About Us
Diversity Commission members include University and departmental leadership, faculty, students, alumni, administrative staff, and a community leader. The commission believes diversity is essential for excellence in science. Our programs address issues related to diversity and inclusion in the field of neuroscience.
Del Monte Institute Proclamation
From mission to action to impact!
The Commission is action oriented! At our inception in June, we identified three over-arching action areas (shown above) as the spaces we want our work to impact. Within those areas, the priorities which guide our programming are:
- Build an inclusive and equitable culture.
- Increase the recruitment and retention of minority faculty.
- Increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students.
- Build community connections.
Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD
*2020
Commission Chair
Assistant Professor
Depts. Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Neuroscience
Adrienne Morgan, PhD*2020
Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Richard Feldman Chief Diversity Officer
University of Rochester
Shaun Nelms, EdD
*2020
Vice President for Community Partnerships
University of Rochester
Victoria Popov
*2020
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Bryan Redmond
*2020
Medical Scientist Training Program (MD, PhD)
Nathan A. Smith, PhD
*2020
Associate Professor
Dept. of Neuroscience
Assistant Dean for Research Mentorship in the School of Medicine and Dentistry
Kelsie Smith-Hayduk
*2020
Public Relations
Department of Neuroscience
Rianne Stowell, PhD
*2020
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dept. of Neuroscience
Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, PhD
*2020
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Neuroscience
Kathryn Toffolo PhD
*2020
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dept. of Neuroscience
Jay Gonzalez-Amoretti
*2021
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Catalina Guzman
*2021
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Racha El Husseini, MS
*2022
Senior Financial Analyst
Dept. of Urology
Claire Marino
*2022
Research Assistant
Dept. of Neuroscience
Pavel Rjabtsenkov
*2022
Research Assistant
Dept. of Neuroscience
Leah Sheppard
*2022
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Estephanie Balbuena
*2023
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Lia Calcines Rodriguez
*2023
Neuroscience Graduate Program
Lauren Hablitz
*2023
Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuromedicine
Olympia Mathiaparanam
*2023
Brain and Cognitive Sciences Graduate Program
Marissa Terry Sobolewski
*2023
Assistant Professor, Departments of Environmental Medicine and Neuroscience
Samantha Spallina
*2023
Research Assistant
Dept. of Neuroscience
Ruby (Qinqzhi) Zeng
*2023
Brain and Cognitive Sciences Graduate Program
Leslie Gonzales, MS
*2024
Neuroscience Graduate Program
John Foxe, PhD
*2020
Ex-officio Commission Member
Director Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience
- Katherine Andersh, PhD, Graduate Student Member, 2020 - 2021
- Shraddha Shah, PhD, Trainee Member, 2020 – 2022
- Keshov Sharma, MD, PhD, MSTP Member, 2020 – 2022
- Monique Mendez, PhD, Department of Neuroscience Alumna Member, 2020 – 2022
- Ania Majewska, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, 2020 - 2022
- Tufikameni Brima, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, 2020 - 2023
- Sarah Latchney, PhD, Department of Neurobiology St. Mary's College of Maryland, 2020 - 2023
- Elizabeth Berry, Commission Projects Coordinator, 2020 - 2023