Pittsburgh Chapter

Sarah Oladejo is a doctoral researcher in the Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, where she is advancing the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying host-gut microbiota interactions. She is an excellent and passionate researcher who has authored and co-authored publications in high-impact journals including Cell and Science Immunology. Beyond the lab, Sarah is equally committed to driving social impact in STEM. Her passion for advocacy began during her undergraduate studies, where, as a 2019 Millennium Fellow (a United Nations Academic Impact initiative), she championed advocacy for gender equality and quality education. Notably, she organized outreach on women’s health and environmental hygiene as a final-year microbiology student. Her social impact efforts lay credence to her passion and capacity to lead. At Carnegie Mellon, Sarah continues to take bold strides in both research and leadership. She serves on several university boards and committees, including the Biological Sciences and CMU DEI Committees, the University Student Advisory Council, and the Academic Review Board. In these roles, she actively contributes to shaping policies that support students of diverse backgrounds and uphold academic integrity. Sarah also mentors underrepresented students and organizes outreach through the Margaret Carver Grant and the Summer Academy for Math and Science. Her work demonstrates a deep commitment to fostering representation, equity, and excellence in science. She is a true scholar dedicated not only to advancing scientific discovery but also to creating space for others to thrive within it.

St. Louis Chapter

Dr. Carissa Philippi is an Associate Professor and Behavioral Neuroscience Graduate Program Director in the Psychological Sciences Department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She completed her PhD at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Broadly, her research aims to understand the brain circuits underlying self-related thought, such as mind wandering and rumination, in both the healthy and neuropsychiatric populations. Dr. Philippi's research combines different approaches including fMRI (e.g., resting-state fMRI), eye-tracking, psychophysiology, and behavioral paradigms to study the neural correlates of self-related thought. In more recent work, her lab is studying neural and behavioral predictors of treatment response in major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and mild traumatic brain injury following repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, psychotherapy, and cognitive rehabilitation. Dr. Philippi was the founder of the St. Louis Chapter of Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) and currently serves as the President of the Chapter.

At Large Chapter

Dr. Andrea Rajsic is a planetary scientist and Research Scientist at Brown University. She earned her Ph.D. in planetary science and has developed a strong record of scholarly achievement, with more than 16 publications and over 450 citations within four years of completing her doctorate. Her research contributes to advancing understanding of lunar and planetary science, with an emphasis on collaborative, data-driven exploration of the Solar System. Dr. Rajsic serves as Deputy Principal Investigator on LunaSCOPE, a NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute project focused on lunar and planetary science research. She is also the Principal Investigator of a $500,000 Lunar Data Analysis Program grant, demonstrating her leadership in securing competitive funding, guiding scientific teams, and advancing major research initiatives. Beyond her research, Dr. Rajsic is committed to mentorship, professional development, and supporting women in STEM. As a mentor with GWISE at Purdue University, she supported graduate women in science through guidance, encouragement, and career development. She has also mentored six undergraduate students, two graduate students, and one postdoctoral researcher. Through her research leadership, service, and mentorship, Dr. Rajsic is dedicated to fostering confidence, belonging, and opportunity for emerging scientists.

Dr. Brooke Long-Fox is a biodiversity scientist, data curator, and open science leader working at the intersection of paleobiology, biodiversity informatics, scholarly publishing, and AI governance. She is a Data Curation Scientist for MorphoBank at Phoenix Bioinformatics, where she supports FAIR, open-access biodiversity data for morphological, phylogenetic, image-based, and specimen-based research. She also serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief and inaugural Data Editor for Historical Biology, where she leads efforts to strengthen open data policy, publishing standards, and research transparency in paleontology. Brooke completed her Ph.D. in Geology and Geological Engineering at South Dakota Mines, where she also earned an M.S. in Paleontology. She received her B.S. in Geology with a minor in Environmental Science from Texas Christian University. Her research spans conservation paleobiology, freshwater ecology, morphology, phylogenetics, environmental change, and AI-assisted data curation. Beyond her research and data stewardship work, Brooke is committed to building more open, equitable, and reusable scientific infrastructure. She has served in leadership roles with the Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, EcoEvoRxiv, and Graduate Women in Science. A long-standing GWIS member, Brooke co-founded the Black Hills Chapter, served as its President, served as National President of GWIS, and continues to support GWIS’s mission to connect, lead, and empower women in science.

Hafsat Alabere is a Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Sciences at West Virginia University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on developing mitochondrial-targeted RNA therapies for diabetic cardiomyopathy using molecular biology, bioinformatics, and nanoparticle-based technologies. Her broader research portfolio includes work in cardiovascular disease, infectious disease therapeutics, and computational drug discovery. Hafsat earned an MRes in Parasite Control from Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Technology in Microbiology from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. She has presented her research at international and institutional conferences, including the British Society for Parasitology Spring Conference and the Van Liere Research Conference. Her achievements have been recognized through awards including the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship. Beyond her research, Hafsat is committed to leadership, service, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. She has served as Diversity Chair for the WVU Health Sciences Graduate Student Organization, as a member of the GWIS Finance Committee, and as GWIS Treasurer Trainee. In her role as GWIS Treasurer, she brings scientific rigor, organizational experience, and a strong commitment to supporting the financial stewardship and mission of Graduate Women in Science.

Born and raised in Okinawa, Japan, I was hooked on the ocean from early on. My long-held interest in marine life inspired me to pursue a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and master’s in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University. My master’s research focused on estimating sea otter carrying capacity and trophic effects on prey in Northern California. As a graduate student, I aimed to promote women in STEM by participating as the Newsletter and Marketing Chairs for the student-led organization Women of Whiting. I also became an active member of Women in Ocean Science, Society for Women in Marine Science, and Women in Science Japan. I previously worked as a contractor for USFWS and NOAA and am currently a limited-term environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. I am also a research intern with a non-profit organization studying wildlife disturbance and regularly support its outreach initiatives. On the weekends, I search for seashells on Santa Cruz beaches, walk my neighborhood dogs, and practice baking new bread recipes. I hope to deepen my involvement in GWIS by serving on the National Committee and continuing to elevate women in the sciences!