Kira Mills, President (she/they)
I grew up in Tampa, Florida, but have lived in Texas for almost 10 years now. Before coming to UTD, I earned my B.S. from Texas A&M University – Commerce, becoming the first person in my family to get a college degree. While there, I was a proud McNair Scholar, which helped me navigate my first research experience and getting into a PhD program. Here at UTD, I worked with Dr. Nielsen and now with Dr. Torabifard, where I’m able to study proteins using Molecular Dynamics simulations. In my free time, I enjoy crafting, thrift-shopping, and hiking, and I foster dogs for local shelters with my partner. I’m a massive advocate for mental health education and support, having dealt with my own mental illness, as well as for enforcing an actual work-life balance. My goal is to make the time you spend in our department as enjoyable as possible. As such, I will gladly help you find any resources you might need. I’ve also spent a lot of time exploring DFW and am more than happy to give recommendations on bars, parks, entertainment, and restaurants (I am a bit biased towards Tex-Mex though, having Tejano roots myself), so feel free to reach out! |
Mohammad Abbas, Treasurer (he/him)
I'm Abbas, a graduate student working with Prof. Kenneth Balkus. I was born and raised in Pakistan and did my undergraduate and master's in chemistry. Currently, I am working on the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to design new structures and explore their magnetic and fluorescent properties. This is attractive enough for me, as I can cook cool crystals (some good blue stuff!!!). During leisure time, either I'm playing games, looking after my plants at home or garden, or trying new foods across the town. Being a fellow graduate student, I am always happy to learn about your work and discuss possible solutions. Being a part of CGSA, I am particularly interested in finding resources for graduate students for professional development, career navigation, and getting connected to professional communities. |
Karen Cortes, Sustainability Officer (she/her)
I was born and raised in Mexico and got my Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry from the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos in 2018. During and after my BS, I worked as a sales representative for a laboratory supply company, and as a research assistant in the CONACyT-SNI program. I was part of the UT Dallas-Mexico Summer Research Program 2018 and joined the Smaldone Lab in fall 2019, currently being supported by a CONACyT scholarship. I am an environmental enthusiast and hope to direct my research to develop environmentally friendly materials for 3D printing. In my free time I enjoy doing activism for animal rights and the environment. And through my role in CGSA I hopes to inspire all graduate students and faculties to live and work more sustainably. |
Jonathan Martinez-Garcia, Diversity Officer (he/she/they)
Hello folks! I’m Jonathan, Diversity Officer for the CGSA, my main goal in this position is to create a safe and inclusive environment within our Chemistry Department, that embraces every person intersectionality. I was born and raised in Toluca, Mexico where I got my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMéx). My professional experience includes working as pharmaceutical quality assurance inspector, scientific sale representative and science teacher in high-school level. Currently, I’m part of the Meloni Lab, and my research focuses on the study of transmembrane proteins responsible of copper homeostasis during Tuberculosis disease. On my spare time, I enjoy hiking, swimming, baking, and playing videogames. I’m also an advocate for LGBTQ+ community. Remember everybody is welcome at UTD 😊 |
Himanshu Polara, Student Coordinator Chair (he/him)
I am often called by my first name “Himanshu” or my last name “Patel”. I grew up in Gujarat, India. I flew to the United States to pursue a master’s from Pittsburg State in 2018. I enjoyed doing research on drug delivery treatment in Pitt State and wanted to explore the field. During my master’s, I worked on drug delivery projects, especially on breast and prostate cancer. I graduated during Pandemic, and I was thrilled to join the UT Dallas campus in Fall 2020. I am a graduate student here and working with Dr. Stefan on synthesizing the polymeric micelles used in drug delivery treatment for breast cancer. I love to help people, and that’s why I joined CGSA as an Incoming Student Coordinator. I know that first year students often find it difficult to settle in new culture, offices, lab works, and social life and to make it better, I am here. I would love to help you transiting to our UT Dallas culture. In my free time, I love swimming, volleyball, and hiking. |
Hasna Begam, Student Coordinator (she/her)
Hola! My name is Hasna Begam, a first-year graduate student all the way from a beautiful small island, Sri Lanka. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and joined the University of Texas at Dallas to pursue my graduate studies. My passion for bioanalytical chemistry got into me joining Stelling's Lab, which works on solution-state bioanalytical methods to probe molecular interactions in proteins and nucleic acids. I enjoy photography, music, cooking, and baking in my free time! I love to recreate my mom's recipes and newfound recipes to bring a bit of family closer to me. Moving across continents to work towards your goals takes courage and self-motivation, and it's not always easy to overcome the new obstacles all by yourself. With my CGSA team, I hope to be an excellent resource to to all the new and current graduate students by helping them in the best ways possible! |
Ayala Ben David, Outreach Event Chair (she/her)
Hi! I'm Ayala Ben David, the Outreach Officer for the CGSA. I was born in Israel, but have lived in the US, particularly in Texas, for most of my life. I came to UTD as an undergraduate and loved it so much I stayed on for graduate studies. I've been here for quite a while, so if you have questions about UTD, its campus and resources, or Dallas in general, you're welcome to reach out. I'm in the Gevorgyan Group as an organic chemist, currently interested in the use of photoswitches for biological applications. In my free time I can be found smothering my cat Pepper with affection or showing pictures of her to everyone I meet. Occasionally, I draw for fun. If you ever want to chat (or see some cat pictures), I'm pacing by my fume hood or doodling at my desk 😊 |