Our Mission
The WiSE PhD Student Advisory Board (AB) was established during the 2017-2018 academic year as a division of USC’s WiSE program to cultivate mentorship and promote the involvement of graduate women in science and engineering. The WiSE PhD AB now functions as a community-based organization specifically focusing on opportunities and events for USC graduate students. We host social, mentorship, and professional development events throughout the academic year to help foster a supportive graduate community. Our events and initiatives are open to all gender identities.
Our PhD Advisory Board
Anamika Nanda
President of the Board, Social
Anamika Nanda is a Ph.D. student in the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology program. She studies biological mechanisms of physical activity and aging. Specifically her dissertation focus’s on how physical activity and genetics influence our neurological health. In her free time she enjoys grabbing coffee, weightlifting, and cooking.
Anjali Bhatnager
Vice President of the Board, Social
Anjali Bhatnagar is a PhD student in the Marine and Environmental Biology department. Her research aims to investigate how microbes and cyanobacteria interact in the surface ocean. In addition to WiSE, Anjali is involved in student government and the DEI committee in her department.
Raven Althouse
Treasurer, Social
Raven is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering, with a research focus of utilizing Membrane Biofilm Reactors as a means of water and wastewater treatment, greenhouse mitigation, and microbial cultivation. Off campus, Raven spends her time volunteering at animal shelters and exploring restaurants in LA.
Nripsuta Saxena
Mentorship
Nripsuta (Ani) is in the Computer Science Ph.D. program and focuses on algorithmic fairness to create a more equitable world. She is actively involved in outreach and engagement efforts at USC. In her free time, you will find her reading or traveling (or both).
Alyssa Chan
Mentorship
Alyssa Chan is a Ph.D. student in the Physical Biology program under the Physics department. In her free time, she is often out enjoying the food and restaurants around LA.
Huijing Gao
Programming Chair
I study vocal learning in songbirds in neuroscience, which involves understanding how songbirds learn to sing, much like how humans learn to speak. I am motivated to contribute to the community of WiSE, not only to our orgainization. In my free time, I just go to exercise to stay healthy and do activities to relax and maintain a balanced life.
Sarah Hourihan
Social Chair
Sarah Hourihan is a Ph.D. student in the Integrative and Evolutionary Biology program. She broadly studies associations between physical activity and sedentary behavior contexts and chronic disease outcomes. In her free time, she enjoys reading, making music, and exploring LA.
Kylie Trettner
Past Chair of the Board
Kylie Trettner is a 5th year PhD Candidate in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science. She researches the relationship between external, mechanical forces in the cellular microenvironment and pancreatic cancer disease progression. She currently serves as the WiSE AB President and in her free time you can find her running all over West LA and in the Santa Monica mountains as she trains for marathons.
Past Liaisons
Michella Rustom
Elana Helou
Nora Li
Tristan McPhail
Vanessa Rubien
Shilpa Vijay
Affiliations
