PhD Candidate, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of California, San Francisco
Thesis: Structural characterization of pH-sensitive residues in mammalian chitinases
Advisor: Dr. James S. Fraser
Bachelor of Science with Honors, Neuroscience
University of Miami
Thesis: Modifying transcription factor CREB with transactivation domains VP16 and VP64 to increase neurite outgrowth
Advisor: Dr. Vance Lemmon
This award recognizes students for their outstanding contributions and commitments to LGBTQ equity during their tenure at UCSF.
Edison Uno was Assistant Dean of Students at UCSF from 1969 to 1974. In addition to his job responsibilities, he was a participant and leader in a number of social and political causes and organizations. He was involved in the struggle to repeal the law that permitted the incarceration of Japanese Americans in detention camps, and was one of the leaders of the effort to establish the Ethnic Studies program at San Francisco State University during the 1960s. In the 1970s, he was the first person of Japanese descent to be appointed to serve on the San Francisco Grand Jury, while at the same time a critic of that system’s exclusion of other minorities. These are but a few examples that demonstrate Mr. Uno’s commitment to human rights and social change. This award was established in 1980 to recognize dedication and commitment to established social, political and civic groups that bring about social change.
“Robbie’s central focus on advocacy reaches beyond the success of any individual, aiming instead to bolster the health of a diverse community. He is acutely aware of how marginalized people’s careers frequently take a back seat to existential threats to oneself or one’s community, and he works tirelessly to secure everyone’s physical and psychological safety.
Robbie bravely shares his personal (and sometimes uncomfortable) experiences as a Queer, Latinx individual trying to navigate the difficult world of academia to remind us that we are not alone in the daily challenges we as queer individuals face. Robbie taught me and many others the importance of being, in his words, “unapologetically proud” of our sexualities – to both normalize our presence in the scientific community and to foster a more inclusive environment for the next generation to come.”
- Steven A. Cincotta, PhD Candidate in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The program provides awards to pairs of dissertation advisers and their graduate students based on what HHMI values and considers essential components of the environment, particularly the institution and adviser’s commitment to creating a healthy academic ecosystem and the student’s potential for scientific leadership.
These fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree.
Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S., show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.