WISAY Board Members
The Board of Women and Gender Minorities in Science at Yale is made up of dedicated graduate and undergraduate students, and postdoctoral fellows across a variety of STEM departments at Yale. Meet our current leadership below!
Ashley Abel
she/hers
Ph.D. Candidate
Genetics
Board member since 2021
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Favorite WISAY activity: The Career Chats! I love hearing the diverse stories and motivations that lead PhDs down different career trajectories.
Fun Fact: I worked as a veterinary assistant during my undergraduate degree (and I’m a huge animal lover)! Although I don’t have pets of my own currently, I’ve met many of the amazing dogs and cats of New Haven through petsitting in my spare time.
Arcadia Kratkiewicz
she/hers
Ph.D. Candidate
Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology - BBS
Board member since 2022
Hometown: Shirley, MA
Favorite WISAY activity: The mentoring program
Fun Fact: I study planaria - the flatworms with the ability to regenerate any part of their body!
.png)
Board member since 2019
Hometown: Crowley, TX
Sarah McGill
she/hers
Ph.D. Candidate
Neuroscience
Favorite WISAY activity: Our fantastic social events! :)
Fun Fact: To both my shame and delight, I have well over five thousand cards in my Magic card collection.
Ming Ma
she/hers
Ph.D. Candidate
Psychology
Board member since 2022
Favorite WISAY activity: The career panels
Fun Fact: I really want to go to Switzerland this year!
Samantha Miller
she/hers
Ph.D. Student Biological Anthropology
Board member since 2022
Hometown: Tulare, CA
Favorite WISAY activity: Career coffee chats
Fun Fact: I organize dinner parties to celebrate seasonal produce.
Lana Zheng
she/hers
B.S in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry
Board member since 2022
Hometown: New York, NY
Favorite WISAY activity: Non-academic career panel!
Fun Fact: I can crochet almost a full scarf.
Matilda Vary
she/hers
B.S in Mechanical Engineering
Board member since 2022
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Favorite WISAY activity: The mentoring program!
Fun Fact: The only other Matilda I have ever met was a koala.
Ashley Rivas
she/they
Ph.D. Student in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Board member since 2023
Hometown: The Bronx, NYC
Favorite WISAY activity: Career panels and meet-ups
Fun Fact: I am a huge ice hockey fan--go San Jose Sharks!
Lucille Tsao
she/hers
Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry
Board member since 2022
Hometown: Succasunna, NJ
Favorite WISAY activity: The mentorship program!
Fun Fact: I love to embroider! I am always working on a fun and challenging project during my free time!
Allison Cairns
she/hers
Ph.D. Student
Applied Physics & Physical Engineering Biology
Board member since 2021
Hometown: Santa Ana, CA
Favorite WISAY activity: The mentoring program.
Fun Fact: I've never tried meat.
Dinara Bolat
she/hers
B.S. in Neuroscience
Board member since 2022
Hometown: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Favorite WISAY activity: The career coffee chats! They're so helpful :)
Fun Fact: My goal for this summer is to learn how to surf.
Emma Peterson
she/they
Pre-med Student
Board member since 2023
Hometown: Phillips, WI
Favorite WISAY activity: Mentorship program!
Fun Fact: I love water-skiing!
Madeline Pitre
she/hers
B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Board member since 2023
Hometown: Biloxi, MS
Favorite WISAY activity: Coming into my first year at Yale, I found WISAY's mentorship program to be very foundational to my STEM experience. My WISAY mentor was amazing and helped me navigate finding a lab and my overall success in a very unfamiliar scientific environment.
Fun Fact: Within the past 6 months, I have visited every state in New England, most for the first time!