skip to main content

The EAS Chair Scholars Program recognizes high-achieving graduate students with the potential and interest to advance issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the EAS Division and Caltech. EAS Chair Scholars and Caltech Presidential Fellows participate as a cohort in faculty mentorship and supplementary programming designed as a "fast-track" to academic and leadership success. Scholars and Fellows will connect with faculty members and peers to receive mentoring and professional development opportunities within the numerous EAS departments.

At Caltech and the EAS Division, we believe the best ideas, best decisions, and best outcomes come from diverse groups of people working and collaborating together.

Founded in 2020 as part of the EAS Division's commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, this fellowship program involves graduate students of high academic achievement who have also shown a commitment to diversity, either through personal experience or community-building in STEM.

Key benefits of participating in the EAS Chair Scholars Program include:

  • An attractive financial offer, including a two-year fellowship and $3,000 professional development fund per year for two years to cover professional costs.
  • Membership in a diverse cohort of scholars for the duration of graduate degree enrollment, and networking opportunities which will extend beyond residency at Caltech.
  • Formal mentorship from EAS leadership and faculty.
  • Fast track to teaching, which will develop and refine teaching skills early in participants' graduate careers.
  • Access to optional outreach opportunities through engagement with national conferences, Caltech's Center for Learning and Outreach (CTLO) and Student Faculty Programs (SFP), and Caltech Y outreach to local schools.

The EAS Division welcomed the first EAS Chair Scholars cohort to campus in Fall 2021 (pictured below) and looks forward to introducing the next cohort for Fall 2022!

2022

2022 Cohort
EAS Chair Scholars Scholar Type Department
Micah Nishimoto Presidential Scholar Aerospace
Zachary Ahmad EAS Chair Scholar Applied Physics and Materials Science
Tinashe Handina EAS Chair Scholar Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Joudi Hajar EAS Chair Scholar Electrical Engineering
Theresa Tsaggaris EAS Chair Scholar Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Roopa Akhila (Akhila) Kasturi EAS Chair Scholar Medical Engineering
Ricardo Hernandez Presidential Scholar Mechanical Engineering
Chairs Scholar Program 2021-22
Left to right – Ting-Yu Cheng, Miya Coimbra, Alejandro Arellano, Adrian Ghansah, Jose Lasalde-Ramirez, Franz O'Meally, Emma Lenz, and Victor Zendejas Lopez

2021

2021Cohort
EAS Chair Scholars Scholar Type Department
Emma Lenz EAS Chair Scholar Aerospace
Alejandro Arellano EAS Chair Scholar Applied Physics and Materials Science
Adrian Ghansah EAS Chair Scholar Computing and Mathematical Sciences
Ting-Yu Cheng EAS Chair Scholar Electrical Engineering
Victor Zendejas Lopez EAS Chair Scholar Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Jose Lasalde-Ramirez EAS Chair Scholar Mechanical Engineering
Miya Coimbra Presidential Scholar Aerospace
Franz O'Meally Presidential Scholar Mechanical and Civil Engineering