Graduate Assistant
Nora is a queer 6th year PhD candidate in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCSB. Nora hails from Buffalo, New York, and holds a Bachelors of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Bachelors of Arts in Music Performance from George Washington Univeristy (Raise High!). During their graduate career, their research has focused on addressing the understudied area of women's brain health, using a mouse model to investigate how hormones shape learning and memory. As a queer woman in STEM they are passionate about fostering community for marginalized students, supporting visibility for trans/nonbinary and intersectional identities, and advocating for graduate resources. These values inform their role as the Graduate Assistant for Events in the RCSGD (September 2023- June 2025), where they advocate for a safe and productive community for LGBTQIA+ graduate students. They attribute much of their graduate success to finding a strong and supportive queer community at UCSB, including as the RCSGD Liason for the Queer and Trans Graduate Student Union (QTGSU), and as an active participant in the LGBT Staff and Faculty Collective and out in STEM (oSTEM). They aim to help other students find their chosen family by advocating for queer spaces across the Univeristy and Santa Barbara as a whole. If you're interested in science, music, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, or are just looking to get involved, they would love to chat!