Meet Our Students

Michael Gabriel Fasci

Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska

Ethnicity or heritage: Asian Hispanic

Major: Bioengineering/Pre-Med

Future Career Goals: I plan to pursue attending medical school and/or earn a Ph.D. in Bioengineering.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA program because it gave me the opportunity to engage in research very early in college and opened the doors to meet with professors and other people in my field of interest. I believed that the chance to build experience, connections, and receive a financial stipend would help support my career.

Research activities: I am currently searching for a research lab that I am interested in. I plan on being committed to a lab soon. I am mainly looking for a lab that would be willing to teach me and build my experience. I would also love to work in a lab that works with stem cells, gene editing, or tissue engineering.

Quintic Jacob

Hometown: Wapato, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Native American / Filipino / Caucasian

Major: Biomedical Engineering /Pre-Med

Future Career Goals: My goal for the future is to make it into graduate school focusing on cancer research.

Research Activities: I have worked in the Department of Agriculture for two years working on apple and cherry fruit flies focusing on environmental differences between East and West side flies, then using that data to create a safer and more effective pesticide.

Interesting fact: I have the Seal of Biliteracy in the Yakama language (Ichishkiin).

Tiana Emily LaFollette

Hometown: Zillah, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Hispanic

Major: Neuroscience

Minor: Mathematics

Future Career Goals: My goal would be to of course, get my Ph.D. in Neuroscience, but the final goal would be to always be in a research lab continuing to learn more and more about the brain and its functions.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined MIRA because I knew it would give me that extra push I needed to get into research, let alone college itself. MIRA gave me so many more opportunities than I could have ever gotten on my own, and it got me into labs IMMEDIATELY. I love everything that MIRA has and will give me, and I cannot wait to see the path that MIRA is helping me pave for my education.

Research activities: Currently I am blessed to be a part of Dr. Gary Wayman’s lab. Even though I have barely started, I can already I love the research as it focuses on the brain and certain aspects of it. I am giddy to see where Dr. Wayman’s lab will take me research-wise.

Interesting fact: A great fun fact about me is that I am first-generation! Another fun fact about me is that I have broken/ sprained more than eight bones in my lifetime, and crossing my fingers that number won’t go up!

Kaitlyn Saucedo 

Hometown: El Paso, Texas 

Ethnicity or heritage: Hispanic 

Major: Biochemistry/Pre-Med

Minor: Chemistry

Future Career Goals: I plan to continue my education in a medical school program. 

Why I joined MIRA: I realized the opportunity given to me, to have mentors and exposure to the science field and the resources provided within the campus, and I had to take advantage.

Dylan Suina 

Hometown: Yelm, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Columbian

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Future Career Goals: I plan on exploring the different applications of nuclear energy other than power, such as in medicines and instrumentations.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA program because of the different opportunities it offers. The chance to have hands-on experience in a lab is a hard offer to pass. I can meet all sorts of people and build connections with mentors who can help me achieve my goals. I can have a head start in my dream career that I had never imagined before.

Research activities: I have become a part of a lab under Dr. Jeffrey Bell, whose team is researching an affordable way to produce diagnostic tools that will be able to identify biomarkers that reveal organ irregularities that can lead to different diseases, such as Chronic Kidney Disease, Alzheimer’s, and Fatty Liver Disease.

Interesting fact: I really love movies. So much to the point that I used to work in a movie theater in high school. I truly believe in the magic of cinema. 

Sarah De Santos

Hometown: Mukilteo, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Filipino/Spanish American

Major: Genetics and Cell Biology/Pre-Med

Future Career Goals: I seek to earn my M.D. in pediatric medicine and later provide affordable medical care for children in underserved communities, both within and outside of the United States.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA program due to access to hands-on experience within a lab of my interest as well as the possibilities it presented for those with the goal of earning a higher-level degree. Additionally, it provided me with several mentors to help guide me towards achieving my future goals while also giving me the freedom to pursue my interests without having to worry about financial insecurities.

Research activities: I have an acute fascination pertaining to the involvement of genetics, epigenetics, and other biological factors that influence the probability of children developing health issues immediately as well as further into adulthood. I hope that any research that I participate in will one day help physicians to recognize early when a child may be at risk of developing these ailments, effectively reducing the mortality rate of children for many of these diseases and disorders.

Interesting fact: Once, during the summer before seventh grade, I got stranded with some friends on a “Sunfish” sailboat, forcing me to redo all of the rigging, including taking down and raising the mast, in the middle of a lake. Afterwards, I taught myself how to single-sail the sailboat in the span of two days, least we ever got stranded again.

Kamri Gilliland

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

Ethnicity or heritage: Native American / Navajo

Major: Bioengineering (Pre-med)

Future Career Goals: My future goals include being able to work part-time in a research lab and work as a doctor.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined MIRA because I felt it was a great opportunity for me to get a jump start in my career.

Interesting fact: I love to play basketball.

Alan Palma Guillen

Hometown: Everett, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Hispanic

Major: Bioengineering

Future Career Goals: I plan on pursuing a career as a bioengineering professor. Although my goal may take quite some time to achieve, I hope to encounter opportunities within bioengineering that will fast-track my ambitions or open up new opportunities.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA Program because it gave me access to begin research early on. The connections and the people that I will meet throughout my undergraduate career will greatly help me pursue my studies as a member of the Esteemed MIRA Program. It has also set a pathway that will help me be successful throughout my time at Washington State University.

Research activities: I am currently searching for an undergraduate research lab that I have found interest in. I plan on being committed to a lab by the spring semester at the latest.

Interesting fact: I moved from California to Washington because of the weather and surrounding nature.  Another Fact would be that I’ve gotten back into the gym after it fell out of habit.

Elisabeth Ramirez-Zepp 

Hometown: Selah, Washington 

Ethnicity or heritage: Mexican and Caucasian 

Major: Animal Science / Pre-Veterinary

Future Career Goals: My goal is to attend veterinary school here at WSU to become a companion animal veterinarian. I strive to reach a variety of communities and own my own practice in the future. 

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA program because it gives me the opportunity to make new connections, get hands on experience, and get a head start on my research journey. Being a part of the program also offers a great support system throughout my education.

Research activities: I am interested in any research opportunities that revolve around animals and expose me to a variety of new skills that help me gain experience for my future career. If possible, I would love to research factors that affect animal development such as nutrition and disease.

Interesting fact: My all-time favorite show is SpongeBob SquarePants! I have watched almost every episode except for the very new ones.

Valike Tamakloe 

Hometown: Vancouver, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: African-American (parents from Ghana)

Major: Bioengineering

Future Career Goals: Earn my Ph.D. in bioengineering

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA program because it encouraged me to start doing undergraduate research early. Not only did the MIRA program offer a financial incentive, but the connections it offered were too good to ignore. I have always loved getting hands-on experience, and the MIRA program allowed me to get my hands dirty early. 

Research activities: I am currently visiting labs that interest me. I will find a lab to call home by the start of the academic semester.

Interesting fact: In my free time I powerlift and post fitness content.

Madison Holdway

Hometown: Reardan, Washington

Background: I grew up in a rural town.

Major: Animal Science

Future Career Goals: Earn a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree.

Why I joined MIRA: I realized what a great opportunity participating in this program was and how it would open the door to college research.

Research activities: I want to participate in research that involves animals and that relates to humans or research that directly investigates things that relate to animals and their welfare.

Interesting fact: I used to own wild mustangs.

Liyon Biniam Mehari

Hometown: Vancouver, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: African/Eritrean

Major: Biology major / Pre-med

Future Career Goals: I want to attend medical school and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined the MIRA Program because it is an amazing opportunity to gain research experience and hands-on skills to prepare me for graduate school.

Research activities: During my time at WSU, I want to focus my research on the respiratory system of the human body and its adaptation mechanisms against different diseases.

Interesting fact: Although I love any kind of surgery, I could never do anything related to ophthalmology.

Allie Marie Pratt

Hometown: Reardan, Washington

Background: I grew up in a rural town.

Major: Zoology / Pre-Veterinarian

Future Career Goals: Get my Ph.D. in Veterinarian Medicine.

Why I joined MIRA: Because it was a great opportunity to see what it is like to be in a lab while being able to attend WSU with little worry about expenses.

Research activities: I would love to experience many different types of research at WSU but I gravitate more towards the labs that have animal involvement.

Interesting fact: Even though I live in a farm town, the only experience I have ever had with livestock is when a herd of sheep ran trough my back yard.

Brayan Osegueda Velazquez

Hometown: Auburn, Washington

Ethnicity or heritage: Mexican American

Major: Bioengineering

Future Career Goals: I aim to earn my Ph.D. in Bioengineering and hopefully work for the government.

Why I joined MIRA: The program offered a wonderful opportunity to invest myself into research at WSU. The Financial security it provides is a big plus.

Research activities: I would love to research methods of preventing or reversing nerve damage. Understanding how and why nerves are damaged is my research goal.

Interesting fact: A neat little fun fact about myself is that I can play the tuba and bass guitar. I hope to own a tuba for myself one day.

Ethan Villalovoz

Hometown: El Dorado Hills, California

Ethnicity or heritage: Korean and Mexican

Major: Computer Science

Future Career Goals: I am still deciding on what my future goals are. I am in between either going straight into industry as a software engineer after my four years, or perhaps going to graduate school.

Why I joined MIRA: I joined MIRA because I found this to be an amazing opportunity to be engaged in a new environment. I never considered participating in research as an undergraduate; however, being a part of this program has allowed me to have first-hand exposure to how research truly is.

Research activities: At WSU, I am unsure of what I want to research. I am very interested in many fields and I hope by being apart of this program it will allow me to be exposed in different areas and topics that I will be intrigued by. Hopefully, by my second semester, I will have a better outlook on what are my passions.

Interesting fact: I like going out with friends and playing beach volleyball.