The Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective (YBDIC)

Yale BBS Diversity and Inclusion Collective aims to promote the recruitment, retention, and inclusion of Ph.D. students in the Yale Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program who belong to historically underrepresented backgrounds/identities.

Director: Jennifer Loza | jennifer.loza@yale.edu

Advisors: Anton Bennett, Ph.D. | anton.bennett@yale.edu

Karina González Herrera, Ph.D. | karina.gonzalez@yale.edu

The student advancement branch promotes the successful transition of our underrepresented Yale BBS students from their Ph.D. training to their post-graduate career by providing academic support, career development resources, and personalized mentorship opportunities.

Chair of Advancement: Matheo Morales

Advancement Fellows: Angela Kim and Lex Herrerias

The student empowerment branch alleviates the historical burden of being underrepresented in STEM by fostering a sense of belonging, promoting mental and physical wellness, and celebrating achievements of BBS graduate students from diverse backgrounds.

Chair of Empowerment: Ray Vaca

Empowerment Fellows: Frankie Villalobos and Jonmatthew Bilé

The student engagement branch participates in recruitment and supports prospective students from diverse backgrounds by interacting with current BBS students, offering guidance to assist with their application, and mentoring to help with the transition to graduate school.

Chair of Engagement: Rebecca Colón-Ríos

Engagement Fellows: Adriana Vélez-Avilés and Yemi Osayame

The student outreach branch provides research experience and science communication training to community college, undergraduate, and post-bacc students with initiatives that strengthen science abilities and inspire students to pursue a Ph.D. in the future.

Chair of Outreach: Rana Gbyli

Outreach Fellows: Dominique Sims and Katherine Benitez