Education

Ph.D. Student, Quantitative Systems Biology (2021–Present)
University of California, Merced – Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Sogin Lab
GPA: 4.0

  • Marine Microbial Ecologist

Advanced Research Training: Microbial Diversity (Jun–Aug 2022)
Marine Biological Laboratory, The University of Chicago, Woods Hole, MA

B.S., Biological Sciences (Biotechnology Concentration) (2019–2021)
Miami Dade College, Miami, FL – GPA: 3.64

  • Graduated with Honors

A.A., Biological Sciences (Biotechnology Concentration) (2017–2019)
Miami Dade College, Miami, FL

Research Experience

Ph.D. Student Researcher (Aug 2021–Present)
University of California, Merced, CA

  • Targeted Cultivation of Plant Beneficial Bacteria from the seagrass Zostera marina (N-fixing, Sulfur detoxifying, IAA producing)
  • Generated Culture Collections of over 450 micrbial isolates ~20% Novel Bacteria Using Custom Growth Media Formulations
  • Whole genoeme sequencing, assembly, annotation, phylogenetics and mining for metabolisms of interest
  • Metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metabolomics analysis of seasonal fluctuations of Z. marina microbiome
  • 16S amplicon nanopore community analysis
  • Undergraduate mentoring

Research Trainee (Jun–Aug 2022)
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA

  • Created sulfide-oxygen gradients for microbial community reassembly
  • Cultivated diverse microorganisms involved in biogeochemical transformations
  • Conducted molecular and computational analyses of microorganisms and viruses

Undergraduate Researcher (2019–2021)
University of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Miami Dade College
Key achievements across labs:

  • Characterization of novel cyanobacterial species (Scytonema spp.)
  • SAR11 bacterial culturing and FISH optimization
  • Enzyme and cell proliferation assays using human neural progenitor cells
  • Poster/Oral presentations at USDA iCATCH, FIU McNair, and Life Sciences STEM Symposia

Teaching & Mentorship

Guest Lecturer, Microbial Metabolisms (Sep 2024)

Instructor, Diverse Microbial Metabolisms & Growth Media Design (Spring 2023)

Outreach Leader, Microbe Hunters – Hayward High School (2023)

  • Developed student assays using catalase testing and foldscopes

Teaching Assistant, Intro to Biology (Fall 2022, UC Merced)

  • Led discussions, graded assignments, and hosted study sessions

Teaching Assistant, Nutrition (2021–2022, UC Merced)

  • Created flipped-classroom modules and supported students individually

Learning Assistant, Chemistry (2019–2021, Miami Dade College)

  • Developed and facilitated active-learning recitations in General Chemistry

Awards & Honors

2025 – Applied Environmental Microbioloy Gordon Research Conference Poster Prize ($250) & Early Career Researcher Prize ($250) 2025 – GEBA IV PacBio Whole Genome Sequencing (300+ isolates)
2024 – MacKenzie Scott Graduate Student Travel Award ($1000); QSB Travel Fellowship ($750)
2023 – NSF Graduate Research Fellow ($261,000); Ford Foundation Honorable Mention
2022 – DOE MBL MicDiv Funds ($9,500); Ford Fellowship Honorable Mention; QSB Research Award
2021 – NSF–UF Pathways to Success Scholarship ($3,600)
2020–2019 – Multiple STEM Scholarships, Dean’s List honors
2015 – Miami Swim Week Peroni Design Finalist
2010 – Miami New Times Top 100 Creatives (#67); Best Retro Threads Nominee
2008 – Etsy Featured Seller

Volunteer & Fieldwork

2019–2020 – NOAA Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, Miami, FL

  • HAB monitoring and microscopy-based identification

2019–2020 – Miami Dade College Food Pantry Community Garden

  • Maintained and harvested produce for distribution

2018–2019 – University of Miami’s Rescue a Reef Program

  • Cleaned and fragmented staghorn corals for reef restoration

Presentations & Posters (Selected)

  • Harnessing Beneficial Seagrass-Associated Bacteria, Gordon Research Seminar (2025)
  • The Composition and Functional Potential of Growth-Promoting Seagrass Bacteria, World Seagrass Conference (2024)
  • Isolation of Seagrass Associated Bacteria, JGI Workshop Poster (2024)
  • Capturing and Quantifying Beneficial Seagrass Bacteria, UC Merced QSB Retreat (2023)
  • Exploring the Seagrass Microbiome for Probiotic Amendments, Western Society of Naturalists (2022)
  • Basics of Social Media for Science, Miami Dade College Undergraduate Research Academy (2021)

Professional Workshops

2024 – JGI Microbial Genomics & Metagenomics Workshop
2022 – Teaching and Learning in the Sciences (15-week seminar)
2020 – Mindset and Math Science Achievement Institute

Fashion Career

Before pursuing science, Dian