DLS Student Ambassadors
- Shrivatsa Karanam
- Graduation Year: 2028
- Major: Exercise Science
- Minor(s): Philosophy
- Hometown: South Brunswick, NJ
- Career Interest: Orthopedic Surgeon
- Fun Fact: My hobbies include going to the gym, rock climbing, and cooking. I also practice taekwondo and love to spend time in nature.
- What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
I am involved in a club called IDIA, the Institute for International and Domestic Affairs, as well as part of Phi Delta Epsilon. I also work as a lab assistant at AMP Labs.
- Sharon Joseph Pulikottil
- Graduation Year: 2028
- Major: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
- Minor(s): Computer Science
- Hometown: Plainsboro, NJ
- Career Interest: Physician/Scientist
- Fun Fact: I enjoy reading and listening to contemporary poetry, with favorites including “Maga Hat in the Chemo Room” by Andrea Gibson and “Miles from Any Shoreline” by Sarah Kay. I’m also an avid reader whenever I can find the time. Recently, I’ve loved Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, while my all-time favorites remain the classics Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
- What was your favorite class and why?:
One of my favorite classes has been Computational Genetics, a course specifically designed for students without prior experience in coding or computer science. The first half of the semester focused on introducing Python, while the second half centered on applying tools such as Biopython, MAFFT, FastTree, and ToyTree. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in exploring the applications of computer science in the life sciences.
- What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
I volunteer as a Crisis Counselor with the 988 Crisis Text Line and work with memory care residents at my local senior living center. At Rutgers, I was a member of RU Natya, a competitive Indian classical dance team, where I had the opportunity to travel across the U.S. for competitions and create lasting memories with an incredible group of teammates. I am also an undergraduate researcher in the Grant Lab, studying C. elegans and focusing on an extracellular vesicle called an exopher, which is involved in clearing “trash” from neurons. Most recently, I participated in the Aresty Summer Science Program.
- Nivedita Ilangovan
- Graduation Year: 2028
- Major: Genetics
- Minor(s): Public Health
- Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ
- Career Interest: Physician working in the public health sector.
- Fun Fact: Some of my favorite hobbies include baking, reading, playing pickleball, and watching movies!
- What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class so far was a course I took for my minor called Global Health Perspectives. It was very discussion-based and definitely informed the impact I want to make in my future career. I learned a lot from my professor about how health is shaped by social determinants such as income, education, and the built environment-- not just the biological factors that we typically focus on. It was also interesting to learn about different types of health systems and how cultural beliefs influence the way people view and access care around the world.
- What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
At Rutgers, I'm an Honors College Peer Mentor and a Learning Assistant for Calculus 135. I am also conducting psychiatry and adolescent-focused research under Dr. Rabinowitz through RWJMS. Outsider of that, I volunteer as an EMT for my local first aid squad!
- Andrea Gonzalez
- Graduation Year: 2028
- Major: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
- Minor(s): Chemistry, Math and Spanish
- Hometown: Bayonne, NJ
- Career Interest: Research
- Fun Fact: I love to bake (even if my creations don’t always turn out perfectly), travel to new places, and stay active through exercise.
- What was your favorite class and why?:
My favorite class I've taken, thus far, is Knowledge and Power : Issues in Women’s Leadership. This class was thought-provoking and challenged me to see myself, my education, and the world in new and transformative ways.
- What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
At Rutgers, I serve as the Secretary of RUEP (Unión Estudiantil Puertorriqueña), an Honors Ambassador, and an Honors Peer Mentor, while also working as a server at Henry's Diner and conducting research in nutritional sciences.
- Colin Fang
- Graduation Year: 2027
- Major: Biological Sciences
- Hometown: Cherry Hill, NJ
- Career Interest: Physician (Academic Medicine eventually)
- Fun Fact: I play Rutgers Club Pickleball, annoy my roommate playing trumpet, and am trying to obtain a Vineyard Vines sponsorship.
- What was your favorite class and why?:
Peer Instructor Education, because it was a class full of like-minded people who had the same passion for education, and it was a breath of fresh air from science classes.
- What other Rutgers activities and extracurricular activities do you participate in?:
I am heavily involved with a lot of premed clubs, including AMSA, AED, and CBN Society. This upcoming year, I am working closely with the HPO to run the HPO Ambassadors program as well as teaching a FIGS and being an RA. Finally, I work as a CCT at RWJ, volunteer at East Jersey State prison, and am a tutor for ODASIS.