CCE Community Programs
Spring into STEM
On Saturday, May 2, 2026, WiC hosted Spring Into STEM. Young scouts, ranging from Daisies to Cadettes, gathered into groups on the Beckman Institute Lawn to experience science demonstrations organized by the CCE, BBE, EAS, and PMA students. The scouts were divided into groups and rotated through the demonstrations and lab tours throughout the afternoon. The Chemistry demonstration led by WiC and CCE included ice cream in a bag and electrolysis. The Biochemistry demo led by BBE and CCE students covered strawberry DNA extractions and elephant toothpaste enzymatic reactions. For the physics demonstration, the Gender Minorities and Women in PMA (GWiPMA) students taught the scouts about density and buoyancy with a water and oil experiment. Women in EAS taught the scouts about engineering by constructing bridges and testing their strength. BBE led laboratory tours, showing the scouts fluorescent frogs in the Taboada Lab.
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Photo credits: Kala Youngblood
James LuValle Awards
The James LuValle Award was established by the CCE Community Programs Committee to recognize an individual's excellent service work for creating an environment of inclusivity while working toward the advancement of community in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech.
The James LuValle Award candidates are nominated by members of the CCE community.
Keon Ha Hwang
Keon Ha is the President of the Caltech Korean Graduate Student Association for 2026. As the president, he has been assisting incoming graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with structural and cultural barriers that they often face when entering a new academic and social environments. He has developed and organized practical support systems for new members of the community, including guidance on housing, orientation to campus and research resources, and access to professional development opportunities.
Keon Ha’s leadership is rooted in supporting the Korean community. However, the impact he makes goes far beyond. Keon Ha is widely recognized as a resource for international scholars more broadly. He regularly offers guidance and mentorship to individuals from diverse backgrounds, helping them navigate academic, cultural, and professional challenges. Keon Ha has become an informal but highly effective bridge between communities within CCE.
Keon Ha is a Rising G4 in Hadt Group.
Noor Naji
Noor has made meaningful differences in so many corners at Caltech and CCE. She was the co-president of the BOND for AY 2025-2026, and will remain on the BOND Board for AY 2026-2027 as the Development and Initiatives Lead. In addition, she currently serves as the secretary of Graduate Student Council and the president of Arab Student Union, a club at Caltech.
Among many contributions, one of the most notables was her central role as the BOND’s co-president in 2025 CCE Day of Inclusion, a two-day division wide event with two keynote speakers and ten concurrent workshops. Noor coordinated a very successful event which had the whole division talking about the equity and community values.
As the co-president of BOND, Noor also helped lead a student-run initiative focused on supporting underrepresented minorities at Caltech through outreach and retention programming, including lab tours for local community colleges and schools, and socials for visiting summer students.
Her service and dedication have enriched the community, strengthened bonds and brought people together.
Noor is a Rising G5 in Wei Group.
Natasha Reich
Natasha, a member of Lewis Group, earned her Ph.D. in June 2026. When Natasha was at Caltech, she was the prime leader for PRISM, Caltech’s LGBTQIA+ organization for students, staff, and faculty.
Natasha organized social, educational, and professional programs that have significantly strengthened the community and its visibility while also educating individuals beyond, promoting greater unity. She was the founder of PRISM’s annual Pride Celebration, organized events such as STEMinars featuring LGBTQ+ scientists, and an annual Holigay celebration, and supported student participation in the oSTEM (Out In STEM conference).
In addition, Natasha also dedicated her time to mentorship through SEAL or Solar Energy Activity Lab program, an outreach and mentorship program by CTLO, which connects participating local high school clubs researching sustainable energy with Caltech scientists. Natasha was heavily involved both on the science and administrative aspects of the program. As the scientific lead, she developed new curriculum to expand the program. On the administrative side, she served as a primary person interfacing with high school students and teachers, and Caltech mentors. Her contribution and dedication have resulted in expanding access to STEM for local high school students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Natasha consistently created welcoming and supportive spaces that brought people together across backgrounds and experiences.
Caltech Center of Diversity & Inclusion's Celebration of Excellence
For nearly 19 years, the Caltech Center for Inclusion & Diversity (CCID) has honored members of the Caltech community who exemplify leadership and excellence in advancing inclusion on campus and in the greater community.
Maria Blankemeyer
The IDEA Outreach and Education Award
This award is given to individuals who teach and inspire interest in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the community at large through learning experiences and service. This person takes the initiative to participate in civic engagement through volunteerism, service-learning, and teaching initiatives as a change agent in the community outside of Caltech.
Isabela Hernandez-Rodriguez
The IDEA Allyship & Advocate Award
This award is given to individuals who promotes the needs and experiences of all members of the Caltech community. Such actions include raising awareness, cultivating an inclusive environment, and advocating for a fair campus climate.
Conner Wells
(pictured on right)
The Inclusive Laboratory Engagement Award
This award celebrates exceptional individuals who excel in their discipline and in fostering a vibrant and inclusive environment within the graduate student and/or post-doc community, particularly in the laboratory setting. They strive to ensure that each person feels a deep sense of belonging and support. These leaders foster an environment for collaborative research and learning. Through their efforts, they create an environment where everyone can thrive in their academic and research pursuits.
Preer WAVE Fellowship
Each summer, the Preer Family Gift enables the support of two WAVE Fellowship students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Meet this year's cohort:
Avery Love is a rising senior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He is completing his WAVE fellowship in the Clemons lab under the mentorship of Storm Robertson. His project is titled "Determining the mechanism of action of Retro compounds in the fungal GET pathway".
Avery Love (left) and Storm Robertson (right)
Ifediora Nwakuche
A rising senior from North Carolina Central University, Ifediora Nwakuche is completing his WAVE fellowship in the Fianu lab with mentor Yen-Ju (Luke) Lu. His summer research project involves investigating the possible physical interactions that decapping protein 2 (Dcp2) undergoes with other proteins involved in both RNA destruction and production inside the nucleus.
Caltech Celebrates at LA Pride
Led by Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate Vignesh Ravichandran, and in collaboration with the Caltech Postdoc Association, Caltech Graduate Student Council, BOND, the Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity, and Caltech Rainbow Connection, Caltech returned to the annual LA Pride Parade with its float, Bonded Together. The effort celebrated community, visibility, and representation for scientists, researchers, and scholars, and was even highlighted by ABC7 News, which featured chemistry graduate student Catherine Romero.
Rising Tide
Rising Tide is a research techniques training program in which Caltech graduate students and postdoctoral scholars train visiting students—specifically those with little or no prior research experience and an interest in chemistry or biology. The program provides instruction in synthetic and analytical chemistry, computational/theoretical chemistry, and biochemistry, while also emphasizing science communication, professional development, and team-building. Participants receive a research techniques training certificate upon completion.
On August 7, 2026, an end-of-program luncheon was held at the Athenaeum, where students, mentors, faculty and staff celebrated another successful Rising Tide cohort!
AY 2024-2025 CCE Community Programs Committee Annual Report
The CCE Community Programs Committee develops new initiatives, stewards ongoing programs, and coordinates efforts across the Division and the Institute to create a culture of belonging in CCE. In supporting these programs, the committee seeks to promote a welcoming community and nurturing atmosphere for everyone regardless of their background.