DLS Student Ambassadors

Males Miladinov
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Exercise Science
Minor(s): Nutrition
Hometown: Old Bridge, NJ
Career Interest: MD, Orthopedics
Fun Fact: I am a health and fitness enthusiast, and have a deep passion for graphite drawing!
What was your favorite class and why?:
Thus far at Rutgers, my favorite class that I took has to be General Physics 2. By learning basic circuits, you can have an idea as to how the lamp in your living room turns on and off through a flick of a light switch. The discovery of alternating current (AC) has transcended society in many ways, aiding in the creation of technology such as MRI scanners, X-ray machines, dishwashers, and even hair dryers. Widely regarded as a tough subject, the applicability in everyday life is incomparable.
What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
At Rutgers, I am the current Treasurer of American Medical Students Association (AMSA) and an Undergraduate Research Assistant for AMP Lab in the Department of Kinesiology and Health. Off campus, I am a co-founder of a non-profit called Operation Exercise NJ, and a Clinical Care Technician and Emergency Department Scribe at RWJ University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. In my free time, I am a fitness junky and love exercising.

Duaa Raza
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
Hometown: Wayne, NJ
Career Interest: Clinical Researcher
Fun Fact: I love collecting postcards from my travels and have a goal to visit every state in the United States. So far, I’ve visited 19!
What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class so far has been Fundamentals of Cell Biology. I really enjoyed learning how to read cell signal transduction diagrams and discussing exciting innovations in the field with my professor and classmates!
What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
At Rutgers, I am part of the Douglass College Women in Science and Engineering program and received a Project SUPER fellowship to conduct research on novel DNA transfection platforms at the Biomedical Engineering Building. I also volunteer as an SAS Honors Peer Tutor in General and Organic Chemistry and have served as a first responder with my town's local First Aid and Rescue Squad. I am currently serving as a Chief Clinical Research Intern at the Loddenkemper Research Laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital, where I am involved in a study investigating biomarkers to enhance the accuracy of wearable seizure prediction devices.

Sourish Bandaru
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Cell Biology and Neuroscience
Hometown: Jersey City, NJ
Career Interest: I want to become a physician and am leaning towards ophthalmology as a specialty but I'm still exploring.
Fun Fact: Some of my hobbies are sports such as tennis and badminton. I also love playing chess and enjoy Bollywood dance.
What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class at Rutgers was Fundamentals of Neurobiology. It was really interesting to learn about how our nervous system works and my favorite part in the class was learning about the neurobiology behind senses and emotions.
What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
I'm currently a peer mentor for the SASHP Peer Mentor Program. I'm also part of the general member dance team for RU Sangam, a South Indian organization. I do research in Dr. Haggblom's lab at Rutgers, which investigates the biodegradation of pollutant chemicals and characterization of novel microbes. Outside of Rutgers, I work as a medical assistant at an internal medicine practice and volunteer at Crisis Text Line, where I help de-escalate texter's mental health crises.

Manuel Espinoza
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Genetics
Additional Major(s): Psychology
Hometown: Jersey City, NJ
Career Interest: Genetic Counseling
Fun Fact: I love riding my Z125 motorcycle around town and enjoy listening to the Dropouts Podcast.
What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class this year has to be Personality Psychology. It's greatly helped me reflect on myself and recognize possible reasons for my behavioral patterns. I found the class to be applicable to so many real-life scenarios especially with my younger brothers so I would highly recommend it to others.
What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
I'm a Calculus 135 LA Assistant where I support and motivate students to achieve academic success in the classroom. In the upcoming semester I'll be helping mentor new LA's to ensure they are prepared to support. I'm also on the E-Board for the Association of Undergraduate Geneticists (AUG) and recently created Genetic Counseling Interest Club (GCIC), where we hope to share information and encourage students to look into a not as popularly known medical profession.

Siri Dasari
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Genetics
Additional Major(s): Psychology
Minor(s): Business Administration
Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
Career Interest: Cardiothoracic Surgery
Fun Fact: I love staying active with the Rutgers Women’s Wrestling Club, after having wrestled throughout high school!
What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class was Essentials of Cell Biology and Neuroscience with Dr. Uzwiak. The professor's teaching style and knowledge of the subject made the topics super interesting and allowed me to retain a lot of what I learned.
What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
At Rutgers, I'm an Honors College Peer Mentor and part of Phi Delta Epsilon, where I'm an Academic Chair. I'm also active as a member of the Rutgers Women's Wrestling Club, and a representative in the Club Sports Advisory Board! Outside of Rutgers, I work as an EMT at RWJ and at Morgan First Aid Squad, where I support the organization as the Financial Secretary. I also love spending time as a research assistant in the Buettner lab at RWJMS.