Julie Schaub (she/her) (President)

Hello, my name is Julie and I am President of BGSD. Previously, I served as the communications chair. As a fourth-year Neuroscience PhD student in the Baas lab, my research focuses on a new variant of a protein that interacts with microtubules. I am studying the role this protein plays in the neuronal cytoskeleton. I am honored to continue the vital work the founders of BGSD started in advocating for increased diversity and crafting a more inclusive environment. It is important to me to use my privilege to improve the access and experience of people from historically excluded backgrounds in academia.

Evangeline “Leanie” Williams (she/her) (Vice President)

My name is Evangeline Williams and I am the current vice-president of BGSD. I completed my MS at Drexel and I am continuing my study as a fourth-year PhD student in Microbiology and Immunology. I joined BGSD because I have always been one of the few black women in STEM growing up and I wanted to surround myself with like-minded individuals. I wanted to ensure that we continued to push for changes within Drexel as well as give back to the Philadelphia community which may encourage young BIPOC to pursue science and make their voices heard.

I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018 where I studied biology, Earth and environmental science and found my interest in zoonotic microbial pathogens. Currently, I work with Dr. Josh Mell studying genomic diversity of bacteria and gene expression changes during biofilm development. Using bioinformatics and eventually machine learning, we will use this to look for biomarkers of pathogenesis which we can use to understand what differentiates healthy commensals from infectious pathogens.

Bridie Eckel (she/her) (Outreach Chair)

I am a fourth-year Neuroscience PhD student in the Baas lab studying the neurodegenerative disease Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (SPG4). As the BGSD Outreach Chair, I work to organize science education events. Access to resources, knowledge related to success in higher education, and formative research experience at a young age is inherently unequal and greatly impacted by external factors. BGSD is striving to change this. Through being a volunteer mentor with Enroot, a Boston-based program to support and empower immigrant youth, I recognized my privilege and realized that the early steps I took to prepare for college and a career in engineering/science stemmed from my college-educated family and not from my public school resources. There are so many exciting areas of science and BGSD hopes to share this through outreach events.

Arron Hall (he/him) (Admissions and Recruitment Liaison)

Hi, my name is Arron Hall. I am a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Wang laboratory. We investigate how brain regions communicate during wakefulness and sleep to mediate memory formation. Along with this organization, I hope to promote diversity and increase academic equity across the greater scientific community. As the acting admissions and recruitment liaison, I took an active part in ensuring Drexel is committed to BGSD values by serving as a member on Drexel's PhD admissions committee. There, I worked alongside faculty members within the program to emphasize and prioritize diversity throughout the admissions process. It is increasingly important that the scientific community holds itself to a higher standard when it comes to diversity and inclusivity. At BGSD, we strive to use what power we have to make that standard a reality.

Alison Bashford (she/her) (Communications Chair)

Hi! My name is Alison Bashford and I am a third-year Neuroscience PhD student in the lab of Dr. Rodrigo España, where I study how dopamine neuron activity influences dopamine neurotransmission and cocaine potency. I joined BGSD because as a woman and first-generation college graduate, I strongly believe in the value of community outreach and increasing diversity in STEM. I am originally from Long Island, NY, and graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2020 where I studied neuroscience and dance. The mission of BGSD is really important to me, and my priority as the communications chair is to increase the number of people we are able to reach at Drexel and in the Philadelphia community. Thus, I’m really excited to help keep the group informed about DEI-related events, initiatives and opportunities to volunteer on Drexel’s campus and in Philadelphia.

Cydney Martin (she/her) (Treasurer)

I am a fourth-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program at Drexel Medicine. In the Raghupathi and Barson labs, I study sex differences in affective behavioral outcomes after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury in adolescent rats and mechanisms in the limbic system which mediate these differences. I am originally from Austin, TX but I went to undergrad at University of New Orleans (in New Orleans, La.) as an adult/non-traditional student and graduated with my BS in biology in 2020. I joined BGSD as I believe in holding the administration accountable in their commitment to diversity, as it is important to have a diverse perspective within teams conducting research. I also want to aid with providing information to underrepresented communities about careers in science and research, and hopefully help to inspire future scientists.

Grace Giddings (she/her) (Social Media Chair)

Hi! My name is Grace Giddings, I am the social media chair of BGSD and a third-year PhD student in Neuroscience. In the lab, I study how neuroimmune interactions influence pain after spinal cord injury. As scientists, I believe that our work doesn’t end when we put the pipette down. I am a passionate advocate of diversity in science and believe that increasing BIPOC representation is crucial in order to address complex scientific questions. Historically, STEM education has failed to include diverse perspectives, halting scientific advancement. In an age of ever-expanding connectivity, social media gives us the ability to reach a wide audience. As the social media chair of BGSD, I hope to provide information on STEM and diversity in a fun and digestible way. By using the tools at our fingertips, we can create a larger pool of diverse STEM researchers.

Ashley Opalka (she/her) (Public Relations Chair, Co-Founder)

Hi everyone, I am a sixth-year Neuroscience PhD student, former BGSD outreach chair (2020-2022), and current BGSD public relations chair. To help increase diversity in STEMM, I created outreach initiatives to encourage students that anyone can become a scientist, while providing resources on how to become a scientist. Now as PR chair, I will help make BGSD efforts more accessible by sharing BGSD wins and works in progress with those looking to work together to make lasting change in STEMM.