Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+)

Haibei is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences. She studies bacterial locomotion at the Jasmine Nirody Lab and Ed Munro Lab. She started to serve as Co-president in December 2023 because she hopes to help build a stronger community for women in STEM at UChicago. She is very excited to bring all together through various social and career-related events that WIGS+ will host/co-host.

In her spare time, she enjoys doing all sorts of outdoor activities and choir.

Hailey is a Ph.D. student in the Chemistry Department studying the total synthesis of natural products in the Organic Chemistry division and received her Bachelor’s in Chemistry from The Ohio State University. She is incredibly excited to foster both the personal and professional development of women and gender minorities within her UChicago PSD community as the co-president of WIGS+.

In her spare time, Hailey loves to read, explore new places with friends, cuddle with her two cats, and eat great food!

Eleanor is a Ph.D. student in the Chemistry Department studying organic chemistry and received her BA in chemistry from Boston University.

In her spare time, she enjoys running on the Lakefront trail, cooking, and exploring Chicago.

Isabelle is a Ph.D. student in the Chemistry Department studying organic chemistry and received her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Vermont. She is excited to be involved with outreach in the community and increase interest and excitement about science.

In her spare time, Isabelle enjoys reading, going to concerts, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants!

Sara is an MS in Applied Data Science student at the University of Chicago and received her Bachelor’s in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University. Prior to UChicago, she spent two years conducting full-time clinical research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Sara is passionate about increasing the representation of women in STEM fields and is dedicated to empowering these communities.

In her free time, she enjoys running and discovering new coffee shops around Chicago.

Pratyasha is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry, specializing in chemical biology. Originally from the city of Kolkata in India, she completed her undergraduate studies at IISc, Bengaluru.

In her free time, she enjoys binge-watching Netflix, cooking, and trying out new cuisines. She is excited to be a part of WIGS+ and help foster community and support the professional development of women and gender minorities.

Aadya is a Master’s student in Applied Data Science at the University of Chicago. Previously, she worked as a Data Analyst at PepsiCo, where she honed her skills in analytics and problem-solving. Passionate about empowering women in technology and science, Aadya is dedicated to inspiring others through her journey.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring the city, and trying out good food!

Zoe is in the Master of Applied Data Science program. Before starting this degree, she worked in Finance for six years and obtained her MBA part-time at Northeastern University. She has lived in Boston, San Diego, and Chicago.

Her favorite hobbies are backpacking, baking bread, and surfing.

Aleks is the PSD Director of Student Engagement and Belonging and Assistant Dean of Students. She joined UChicago in November 2021. She previously worked extensively in student-facing diversity and inclusion roles with student organizations, student leadership teams, and peer mentorship teams at Kennesaw State University in GA. Aleks is passionate about student success, diversity and inclusion, and intercultural competence.

Originally from Bulgaria, Aleks considers GA her US "home base." In her free time, she enjoys cooking and eating, exploring new places, and spending time with her spouse and their two dogs, Bruno and Julez.