(Click students’ name to see ePortfolios)
Isabella Alves
Major: Cellular and Molecular Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Christal Sohl
Isabella Alves was appointed to the MARC Program in June 2025. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Minoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. After graduating from SDSU in May 2027, she plans to pursue a PhD in cancer biology or in biochemistry. Isabella is currently an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Sohl’s Mechanisms of Diseases Lab. She is working to characterize the structure and function of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations that aid in tumorigenesis. She has career goals of becoming a research oncologist, working to discover new ways to overcome this challenging disease. Isabella hopes to aid in this discovery by learning more about the benefits and functions of immunotherapy.
Aaron Bagaoisan
Major: Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Angelica Riestra
Aaron Bagaoisan is a junior majoring in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry. He transferred from Southwestern College as a first generation college student. He is currently an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Riestra’s lab, where he studies a kinesin motor protein in the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Before SDSU, he conducted research in the Mishanina Lab at UC San Diego, supported by an American Epilepsy Society BRIDGE grant. Aaron is fascinated by how structure governs function, especially in motor proteins. He plans to pursue a PhD in biochemistry or biophysics and hopes to lead his own research lab one day. Outside of the lab, he enjoys the solitude of fishing.
Noelle Barroll
Major: Chemistry
Faculty Mentor:Dr. Rodolphe Jazzar
Noelle Barroll joined the MARC Program in Fall 2026. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and is expected to graduate from SDSU in May 2029. Noelle is an undergraduate researcher in the REACT Lab under Dr. Rodolphe Jazzar, where she studies ligand design, organometallic chemistry, and photochemistry. Her research includes developing fluorescent molecular sensors and designing ligands for copper hydride chemistry. After graduation, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry while exploring opportunities in chemical entrepreneurship and startup development. She is interested in combining her passion for chemistry with business to help translate scientific discoveries into innovative technologies and real-world applications.
Aubrey Cabigao
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Robin Weersing
Aubrey Cabigao was appointed to the MARC Program in June 2025. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Minoring in Counseling and Social Change. Aubrey is currently an undergraduate research assistant in the ChAAMP Lab, a treatment research center for youths with anxiety and depression, under Dr. V. Robin Weersing. She is passionate about applying what she’ll learn throughout this experience in her future education and career. After graduating from SDSU in May 2027, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical or Counseling Psychology. She has career goals in becoming a clinical or counseling psychologist, serving vulnerable populations, and involving herself in research that could improve treatment methods for said vulnerable populations by better understanding certain mental illnesses and disorders.
Fernanda Cuevas Alviar
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Ariana Stickel, Ph.D
Fernanda was appointed to MARC in September 2025. She is majoring in Psychology. Her goal after graduating is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology or developmental psychology.
Mariya Dang
Major: Biochemestry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cristal Sohl
Mariya Dang was appointed to the MARC program in June 2026. She is majoring in Chemistry with emphasis in Biochemistry and minoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology. Mariya is currently an undergraduate researcher in Dr.Sohl’s Molecular Mechanism of Disease. She is working to examine catalytic and structural characteristics of mutant IDH1 relevant in tumorogenesis and immunotherapy resistance. After graduating from SDSU in May 2028, she plans to pursue a PhD program in Biochemistry or Immunology. Her career goal is participating in research that focuses on the molecular basis of chronic diseases to support better treatment options and outcomes for the patients.
Layla Jones
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Miguel Villodas
Layla Jones is a psychology major with a minor in Counseling and social change. Layla currently conducts research in the Healthy Child and Family Development Lab with Dr. Miguel Villodas. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Layla is passionate about understanding how early life experiences, both positive and negative, affect emotional, social, and cognitive development into adulthood. She is specifically interested in understanding how these experiences can contribute to the onset of mental disorders, and how individuals can power through that.
Neenah Mendez
Major: Marine Biology
Faculty Mentor: Luke Miller
Neenah was appointed to the MARC program in August 2024. She is majoring in Marine Biology at San Diego State University. She is currently an undergraduate researcher in the Miller lab. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Biology to research sustainable solutions to the climate change crisis.
Luke Moore
Major: Physics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Uduak George
Luke Moore was selected for the MARC Program in September 2026. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Physics with minors in Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Studies through the Weber Honors College. Luke is also a Cal-Bridge Scholar, another highly selective PhD preparation program designed for CSU students. He currently conducts undergraduate research under the supervision of Dr. Uduak George, investigating novel methods for diagnosing lung diseases using optimal transport. After graduating, he plans to pursue a PhD in biophysics with a focus on biomedical research. Through his work, Luke hopes to advance biomedical research and contribute to improved approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment.
Sol Nie
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor:
Sol Nie was appointed to the MARC program in September 2026. He is majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in Neuroscience, in addition to a minor in Counseling and Social Change. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. His interest primarily concerns disparities in minority groups in regards to research conducted on psychopathological disorders.
Ella North
Major: Ecology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Donatella Zona
Ella is a third-year undergraduate student at San Diego State University. Her major is Biology with an emphasis in Ecology and she plans to graduate in Spring 2028. Ella is currently working in Dr. Donatella Zona’s lab at SDSU. She joined the Global Change Research Group (GCRG) in Fall 2026 and is getting started by working on a project in the Encinitas Lagoon. The lab is currently taking data on the carbon fluxes in water samples over eelgrass to determine the effects of environmental conditions and temperature on it.
Alina Perez
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Elva Arredondo
Alina was appointed to the MARC program in September 2026. She is currently a Junior majoring in Psychology while being a formal RA. Alina currently conducts research in the REACH Lab with Dr. Arredondo on the Fe en accion research study. Once Alina graduates from her bachelors at SDSU she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology to later on help young kids with mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Alina plans on focusing on early cognitive development of infants. Her main interest is understanding how early experiences shape the infant’s adulthood.
Faith Poutoa
Major: Physics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Matt Anderson
Faith Poutoa was appointed to the MARC program in June 2025. She is majoring in Physics. Under the mentorship of Dr. Matt Anderson, her work focuses on advancing developments in acoustic holography. After completing her undergraduate degree, Faith plans to pursue a Ph.D. in experimental optics. Her career goals are to be the principal investigator of her own research group. She is equally committed to science communication, making complex concepts more accessible to wider audiences.
Alberto Rascon
Major: Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor:Jeremy Long
Alberto was appointed to the MARC program in September 2024. His major is Biochemistry and he is pursuing a minor in Marine Biology.
After completing his bachelor’s degree, he hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Biology with Scripps Institution of Oceanography being his dream school. In the future, he wishes to conduct research within a company or in academia.
William Reyes
Major: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Margaret Friend
William was appointed to the MARC program in Fall 2025. He’s pursuing a degree in Psychology alongside a minor in Statistics. He is a research assistant at the Infant and Child Development Lab, as a part of the Many Numbers Team. The team is studying language development and early numeracy in children ages 30-60 months of age. This project is a component of a larger program of research studying children from 16 to 60 months of age. After obtaining a bachelor degree, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He plans to practice clinical psychology and work towards destigmatizing seeking help with mental health, particularly in marginalized communities, but also to all those who need it.
Tue “Dolpin” Tran
Major: Computer Science
Faculty Mentor: TBD
Tue “Dolphin” Tran is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science at San Diego State University. She strives to understand how systems are designed, who they serve, and ways to ethically leverage computer science to create user-centered and accessible solutions. Her research interests lie at the intersection of computer-human interaction and computational science, with a particular focus on healthcare and community-based applications. Drawing from her international background, Dolphin values interdisciplinary collaboration and integrates global perspectives with data-driven approaches to technology. Her work spans across low-barrier AI-assisted communication systems, healthcare accessibility, and socio-environmental computational analysis. For future goals, Dolphin hopes to pursue a Ph.D in human-computer interaction and an interdisciplinary research-informed career path, ultimately fostering research collaborations between institutions across the United States, Vietnam, and the broader international community.
Samantha Quinones
Major: Cellular & Molecular Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Maya Capelson
Samantha Quinones was appointed to the MARC Program in September 2026. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology. After graduating from SDSU in May 2029, she plans to pursue a PhD in immunology. Samantha is currently an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Capelson’s Epigenetics and Gene Regulation Lab. She has career goals of becoming a research immunologist, working to discover new treatments for patients with autoimmune diseases.
