UWC SciCol Mentorship Program
A strongly motivated and passionate UWC student seeking guidance in an advanced field?
Want access to a global network of alumni, conducting similar research?
Four-week virtual mentorship, built to equip advanced UWC students in gaining skills in research, entrepreneurship and more. You can apply for up to 3 mentors of interest. If accepted, you will be paired up with a mentor in your field of interest.
2025 Program Dates:
July 2 - August 2
Mentee Eligibility:
1) A current UWC student enrolled at one of the 18 campuses
2) UWC alumni taking gap year(s), or currently enrolled as an undergraduate
Mentee Registration Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT on 23 June, 2025
Meet the Mentors
Quantum Physics
Quantum Computing PhD Student @ Yale
| NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Field: Quantum Computing (Architectures and Algorithms)
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, current UWC students
I’m Rohan Kumar, a Computer Science PhD student at Yale working on Quantum Computing. I’m an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and a Stirling Prize Fellow. Before this, I studied at the University of Chicago and conducted research at UChicago, Oxford, and JPMorganChase. My research focuses on architectures and protocols for practical quantum computing. This field sits between hardware and algorithms, similar to how classical computer systems connect physical processors to software. However, due to the nature of quantum mechanics, my work has a deeper reliance on physics and mathematics compared to classical computers. The main obstacle to building useful quantum computers is noise, which disrupts fragile quantum information. While hardware improvements reduce noise from an engineering standpoint, my work focuses on mitigating or correcting the effect of noise using techniques from physics, math, and computer science to make quantum computing more robust and scalable. Working in the intersection of these three fields means there are many exciting opportunities for creative solutions - ones that you may even find to be very simple! As my mentee, I'll work with you to find an accessible area of quantum computing that matches your interests and help you dive into real research opportunities.
Incoming Quantum Physics PhD @ Harvard
Field: Quantum Technologies with Atomic Platforms
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, current UWC students
Shivam graduated from UWCSEA Dover in 2019, spent two year serving in the Singapore army till 2021, and graduated from the University of Chicago in 2025. He is interested in experimental quantum systems research, specifically in utilizing trapped atoms and optical cavities for modular quantum computing. This fall, he will be starting his PhD in Physics at Harvard focused on this research area. Research projects for mentees can be finalized in conversation between Shivam and the mentees, and can range from research paper literature reviews to light coding projects and the development of pedagogical materials.
Quantum Optics PhD @ UColorado Boulder
Field: Experimental Quantum Optics
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, current UWC students
My name is Thi, alumna of UWC Dilijan '16 originally from Viet Nam. UWC opened the door of physics for me amid a society of a lot of bias against women doing the "hard sciences". After majoring in physics at Middlebury College, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. given there was so much more for me to learn. Today, I am a graduate student at JILA/University of Colorado Boulder, where I research single photon generation as a quantum light source. A lot of modern physicists are concerned with the question of interactions at the nanoscale, for which photon-atom is a fruitful venue to experiment. That motivates many of us to create a good single photon source - a source of light that is quantum by nature - to push our understanding and to enable new technologies. One project you can work with me on is the calculation of Purcell enhancement, a phenomenon where light-atom interaction gets enhanced by being confined in microscopic space, where you will learn about quantum phenomena, cavity QED, and produce a meaningful calculation to the research. (to organizers: optional to add if there's space) With my personal experience and experience organizing e.g. the APS CU*iP conference (for women in physics), I will also be helpful to those from nontraditional background wanting to pursue physics.
Plasma Physics
Plasma Physics PhD @ Imperial College London
Field: Plasma Physics
Open to mentoring: Current UWC students
I'm a Plasma Physics PhD at Imperial College London. My research envolves using laser-plasma interations for particle acceleration - Laser Wakefield Acceleration (LWFA). LWFA reduces the scale of the accelerators required to generate high energy particles, these particles can then be used for particles physics, x-ray generation, medical and industrial applications. The field is broad, incorporating laser, plasma and particle physics, so the project can very much be catered to your area of interest. A fun project could include using numerical methods to find solutions to the 1D wave equations (computational), this can also be done analytically with greens functions (mathematical). If there is more interest in the particle side we could try doing some target optimisation for electron beam parameters (energy, emittance etc) using a lightweight tracking code. A ray tracing project (computational) could be an option for those interested in lasers.
Condensed Matter Physics
Postdoc @ University of Hamburg
Field: Condensed Matter Physics
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
Emergent complexity is when complex collective behavior emerges in a large collection of simple building blocks that interact with each other in simple ways. In other words, when the whole is more complex than the sum of its parts. This is the fundamental theme underlying all of my research interests, ranging from moiré materials to quasicrystals to collective phenomena and cellular automata. I have extensively studied a few beautiful examples of emergent complexity in the context of condensed matter physics, which is the study of the macroscopic properties of solid materials (made up of gazillions of simple constituent atoms). Superconductors, semiconductors, and magnets are all examples of materials with emergent properties, and they form the backbone of the ongoing technological revolution. In the mini-project, we will focus on how to mathematically understand emergent phenomena using the classic Ising model: a landmark statistical physics model that has applications in wide-ranging topics such as magnetism, neuroscience, neural networks, geology, and even the dynamics of social systems. You will need some programming experience and basic linear algebra (Math HL would suffice).
Particle Physics
Particle Physics PhD @ Caltech
Field: Physics/particle physics/experimental physics/ high energy physics
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, current UWC students
I am Huma, a 3rd year graduate student at Caltech. My research is in high energy particle experimental physics, but I spend more time coding than in the lab. I went to a liberal arts school for my BSc in physics with a minor in math. A lot of my coding is in C++, python and Root. I am unsure about my future plans but if things go well I hope to move to Europe or Australia and continue doing physics. During my time in undergrad I worked on 3 research projects; one in water desalination (more engineering), one looking at the rotation curve of the milky way galaxy as evidence of dark matter (computational astrophysics) and the last in axion dark matter searches (computational/experimental) particle physics)
Astrophysics
Software Engineer @ Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Field: Submillimeter / FIR astrophysics and technologies
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
Entrepreneurship
Biodesign Innovation Fellow | Cofounder @Skywalk | Knight-Hennessy Scholar & Physicist @Stanford
Field: Neural interface (physicist by training)
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates
I attended UWC-USA 2012-2014 and completed my undergraduate at Williams College, followed by a PhD at Stanford. My training background is in physics, started in optics (AMO physics) but ended up working on neutral interfaces during my PhD, building wireless retinal prostheses for sight restoration in blind patients. I cofounded a startup during grad school, building wearable human-computer interfaces (HCI). Most recently, I returned to Stanford and just finished my training in Biodesign Innovation Fellowship, refocusing my effort on medical innovations.
Founder @Curlywags | Building CurlyWags: Science-Backed Grooming for Curly-Coated Dogs | Patented Product Innovator
Field: Startup Founder, Software Engineering, AI/ML, systems, Entrepreneurship
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates and Current UWC Students
I’m Tiffany, a Stanford alum with a background in Symbolic Systems, specializing in artificial intelligence. My professional journey has spanned research, engineering, and entrepreneurship, with a strong focus on using science and technology to solve real-world problems. I’ve worked on AI product teams at companies including Meta, Salesforce, and Ethereum, and hold a patent in applied AI. I’ve also worked in the behavioral science lab of BJ Fogg and also did research for Stanford’s Solar Car solar array team. My work often bridges technical depth with human-centered design, which has also led me to found a startup that combines cosmetic science, veterinary expertise, and behavioral research. I'm currently filing patents for both a formulation and a functional tool design. In parallel to my work in technology and product innovation, I’ve contributed to the field of mental health. I was published in a top psychiatry journal and supported social impact ventures as part of a mental health accelerator. I’d love to mentor students interested in psychology, behavioral design, AI, or science-backed product development. For those interested in a project, I’d be happy to support a light, exploratory research or prototyping project tailored to the student’s interests and goals.
Biomedical Engineering
Hana Kalčo
BME PhD @ Boston University
Field: Biomedical Engineering, Orthopedics
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC Students
I'm a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering with a background in biomechanics and musculoskeletal biology. I studied Biomedical Engineering which combines engineering principles with medicine. Currently, I’m examining how injury signals from one tissue (e.g., muscle damage) influence the health and repair of neighboring tissues (e.g., tendon and bone), with the goal of informing regenerative therapies for musculoskeletal injuries. As a mentor, I’d love for mentees to learn more about biomedical engineering and explore projects in orthopedics. I also value interdisciplinary thinking, so mentees with an interest in mechanics, chemical engineering, or regenerative medicine are especially welcome.
Neuroscience
Cambridge Gates Scholar | Knight-Hennessy Scholar | MD at Stanford School of Medicine
Field: Neurosurgery, cancer immunology, neuroscience
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates
Hoang Minh Hieu Nguyen, from Di Linh, Vietnam, is pursuing an MD at Stanford School of Medicine. They earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Middlebury College and a master of philosophy in clinical neurosciences from the University of Cambridge. Hieu aspires to combine science, the arts, and entrepreneurship to improve healthcare quality and access for global populations burdened by chronic disease. Hieu has contributed to advancing our understanding of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases through research at Middlebury College, Rockefeller University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Cambridge, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. As a Social Entrepreneurship Fellow at Middlebury, they collaborated with the Kenyan Ministry of Health and the World Telehealth Initiative to establish Kenya’s first telemedicine system. This program provides lifesaving services, including dialysis, to Longisa, where such services were once unreachable. Hieu is a recipient of the Elbert C. Cole ’15 Memorial Prize, the Phi Beta Kappa prize, and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. In addition to Stanford, Hieu has offered M.D. admissions at Harvard Medical School with a full REACH scholarship and Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Life Sciences Consultant and ex-European Chief of Staff @ L.E.K. | Imperial, Brown and UWC alumna
Field: Neuroscience / Epigenetics / Pharmaceutical research / Oncology
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
I'm Chiara, I'm originally from Albania and I attended AC 2008-10. I'm a scientist by training, having studied Cell & Molecular Biology at Brown University, followed by a couple of years of research in biopharma at AstraZeneca, and having completed a PhD in neuroscience and epigenetics at Imperial College London. My PhD project focused on understanding the role of malnutrition during pregnancy on the brain development and behaviour of the offspring. My passion has always been to advance healthcare innovation for better patient outcomes, so after my PhD I pivoted briefly to working for a UK based HealthTech startup, and for the last 4 years I have worked in strategy management consulting, where I help pharma and biotech companies on a range of topics, including bring new products to the market, expanding to new geographies, and making investment decisions as a business.
Neuroscience Research Associate @ NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Field: Neurobiology of disease
Will be co-mentoring with a PhD student
Alima Dean
Undergrad @ Cornell University | Biology & LSAMP Scholar
Field: Biological Sciences and Statistics
Open to co-mentoring: Current UWC students
I'm Alima Deen, and I am a rising junior undergraduate student at Cornell University majoring in Biometry & Statistics and Biological Sciences. I went to UWC Red Cross Nordic and graduated in 2023. My research interests lie at the intersection of computational and systems biology. Currently, I work on bioinformatics and statistical genomics projects, where I analyze genomic assay data and develop visualization tools to support large-scale DNA sequencing analysis. Looking ahead, I hope to integrate this work with modeling of gene and cellular networks, using tools from machine learning and deep learning to better understand complex biological systems.
Immunology
PhD student in Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge
Field: Immune System in Parkinson's Disease
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
I am a current second year PhD student at the University of Cambridge with a research interest in neuroinflammation, studying the role of the innate immune system on Parkinson's disease. I also hold a bachelor's degree in biomedical science from King's College London and a master's degree in immunology from Imperial College London.
Elena Tonc
Visiting Assistant Professor @ Macalester College
Field: Immunology/biology
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates
Visiting Professor at a small liberal arts college in the last 4 years, starting a new tenure-track position at Hamilton College this summer. Imunology PhD with various research experiences from cancer biology, cancer immunology, inflammation and chronic pain.
Biophysics
Platform Development and Integration @ Protillion Biosciences
Field: Biophysics/Biochemistry; protein/DNA sequencing methods, protein therapeutics
Open to mentoring: Current UWC Students
Hi, I'm Melania (UWC Atlantic College alum). I'm a scientist who thrives at the intersection of biology, physics, and engineering. I studied Physics at Princeton, earned my PhD in Biophysics from UC Berkeley, and conducted research at the Francis Crick Institute in London. For several years, my work focused on the molecular machinery involved in DNA replication. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combined structural biology, high-resolution imaging, and optical tweezers, I explored the forces, movements, and protein interactions that drive this fundamental cellular process. I transitioned into industry few years ago to help build innovative technologies that harness the power of protein complexes. Since then, I’ve worked on DNA and protein sequencing platforms, DNA-based data storage, and currently lead the development of a high-throughput protein engineering platform designed to accelerate the creation of new therapeutics.
Biophysics PhD @ KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Field: Biophysics, Microscopy, Cell Biology
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC Students
Hi! I am Bruno, and I graduated from UWC Mostar in 2017. I originally come from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after UWC, I moved to Minnesota to finish my BA in Biology at Macalester College. After graduating in 2021, I briefly came back to UWC Mostar to teach IB DP Biology for a year, before moving to Stockholm, Sweden to complete my MSc degree in Molecular Life Sciences at Karolinska Institutet. I am currently a PhD Student in Biophysics at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and I work in Science for Life Laboratory, a national and international hub for Molecular Biosciences! My research focuses on application of super-resolution microscopy techniques for cell biology. Looking forward to connecting and thinking about the science path in teaching, academia and beyond!
Cell Biology
PhD Student at UMich MCDB
Field: Cell biology + Cancer biology
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC Students
I’m Harshita, a first-year PhD student in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. I graduated with honors in Biochemistry and a minor in Genetics from NYU, where I conducted structural biology research on Microsporidia using cryo-electron tomography. I’ve since rotated in labs studying DNA repair, telomere biology, and mammary epithelial cell signaling in cancer models. My research trajectory has moved towards cancer biology, bridging structural, molecular, and cell biology approaches. I’m currently focused on how tight junction proteins regulate epithelial behavior during cancer progression, using 3D organoid models, imaging, and genetic perturbations. For mentees, I’m excited to support those exploring intersections between biology, research, and science communication. Potential mini-projects could include guided paper discussions, experimental design exercises, or exploring primary literature in cancer or developmental biology. Workload will be flexible and tailored to the mentee’s interests and goals. As an international student, I’m especially eager to mentor those navigating early-stage research paths and academia with similar backgrounds.
Microbiology
Microbe-Host Interactions Graduate Program PhD @ Vanderbilt
Field: Microbiology and biochemistry
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC Students
Hi! I'm Chiamaka from Nigeria. I attended UWC Mahindra College (2015-2017) before earning my Biochemistry degree at Bowdoin College in 2021. My passion for research grew through undergraduate summer projects in environmental chemistry and biochemistry, and a year-long capstone project during my senior year. These research experiences inspired me to pursue a PhD. In 2021, I was admitted into Vanderbilt's Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences and I joined the Microbe-Host Interactions graduate program. My current research explores how Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that lives in the stomachs of about half of the global population, assembles a specialized secretion system to inject a cancer-causing protein called CagA into stomach cells.
Inorganic Chemistry
Chemistry PhD at University of Washington, Seattle
Field: Chemistry -- Inorganic/ Materials Chemistry
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
Hi, my name is Oliver Wang. I’m from China and the US and I graduated from UWCCSC in 2020. I went to Bowdoin College in Maine, where I got to enjoy lobster, nature activities like whitewater rafting and snowboarding, and met some of the most caring and interesting people there. Currently, I’m a first-year inorganic chemistry graduate student at the University of Washington. My research is on synthesizing and investigating the optical properties of novel semiconductors nanocrystals. These are quantum-confined nanometer-sized crystals whose colors change depending on their size and what metal ions they consist of. Some applications include efficient lighting devices, spin memory devices, and photovoltaic absorbers for solar cells. Over the summer, I am looking forwards to mentoring a motivated student whose interest falls in inorganic chemistry or materials science. This can involve topics such as clean energy research or any project that doesn’t involve working in an actual laboratory. I’m here to guide you through the process of how to find and dive deeper into a project that excites you, equip you with the knowledge necessary to do so, and hope that we can both learn something novel out of the project!
Epidemiology
Jovana Jovanovska
Epidemiology PhD @ Wisconsin Madison
Field: Epidemiology/Biostatistics/Alzheimer's Disease/Genomics
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
I'm Jovana Jovanovska and I'm currently a 3rd year PhD student in Epidemiology at UW-Madison. I graduated from UWCiM in 2018, did Global Citizen Year (now Tilting Futures) in Senegal in 2019, and then earned my undergraduate degree in biology and politics with a minor in data science at Lake Forest College in 2023. My current work is related to Alzheimer's disease and genomics, or more specifically, what role does genetic risk play in when people develop Alzheimer's Disease. Most people have become more familiar with the field of epidemiology due to COVID, but a fun way to explain is that we are "health detectives", so we study what kind of exposures lead to a certain disease or outcome. I’m excited to mentor students who are curious about fields like public health, health communication, statistics, biology, and genomics!
Computer Science
Machine Learning PhD @ Harvard
Field: Immune System in Parkinson's Disease
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
I am a third-year PhD student at Harvard Computer Science Department, and a member of the Machine Learning Foundations Group. My research centers around data-centric AI and the science underlying foundational models. Specifically, I focus on developing synthetic data generation techniques to enhance model capabilities and utilizing sandbox approaches to better understand these models' behaviors. At UWC Science Collective, I would like to work with mentees on AI for Science, thinking about how we can leverage AI in an interdisciplinary to accelerate research in other scientific fields.
CS PhD @ Cornell
Field: Computer Science, Machine Learning
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates
CS PhD @ LTI-CMU
Field: Natural Language Processing, ML System
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC students
Science Communication
Lead Scientific Communication @ Ad Scientiam
Field: Developmental Biology (PhD) and Science Communication
Open to mentoring: Undergraduates, Current UWC Students
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