Outreach
Mentorship and community-building are essential to creating a more inclusive, equitable, and productive scientific community. Throughout my academic career, I have been committed to making STEM education more accessible and supporting students from all backgrounds in pursuing research careers. The mentorship programs I have led have positively influenced the careers of hundreds of mentees, and our online resources and recorded webinars have been accessed thousands of times.
MIT Physics Graduate Application Assistance Program
MIT Department of Physics Admissions Advisory Council, co-chair 2022-2025
The MIT Physics Graduate Application Assistance Program (PhysGAAP) is a nationally recognized initiative that provides comprehensive support to prospective PhD applicants, with a focus on students from historically underrepresented groups. As co-chair of the Physics Admissions Advisory Council that runs the PhysGAAP program, I led efforts to significantly expand and professionalize the program.
The PhysGAAP program was specifically highlighted by the 2025 AAS Graduate Admissions Task Force for assisting students from smaller and less research-focused institutions.
Key achievements under my leadership include:
- Scaled program capacity: Grew PhysGAAP from serving 37 mentees in its inaugural year to a multi-faceted program offering 1-on-1 mentorship, live webinars, recorded resources, and drop-in office hours
- Built institutional support: Secured departmental funding for paid mentorships, gaining recognition from department leadership and establishing PhysGAAP as a core component of MIT Physics's diversity and inclusion efforts
- Created sustainable infrastructure: Developed a program website, automated matching and communication systems, and established best practices for mentor training and support
- Demonstrated impact: PhysGAAP has supported hundreds of applicants, with participating mentees consistently reporting that the program made graduate school more accessible and MIT Physics more welcoming
Goldwater Ambassadors Program
MIT Goldwater Scholars, co-founder & co-chair 2021-2024
The Goldwater Ambassadors Program is a national mentorship initiative that pairs undergraduate students with Goldwater Scholarship recipients to support their journey through STEM education. As co-chair of the program, I helped guide the program's growth and impact:
- Expanded reach: Grew the program from its founding in 2021 to serve 50–100 mentees annually
- Centered equity: Ensured the program prioritized students from underrepresented backgrounds, with under-represented minorities and women making up majorities of the participants, and substantial participation from community college students
- Developed resources: Created application resources, organized webinars on fellowship applications and research development, and coordinated networking opportunities including the mentee participation in the annual Goldwater Scholar Symposium
- Facilitated meaningful connections: Designed a matching system based on research interests and shared identities to create supportive mentor-mentee relationships