Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center

Hello everyone,

My name is Angelica Alcazar (she/her/hers), and I am currently pursuing my B.S. in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. I am a third year student, but I plan on graduating next fall! I am an Apple Scholar alum and will be serving as an Apple Peer Mentor this semester. My journey as an Apple Scholar has provided me with invaluable opportunities for professional development, such as creating an ePortfolio, building my CV, and presenting my research at the SACNAS National Conference.

As an Apple Scholar, I conducted research under the Haffa Lab, where I measured greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural fields employing varying irrigation and fertilizer practices. My primary research question focused on understanding how these different practices impact emissions, with the goal of identifying sustainable methods that reduce environmental impact.

I aspire to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) to contribute to healthcare through the power of diagnostic testing. As a Latina, and a woman in STEM, I am dedicated to advocating for diversity and representation. In my free time, I enjoy walking with my dog, spending time with family and friends, and exploring the outdoors. I am excited to support and mentor others as they navigate their own academic and professional journeys!

My name is Jourdan D’Jalma Garnier (he/him) and I am a Research Mentor with Apple Scholars. I am originally from Washington, D.C., and I am pursuing my B.S. in Psychology with a minor in statistics. I am a fourth year student at Cal State Monterey Bay and I graduate in Spring 2025. 

I started with UROC as a student researcher under the mentorship of Dr. Christine Rosales in Summer 2023; I started with exploring the political, social, economic, and historical background behind the 2023 Spring Parking Protest. I continued as a student researcher with Apple Scholars from Spring 2024 to Fall 2025. My current work focuses on understanding masculinity and navigating interpersonal conflict with Transformative Justice (TJ) in activist/research spaces.

As an Apple Scholar, I worked with Dr. Christine Rosales to develop a guide to navigate and heal from interpersonal conflict through a transformative justice lens. Apple Scholars has supported me to develop an e-portfolio to holistically represent my work in a multimedia format. I show up in my work as a Black man from a proud LGBTQ+ family and these identities inspire me to work tirelessly for those who are underrepresented and oppressed. In my spare time, I like to lift weights, read, play video games, cook, and explore new places.

Amira Colon, Statistics

"Thanks to the Apple Scholars program Colon has been able to use a MacBook Pro for her work on the research project. She said that before she joined the program, she only had a Chromebook, which was insufficient for running the advanced software that she needed for the project. She was unable to afford a MacBook on her own, but, thanks to the program, she now has a MacBook Pro that allows her to “do the data analysis that I really want to do.”

Colon explained that working on the eportfolio has made her more confident as a scholar. She said, “I'm just more confident in like, putting myself on display, I guess. Being proud of work that I've done and being able to have a little more creative freedom and how I want to, like express that to the world.”"

Berenice Lemus, Business Administration

Before joining the program, Lemus, a first-generation Latina, felt more isolated. “I didn’t really know what the research community was all about,” said Lemus. After a semester in the program, she now feels part of a supportive cohort of undergraduate researchers.

Lemus values having the opportunity to share her research with other young scholars. “It kind of made it seem like, hey, my research matters, too. It's interesting. And it's important. I’m kind of building that sense of what I’m doing matters, and I’m having that support from other scholars who are doing the same thing,” she explained.