Meet Our Leadership Board

WISAY Board 2022-2023

Ashley Abel (she/hers)

ashley.abel@yale.edu

Program: PhD student in Genetics

Board member since: 2021

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Favorite WISAY activity: The Career Chats! I love hearing the diverse stories and motivations that lead PhDs down different career trajectories.

Fun Fact: I worked as a veterinary assistant during my undergraduate degree (and I’m a huge animal lover)! Although I don’t have pets of my own currently, I’ve met many of the amazing dogs and cats of New Haven through petsitting in my spare time.

 

 

 

 

Sarah McGill (she/hers)

sarah.mcgill@yale.edu

Program: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience      

Board member since: 2019 

Hometown: Crowley, TX  

Favorite WISAY activity: Our fantastic social events! :)

Fun Fact: To both my shame and delight, I have well over five thousand cards in my Magic card collection.

 

 

 

 

Samantha Miller (she/hers)

samantha.miller@yale.edu

MillerS_Headshot - Samantha Miller.JPG

Program: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Department of Neuroscience      

Board member since: 2022

Hometown: Tulare, CA

Favorite WISAY activity:  Career coffee chats 

Fun Fact: I organize dinner parties to celebrate seasonal produce. 

 

 

 

 

Arcadia Kratkiewikz (she/hers)

arcadia.kratkiewicz@yale.edu

Program: BBS/MCDB

Board member since: 2022

Hometown: Shirley, MA

Favorite WISAY activity: The mentorship program

Fun Fact: I study planaria - the flatworms with the ability to regenerate any part of their body!

Dinara Bolat  (she/hers)

dinara.bolat@yale.edu

kuroshiro pic.JPG

Program: B.S. in Neuroscience

Board member since: 2022

Hometown: Almaty, Kazakhstan 

Favorite WISAY activity: The career coffee chats! They’re so helpful :) My goal for the Summer is to learn how to surf. 

Fun Fact: My goal for the Summer is to learn how to surf. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ashley Rivas (she/they)

ashley.rivas@yale.edu

2022-09-14-Rivas-18.jpg

Program: PhD candidate in the Deparment of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Board member since: 2023

Hometown: The Bronx, NYC

Favorite WISAY activity: The career panels and hang outs! 

Fun Fact: I am a huge ice hockey fan–go San Jose Sharks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allison Cairns (she/hers)

allison.cairns@yale.edu

Program: PhD student in Applied Physics and Physical Engineering Biology

Board member since: 2021

Hometown: Santa Ana, CA

Favorite WISAY activity: The mentoring program

Fun Fact: I’ve never tried meat.

 

 

 

 

 

Matilda Vary (she/hers)

matilda.vary@yale.edu

Program: BS in Mechanical Engineering

Board member since: 2022

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Favorite WISAY activity: The mentoring program!

Fun Fact: The only other Matilda I have ever met was a koala.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lana Zheng (she/hers)

lana.zheng@yale.edu

Program: BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Board member since: 2022

Hometown: NY

Favorite WISAY activity: Non-academic career panel!

Fun Fact: I’m learning how to crochet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucille Tsao (she/hers)

lucille.tsao@yale.edu

LT_photo - Wisay Mentoring.jpeg

Program: PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry 

Board member since2022

Hometown: Succasunna, NJ

Favorite WISAY activity:  The mentorship program!

Fun Fact: I love to embroider! I’m always working on fun and challenging projects during my free time!

 

Emma Peterson (she/hers)

e.peterson@yale.edu

headshot - Emma Peterson.JPG

Program: Pre-Medical Student

Board member since: 2023

Hometown: Phillips, WI

Favorite WISAY activity: The mentorship program!

Fun Fact: I love water-skiing!

Ming Ma (she/hers)

ming.m.ma@yale.edu

Program: PhD candidate in Psychology

Board member since: 2022

Favorite WISAY activity: The career panels

Fun Fact: I really want to go to Switzerland this year!

 

 

 

 

 

Madeline Pitre (she/hers)

madeline.pitre@yale.edu

Pitre_Madeline1 - Madeline Pitre.JPG

Program: B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Board member since2023

Hometown: Biloxi, MS

Favorite WISAY activity: Coming into my first year at Yale, I found WISAY’S mentoring program to be very foundational to my STEM experience. My WISAY mentor was amazing and helped me navigate finding a lab and my overall success in a very unfamiliar scientific environment. 

Fun Fact: Within the past six months, I have visited every state in New England, most for the first time!