This article originally appeared in the fall 2019 edition of the School of Education's magazine, Advancing. To view a PDF, click here.
Fellowship Donors: Dr. Arnold ('90) and Esther Gutierrez
Inspired by UCI’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, the long-time chemist and his wife have established a fellowship for underrepresented undergraduates in STEM.
In an effort to help underrepresented students gain lab experience and pursue graduate school in a STEM field, Dr. Arnold Gutierrez and his wife, Esther, this summer established the Gutierrez Family STEM Fellowship.
The fellowship is awarded to a junior or senior STEM student who has interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in STEM. The fellow is matched with a faculty advisor and research lab for the summer, and enrolled in UCI’s Summer Research Scholars Program so that he/she can augment the undergraduate research experience and facilitate support from peers participating in research labs. Gutierrez graduated from UCI in 1990 with a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. In 1992, he began a 15-year career at Gilead Sciences Inc. where, among other things, he co-lead a research group to develop and implement the full-scale manufacturing process for two drugs which were later co-formulated into a single medicine, Truvada. The drug both treats HIV infection and reduces the risk of HIV infection. |
In 2017, UCI was designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which requires that at least one quarter of undergraduates identify as Latino. UCI is also an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution.
The HSI designation inspired the Gutierrez family to establish the fellowship. The family now hopes the fellowship inspires others to contribute and support underrepresented populations in their pursuit of graduate school.
“A lot of my dreams came true thanks to my education,” Gutierrez said. “I have an appreciation for UCI and a recognition that the institution is making the best effort to help underrepresented populations.”
The HSI designation inspired the Gutierrez family to establish the fellowship. The family now hopes the fellowship inspires others to contribute and support underrepresented populations in their pursuit of graduate school.
“A lot of my dreams came true thanks to my education,” Gutierrez said. “I have an appreciation for UCI and a recognition that the institution is making the best effort to help underrepresented populations.”
The fellowship is available to all students who qualify for the UCI CAMP program (see page 18), or are involved with the Mexican American Engineers and Scientists club (MAES). CAMP is one of the many programs hosted by the Center for Educational Partnerships (CFEP), a robust center in the School of Education that creates collaborations to support preparation for and success in higher education. Its programs support UCI undergraduates from all majors. Working in concert with the CFEP, the School of Education is creating opportunities for students in all disciplines to achieve the American Dream. “The CFEP works to level the playing field and ensure that all students have the chance to achieve their full potential,” said Stephanie Reyes-Tuccio, assistant vice chancellor, educational partnerships at UCI. “Unfortunately, the financial demands of a college education can interfere with a student’s ability to focus on their studies and take advantage of all the campus has to offer. The generosity of the Gutierrez Family will provide an opportunity for an academic experience that can change the trajectory of a student’s life and future career.” The inaugural recipient of the Gutierrez Family STEM Fellowship is Jessica M. Herrera. A native of Calexico, Calif., Herrera is a fourth-year biomedical engineering student and will be the first person in her family to graduate from college. |
“The Gutierrez Family STEM Fellowship will help me in my journey to obtain a Ph.D. because it will provide me with the necessary financial resources to be in the laboratory, focus on my research, present at conferences, and apply to graduate programs in the fall,” Herrera said. “I am honored to receive the fellowship, and I am very thankful to the Gutierrez family for this opportunity and their support.”
Herrera, who wants to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and become a professor, was inspired by a trip to the emergency room nine years ago. Her grandmother’s kidneys were failing and, being the only bilingual person in the room, Herrera communicated between the doctors and her family. She also learned of the different technologies that helped clean her grandmother’s blood and save her life, and became determined to create similar medical devices in the future.
As part of the fellowship, Herrera conducted research this summer in the DELTAi Lab (Directing Engineering & Life-science Translational Advances @ Irvine) under the supervision of Dr. Kyriacos Athanasiou, distinguished professor at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. DELTAi is an interdisciplinary group whose objective is to repair articular cartilage defects through implantation of tissue engineered neocartilage. Cartilage degradation develops in approximately 31 million Americans each year, and current treatment options are ineffective in the long run.
Like the Gutierrez family, Herrera understands the importance of supporting her community. She works for Mathematics Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA), where she visits middle and high schools in underrepresented communities and helps motivate students to pursue STEM. She is also the founder and president of the Imperial Valley Society of Outreach and Leadership at UCI. In the role, Herrera engages in her hometown community of the Imperial Valley to inform students about college life, and motivate them to pursue higher education.
“Jessica is the exact type of person I imagined receiving the fellowship,” Gutierrez said. “She has goals and desires, and she will succeed. And once finished, she too will give back to her community.”
Herrera, who wants to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and become a professor, was inspired by a trip to the emergency room nine years ago. Her grandmother’s kidneys were failing and, being the only bilingual person in the room, Herrera communicated between the doctors and her family. She also learned of the different technologies that helped clean her grandmother’s blood and save her life, and became determined to create similar medical devices in the future.
As part of the fellowship, Herrera conducted research this summer in the DELTAi Lab (Directing Engineering & Life-science Translational Advances @ Irvine) under the supervision of Dr. Kyriacos Athanasiou, distinguished professor at the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. DELTAi is an interdisciplinary group whose objective is to repair articular cartilage defects through implantation of tissue engineered neocartilage. Cartilage degradation develops in approximately 31 million Americans each year, and current treatment options are ineffective in the long run.
Like the Gutierrez family, Herrera understands the importance of supporting her community. She works for Mathematics Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA), where she visits middle and high schools in underrepresented communities and helps motivate students to pursue STEM. She is also the founder and president of the Imperial Valley Society of Outreach and Leadership at UCI. In the role, Herrera engages in her hometown community of the Imperial Valley to inform students about college life, and motivate them to pursue higher education.
“Jessica is the exact type of person I imagined receiving the fellowship,” Gutierrez said. “She has goals and desires, and she will succeed. And once finished, she too will give back to her community.”