Getting Involved in EEB

What do the EEB Ambassadors do?

EEB Ambassadors are current Biology, Bioinformatics and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology students who wish to take an active role in assisting current and prospective EEB majors, as well as departmental faculty and staff. Ambassadors are a critical component of new freshmen orientation, recruitment visits, graduation ceremonies, peer mentoring, and other workshops and events. They bring the major to life for new students and provide unique perspective to peers. Ambassadors can pilot their own workshops based on their passions, stress points or student interests, like the previous How to Apply to Graduate School and its sister How to apply to Medical School workshops designed and lead by the club.

The EEB Ambassadors are among the most enthusiastic and passionate students the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology has to offer. They are chosen based on a combination of their unique perspective, outstanding academic initiative, involvement in research and internships, leadership experiences, and passion for biology.

What are the benefits?

EEB Ambassadors earn:

public speaking skills and confidence
a wide array of unique networking opportunities
special invitations to events and social gatherings
resume-building experience in outreach
an EEB Ambassador shirt, woot!

How do I apply?

Check back in August to join our team for the fall!

Requirements for Applicants

Major in Biology, Bioinformatics, or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
In at least your second year at UA
Available to participate in at least two events each semester, as well as monthly meetings

Rahul Gupte

My name is Rahul Gupte and I am from Las Vegas, Nevada. I am a senior majoring in Biology with a minor in Business Administration. On campus, I am involved in AED (a pre-health honorary), serve as an Executive Student Advisor of Medical Directive (a pre-health club for first-generation students), and am also a College of Science Ambassador. After college, I plan to take some time to work in the healthcare field before applying to medical school. I am excited to be an EEB Ambassador as I wanted to use my own experiences within the EEB department to be a resource for other students within this department.

Lauren Dolan

My name is Lauren Dolan and I am from Tucson, Arizona. I am currently a senior studying Biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences. Additionally, I am also minoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. While I am on campus, I am involved in Greek life, various clubs, and I am also a Peer Advisor for the College of Science. I am looking to apply to medical school after graduation, while also likely taking a gap year or two where I can focus more on gaining clinical experience for my applications. I wanted to become an EEB Ambassador because I love getting involved on campus, finding opportunities where I get to connect with other students and gain experience working with people from many different backgrounds. I am hoping to be able to use my experiences as an undergrad in this position to help others navigate their college experiences, specifically in EEB.

Juliette Cnockaert

My name is Juliette Cnockaert, and I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. I'm a sophomore majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Biomedical Science and I have a minor in Physiology and Medical Sciences. I am an intern with the CURE Drug Repurposing Collaboratory at Critical Path Institute, where I assist in writing systematic reviews and generating case reports for rare sarcoma subtypes and other diseases. I am also a part of the Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) club on campus. After graduation, I want to continue my education in a Master's or PhD program in Cancer Biology. I am so excited to be an EEB Ambassador and provide support to other students throughout their journey in college.

Fae Armstrong

My name is Fae Armstrong and I am from Ventura, California. I am a junior majoring in Biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences. I hope to attend Physician Assistant school after graduation. I am also involved in the pre-health club FACES, Greek Life, and am a volunteer athletic training technician at the Kasser Sports Medicine facility inside McKale Center. I wanted to be an EEB ambassador because I want to share my passion for biology and help fellow students along the way.

Ava Lasater

Ava is from Golden, Colorado, and is a junior majoring in Bioinformatics with a minor in Physiology & Medical Sciences. She loves teaching and is an undergraduate teaching assistant for multiple classes. In her free time, she loves to read and crochet. She is interested in getting a Phd and working in industry after graduation.

Aunita Hakimi

My name is Aunita Hakimi. I'm an honors junior at the EEB department, majoring in Bioinformatics. I was born and raised in Iran, but I moved to Arizona in August 2021. From my very first semester here, I dove straight into cancer research. I have a deep passion for student success and always try to steer my peers towards resources that can help them chase their passions and goals. I take pride in promoting academic achievements, and I enjoy mentoring younger students. I serve as a Global Ambassador for our international student community and I also represent my peers as a College of Science ambassador. I'm particularly intrigued by the overlap between human nature and the role of technology in life sciences. Thrilled to be an EEB ambassador and support students as they navigate college life!

Ariel Cheng

Hi, my name is Ariel Cheng! I was born and raised in Tucson, AZ. I am currently majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in theater. On top of being an EEB ambassador, I am the president of the Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) Ambassadors, on campus. Through this program, I conduct research at the U'Ren Lab where I study fungal endophytes (microscopic fungi)! I am a big fan of outreach and promoting research for the sake of conservation. Because of this, I am excited to be an ambassador to help out those interested in the field of biology. I know that figuring out what you are passionate about can be hard and confusing so I hope to be able to help other students through the process.

Abigail Martinez

Hello! My name is Abby, I am a current junior majoring in Biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences and minors in Spanish and Biochemistry. My career goals are to go to medical school and become a pediatrician. Some of the things I am involved in are the psio club, GLAM club, CAPS peer mentoring, Hispanic/Bilingual support group leader, I am a general chemistry preceptor, Research associates program mentor, and I volunteer at clinica amistad.

Forrest Zepezauer

Hello, my name is Forrest Zepezauer. I am a junior majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry. I am also a member of the College of Science Ambassadors, as well as the Undergraduate Biology Research Program. I have been involved in research both in the EEB department with Dr. Renee Duckworth and the MCB department with Dr. Andrew Capaldi. I am excited to be an EEB ambassador to inform passionate students about the many opportunities available in our department, especially with regard to research.

Other Clubs & Organizations

College of Science Ambassadors

The College of Science also has an ambassador program. The UA Science Ambassadors are undergraduates selected by the departments in the College of Science to assist with recruiting events and visits by high school students to the College. Ambassadors are bright, outgoing students who usually are involved in an independent research project. By example and through presentations, the UA Science Ambassadors represent the range of opportunities available to College of Science undergraduates. College of Science Ambassadors must be selected through an application process. The majority of UA Science Ambassadors from the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology are also departmental ambassadors.

Marine Awareness & Conservation (MACS)

The Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology is home to the only marine biology club on campus. MACS members are devoted to promoting the conservation and protection of marine life and its oceans through education and volunteering for eco-friendly activities. One of the main objectives of MACS is to promote the education of local residents through community outreach programs that teach children the importance of marine ecosystems. Travel plans for scuba diving, tidepooling, and snorkeling are underway, as well as beach cleanups in the US and Mexico. During MACS meetings, teachers and professionals are asked to present their work to the group as an educational experience. More information can be found at the MACS website.

Other Campus Organizations

To help round out your experience at the University of Arizona, the College of Science offers a wide variety of student clubs and organizations all dedicated to the advancement of science. https://science.arizona.edu/community-engagement/students

Associated Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA), the University’s student government, is home to the Club Resource Center. At the ASUA website, you can view a list of all recognized clubs and organizations on campus.

Career-related Extracurricular Activities Enjoyed by EEB & Biology Students

Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Honors Society
Arizona Animal AdvoCATS
Delta Delta Sigma Pre-Dental Club: http://uapredental.com/
F.A.C.E.S. ( Fostering and Achieving Cultural Equity and Sensitivity) Pre-Health Club:http://clubs.asua.arizona.edu/~faces/
Medcats Pre-Health club: http://arizonaorgs.orgsync.com/org/uamedcats
Medical Research Student Association
Medical Specialty Club
Microbiology Club
P.A.I.N. (Professional Achievements In Nursing) Pre-Nursing Club: http://arizonaorgs.orgsync.com/org/pain
Pre-Veterinary Club: http://microvet.arizona.edu/prevet/
Pre-Pharmacy Club: http://www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/students/stdorgs/prepharm
The Student Chapter of Wildlife Disease Association
The Wildlife Society: http://joomla.wildlife.org/arizona/

EEB Undergraduate Poster Session

The Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology hosts an annual Poster Session in April of each year. Participating students are EEB or Biology majors or minors, or are conducting research with a faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Both beginner and advanced categories are represented, and there are awards given to the top-placing posters in both divisions.

The goals of the Undergraduate Poster Session and Contest:

Highlight Departmental research opportunities for undergraduates through a poster session
Provide a forum to showcase the research projects conducted by our undergraduates
Provide undergraduates with an opportunity to acquire tools necessary to be successful in post-graduate studies (creating and presenting a scientific research poster)
Facilitate interaction between undergraduate students and faculty

Who Can Present?

To enter a poster in the poster session you must be a declared EEB or Biology major or minor OR be conducting research with a faculty member in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
All levels of research involvement are encouraged to participate (beginner through advanced).
Biology, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Bioinformatics majors earning directed research (i.e. graded) units are expected to present at our poster fair.