for food, she is a runner and dancer!

Seema Sheoran is a graduate student in Neurobiology at UIC. My current research interest lies in understanding the mechanisms governing neuronal connectivity and dendritic arborization. Apart from exploring the complex brain mechanisms, I enjoy swimming and running.

Jane Birman is an undergraduate Chemical Engineering student at the University of Illinois at Chicago with a biochemical concentration. Her research is based on the surface properties of biomedical implants, and she is also involved in organizations supporting global health. Her other interests include photography, biking, and studying philosophy.