California State University, Bakersfield’s School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering recognized its top graduate and undergraduate students at the Honors Recognition Ceremony on May 2 in the Solario de Fortaleza in the Student Recreation Center.
Of the 13 students recognized as the top student in their degree program, two were chosen as the Outstanding Undergraduate and Outstanding Graduate of the School of NSME. This year’s Outstanding Undergraduate Unpublished Paper award was given to two students — that the Honors and Awards Committee couldn’t choose between the two is a testament to the quality of both students’ work, said Dr. Karlo Lopez, NSME Associate Dean, at the ceremony.
Learn more about these exemplary students and their accomplishments below.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Mathematics and Outstanding Undergraduate of the School of NSME
Jared White will earn his bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a 4.0 GPA during his three years at CSUB. After transferring here from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo during COVID, White soon found his place in the Department of Mathematics. For his senior seminar, he researched the original proof by the great mathematician Euler of the Konigsberg Bridge problem in Graph Theory. White has also used his talents in math to tutor his peers at CSUB as well as younger students in his community. Double-minoring in music and Japanese, White is also active in the Bakersfield music community, where he plays trumpet in several bands, both on campus and off. White’s accomplishments in math and music are more impressive when considering the inflammatory polyarthritis he has fought through to persevere. Following graduation, White will pursue his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at UC Davis. He hopes to become a college mathematics professor.
Outstanding Graduate of Biology and Outstanding Graduate of the School of NSME
Biology graduate student Mario Gaytan has maintained a near-perfect GPA while completing a labor-intensive research project on the San Joaquin Valley Giant Flower-loving Fly and working full-time in ecological consulting. His faculty mentor, Dr. Lucas Hall, called Gaytan “an absolute model” of a successful graduate student, praising his dedication, work ethic and involvement on campus with CSUB’s Biology Club and Kit Fox Society. Following graduation, Gaytan will focus on his environmental consulting business and is also considering pursuing his Ph.D.
Outstanding Graduate of Nursing
Family nurse practitioner student Maria Mota-McConnell has overcome many challenges in her life and gone on to thrive in CSUB’s nursing graduate program with a 3.87 GPA. Born in rural Mexico, she moved to the United States after high school and taught herself English. After earning her first degrees in biology and nursing, Mota-McConnell was inspired to earn her master’s in nursing following the deaths of her mother and sister and her own stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis. With her second chance at life, she plans to focus on women’s health in medically underserved areas and eventually earn her doctorate degree.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Biology
Monica Uriaz’s ability to bounce back from a poor academic start and go on to earn straight A’s, get involved in research and plan for a master’s degree makes her the Biology Department’s pick for Outstanding Undergraduate of Biology. After starting at CSUB in 2018 and earning several F's, she went to Bakersfield College and was able to get back on track for academic success. Since returning to CSUB in fall 2022, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA. On campus, she has been involved with research in Dr. Lucas Hall’s and Dr. Brandon Pratt’s labs. She was also part of a National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Pomona College. Uriaz has applied to study ecological restoration in master’s programs at University of California, Irvine and here at CSUB. She hopes to become a land manager.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Human Biology
Human biology student Monisha Lewis became interested in the medical field due to her Type I diabetes diagnosis, and her nominator Dr. Antje Lauer has no doubts she will succeed in her plans to become a health care professional. In her last semester at CSUB, Lewis joined Dr. Lauer’s microbiology lab to help with research on valley fever and quickly distinguished herself as an able and reliable part of the team. Lewis “produced results like a pro, from day one on,” Dr. Lauer said. While maintaining a 3.8 GPA, Lewis also volunteered at Kern Medical for clinical experience as part of the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Biochemistry
Jacob Roper, a fall 2023 graduate who majored in biochemistry and chemistry, is a deep thinker who loves to problem-solve, according to nominators Dr. Jesse Bergkamp and Dr. Sarah Forester. While excelling in the classroom and Dr. Bergkamp’s lab as a Student Research Scholar, Roper was also active in Associated Students Inc. and the Pre-Medical Club on campus. Outside of school, Roper co-created a clothing drive benefiting Kern Medical and Adventist Health and volunteered at local hospitals and the library. Since earning his degree last semester, Roper has worked as an Instruction Support Technician for the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. He is now considering applying to graduate school and/or med school.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Computer Engineering
When Zane Warren transferred to CSUB from Taft College to complete his degree in computer engineering, he found that many of his classes did not transfer over. Warren didn’t let this setback, or his busy work schedule, stop him from finishing his degree on time. With a high GPA and regular appearances on the Dean’s List, Warren has proven himself a dedicated and hardworking student. After graduation, Warren plans to become a hardware engineer or embedded systems engineer.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Electrical Engineering
Christopher Kobee has consistently ranked at the top 1% of his class in the electrical engineering program. Nominator Dr. Amin Malek described Kobee as “a diligent, sincere and ambitious individual” who not only excels on his own but makes a great team member too. Dr. Malek is confident that Kobee will succeed in his future academic and professional endeavors.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Computer Science
Taylor Kaye Hooser’s academic performance has made her a standout student in CSUB’s computer science program. Her 3.95 GPA is well above the average 3.0 GPA for the rigorous degree, “a testament to her exceptional capabilities in one of the most challenging academic disciplines,” her nominators, Dr. Alberto Cruz and Dr. Anthony Bianchi write. Dr. Cruz said that Hooser consistently outperforms peers in group activities and executes tasks swiftly and accurately in his Computer Architecture course, while Dr. Bianchi praised her participation in class and contribution of interesting ideas.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Geology
During her time at CSUB, geology student Jennifer Rubalcaba has excelled in both the classroom and the lab, with a 3.81 GPA and impressive research involvement among her accomplishments. On campus, Rubalcaba was part of the 2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, where she worked on a project studying a lunar meteorite. The next summer, she joined the Cal-EPIC summer internship hosted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Rubalcaba has been an active member of CSUB’s Geology Club, serving as its president in her final year. Before she officially earns her degree, Rubalcaba will complete her field camp requirement in Scotland. After that, she plans to pursue her master’s degree.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Nursing
Even before earning his nursing degree, Ravnit Sran has already shown his commitment to serving others. Sran has gone on three Nursing Department global outreach trips to help underserved communities in Peru, Micronesia and Mexico. He will be a student team leader on a fourth trip in June, this time to Zambia. He has also been active locally in the department’s Community Preventive Health Collaborative Program, serving those in underrepresented areas. On campus, Sran has given back as a peer learning coach in the NSME Pathways program. Sran faced a difficult transition after moving to the United States from India at 18, but he has since found his place in the community and his passion in nursing. He hopes to work at a local hospital in a critical care unit after graduation.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Public Health
Fatima Serrato was inspired to pursue a career in health care following a childhood illness, but when she didn’t get into CSUB’s nursing program, she had to pivot. It wasn’t long before she found her passion in public health. As the top student in the new program, Serrato is “a shining example of hard work and dedication,” her professors said. Outside of the classroom, Serrato has worked as a student research assistant for Dr. Linh Bui and Dr. Andrea Lopez. She also interned at the Kern County Public Health Department and currently interns with the Blue Zones Project Bakersfield. Serrato is now applying to jobs in the Department of Public Health and Kern Health Systems and plans to eventually return to school for a master’s in epidemiology.
Outstanding Undergraduate of Engineering
Serina Ishida found her love for engineering in high school when she was part of the Project Lead the Way program. At CSUB, she worked with Dr. Zhongzhe Liu for three years and was part of 10 research projects, including her most recent work on thermochemical treatment of a byproduct from wastewater treatment facilities. While pursuing her education, Ishida worked at CSUB’s Student Recreation Center as a manager and at California Bioenergy as an intern. Since graduating with honors in the fall, Ishida has been preparing for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the first step toward becoming a licensed professional engineer. She hopes to work as an engineer in the renewable energy field.
Outstanding Undergraduate unpublished paper
Julnar Al Azzam receives this award for her paper “Investigation of Enzymatic Sulfur Reduction in Fossil Fuels.” Written as part of her Seminar in Chemical Literature course taught by Dr. Andreas Gebauer, the paper was based on the research Al Azzam conducted herself in Dr. Karlo Lopez’s laboratory.
Cymone Rugano receives this award for her paper “Freshwater salinization negative impact on decomposition rate of Populus fremontii leaves.” Rugano wrote this paper for Dr. Rae McNeish’s Research Design and Analysis biology class. Working with a team of her fellow students on the research, Rugano took the lead on developing methodologies, participated in all data collections and wrote the resulting empirical paper alone.
© 2026 California State University, Bakersfield
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