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NSME recognizes outstanding students of 2025

Fourteen students honored at ceremony

By California State University, Bakersfield

May 21^st, 2025

Each year, the College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering at California State University, Bakersfield recognizes its top graduate and undergraduate students from each of its programs. On May 8, NSME celebrated these outstanding students at the Honors Recognition Ceremony in the Solario de Fortaleza in the Student Recreation Center.

From this esteemed group of exceptional students, two were chosen as Outstanding Graduate and Outstanding Undergraduate of the College of NSME. Three students were also recognized for outstanding published and unpublished papers.

Read on to learn more about these extraordinary students and their accomplishments.

Jonathan Juarez

Outstanding Graduate of Biology, Outstanding Graduate of the College of NSME and President’s Medal awardee

With a 3.78 GPA and more than 1,500 hours put into his graduate thesis research, Jonathan Juarez has excelled in the classroom and in the lab all through his three years in the biology master’s program. Working with mentor Dr. Rae McNeish in her Aquatic Ecology Research Lab, Juarez has studied how terrestrial invasive plants impact California’s freshwater ecosystems. He is also the first person to ever study the ecology of Tejon Ranch Conservancy’s river, filling a knowledge gap with his results to support the Conservancy’s freshwater management efforts. After being dealt a devastating blow when a flood washed away his research materials and set his work back a year, Juarez persevered and tried the experiement again the next year.

Juarez plans to submit his work for publication this summer and has already given eight presentations and co-authored four additional presentations at scientific conferences. He won more than $9,000 to support his research, which included external funding from the Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research program and being the second CSUB graduate student to ever be awarded a CSU COAST Graduate Student Scholar Award.

While earning his degree, Juarez has taught biology labs, mentored undergraduate and graduate students in Dr. McNeish’s lab and worked as a professional environmental consultant. With his master’s degree, Juarez hopes to become a California State environmental scientist.

“Jonathan’s collective accomplishments highlight his determination to overcome challenges, dedication to his education, impeccable judgment and character and passion for science while completing acts of service and fostering community engagement,” Dr. McNeish wrote in his nomination letter.

NSME recognizes outstanding students of 2025

Carl Allen

Outstanding Undergraduate of Nursing and Outstanding Undergraduate of the College of NSME

Graduating as an honors student with a bachelor’s degree in nursing is the culmination of a long, hard-won educational journey for Carl Allen. Raised in part by his grandmother, Allen dropped out of high school at 16 years old to work full time and help care for two siblings with special needs. He earned his GED at age 26 so he could work as a paraeducator. The experience caring for students with disabilities led Allen to eventually pursue a nursing degree. As a nursing student at CSUB, Allen has maintained an impressive 3.75 GPA, participated in international service-learning trips to both Costa Rica and Zambia and served in both the Community Preventive Health Collaborative and the California Nursing Students’ Association.

Following graduation, Allen plans to start his nursing career in an Emergency Department setting before later returning to school to earn his Doctor of Nursing Practice. As a mentor to fellow nursing students in the CSUB program, Allen also discovered a love of teaching, something he hopes to continue as a clinical instructor.

“His voice is one of humility and encouragement — never forgetting where he started and always lifting others along the way,” nursing faculty wrote of Allen in their nomination letter. “Carl exemplifies what it means to be a nurse and a leader. His story reminds us that with purpose and persistence, transformation is not only possible — it’s powerful.”

Cynthia Perez

Outstanding Undergraduate of Biochemistry

Cynthia Perez is earning her degree in biochemistry with a 3.72 GPA, two years of lab experience and plans to attend dental school. From her freshman year onward, Perez was involved in research, working in both Dr. Karlo Lopez and Dr. Danielle Solano’s laboratories. Outside of the classroom and the lab, Perez was also president and social media coordinator for the Pre-Dental Club. Over the next year, she will be preparing for admission to dental school while shadowing local dentist, Dr. Jesica Gonzalez, a former outstanding NSME student herself.

Michael Pollard

Outstanding Undergraduate of Biology

A member of the baseball team and a 4.0 biology student, Michael Pollard thrived both in the classroom and on the field during his time at CSUB. Despite a demanding schedule as a college athlete, Pollard impressed his professors with his disciplined approach, attention to detail and intellectual curiosity. Excelling in class research projects and helping his peers, Pollard was an engaged and collaborative member of the Biology Department. Within biology, Pollard has discovered a passion for human genetics, a topic he plans to continue to study either in graduate school or in a genetics-related career.

Lujain Kassas

Outstanding Undergraduate of Chemistry

Chemistry student Lujain Kassas graduated in fall 2024 with a 4.0 GPA. From spring 2023 until graduation, Kassas conducted research with Dr. Jesse Bergkamp investigating the synthesis of anthraquinones for use in redox flow batteries for energy storage. For one semester, she also worked with Dr. Roy LaFever investigating isolated yield improvement of natural products from horehound plants using carbon dioxide extraction. Following graduation, Kassas plans to apply to Ph.D. programs in chemistry with a focus on pharmaceuticals and health.

Snehal Kumar

Outstanding Undergraduate of Computer Science

Snehal Kumar has accomplished a feat managed only four times in the last 10 years in the computer science program: a consistent 4.0 across his four years of study. Kumar was an exemplary student in the program, regularly taking summer and winter classes to stay ahead on his necessary courses. Kumar excelled in mobile application and front-end web development, skills he put to use on his senior design project Visionary, an app designed to help users understand the world around them. Kumar also showed a passion for cybersecurity, a field he hopes to enter professionally as a security engineer. He plans to earn his CompTIA Security+ certificate and pursue a master’s degree in information security.

Johann Herring

Outstanding Undergraduate of Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering student Johann Herring is recognized for his outstanding academic performance and dedication to excellence, as shown in his 3.59 GPA, strong work ethic, intellectual curiosity and commitment to mastering a challenging field. He consistently demonstrates initiative, problem-solving abilities and a passion for learning.

Braedon Scarry

Outstanding Undergraduate of Geology

Geology student Braedon Scarry has excelled in the classroom and in the lab during his time at CSUB. As a student, he has been unafraid of addressing challenging questions posed by his professors and regularly demonstrated his ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical applications. With Dr. Adam Guo, Scarry has worked on a lithospheric geodynamics project studying how the evolution of the northern San Andreas plate boundary has led to present-day earthquake hazards. Scarry has also worked at the Veterans Success Center and has been involved with the Geology Club. He will attend field camp in Scotland this summer and plans to start a master’s program in the fall.

Selena Santillan

Outstanding Undergraduate of Human Biology

Selena Santillan was at first unsure about her career path, leading her to change her major a few times before finding her passion for human biology. Since then, she has excelled in the classroom, making the Dean’s List every semester. Off campus, Santillan has served as a youth group leader at The Bridge Bible Church, mentoring middle and high school students, including some who went on to attend CSUB themselves. Following graduation, Santillan plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

Aliyah Ochoa

Outstanding Undergraduate of Mathematics

After first studying at Bakersfield College, mathematics major Aliyah Ochoa continued to excel at CSUB. At both schools, she received scholarships and awards in recognition of her achievements, including being accepted into the Helen Hawks Honors Program. She has conducted research through her senior seminar, the California Mathematics Council conference and an upcoming research experience at UC Merced. Ochoa is interested in researching how math is learned, why students struggle with confidence and motivation in mathematics and how math instructors can help this issue. She plans to earn her master’s degree in mathematics and become a community college instructor.

Veronica Castro

Outstanding Undergraduate of Public Health

Public health student Veronica Castro is being recognized as the program’s top student, with a 3.43 GPA. Always prepared for and engaged in class, Castro’s enthusiasm for public health is clear to her professors. She demonstrates critical thinking and problem-solving skills and works efficiently in both group and individual projects. She has interned at the Kern County Public Health Department, where her preceptors were impressed by her work ethic and quality of work. As a mother, Castro has navigated competing priorities well.

Justin Chavez

Outstanding Undergraduate — Unpublished Paper

Justin Chavez receives this award for his paper “Degradation of Demeclocycline via Advanced Oxidation Processes,” summarizing his research efforts with Dr. Hanoz Santoke in both the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and the CHEM 4800 Honors Research class. Chavez was the sole student working on this project, from initial literature review through hands-on laboratory research to obtain the results.

Amber Assi

Outstanding Undergraduate — Unpublished Paper

Amber Assi receives this award for her paper “Wavelengths of the Visible Spectrum and Its Effect on Raphanus sativus L. Growth and Development,” written as part of a class project in her BIOL 3120 Research Design & Analysis class. Assi did an excellent job throughout the process, from developing the idea behind the project, to conducting research and analyzing data and finally to writing her paper.

Maggie Izumi

Outstanding Undergraduate — Published Paper

Maggie Izumi receives this award for her paper “Characterization of Rock Properties for Geologic Storage of H2 and CO2 Using Electromagnetic Methods.” Izumi published her abstract and poster at the 2024 American Geophysical Union conference, an international scientific conference and the largest in the area of earth sciences. Izumi is the first author of this publication, written based on lab work and data analysis she completed under the supervision of mentors Dr. Liaosha Song and Dr. Matthew Herman.

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Footnotes

Compiled by Kelly Ardis, communications specialist, College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering (NSME); photos by Abel Núñez-Guerrero, Outreach & Community College Coordinator for NSME

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FootNotes

Compiled by Kelly Ardis, communications specialist, College of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering (NSME); photos by Abel Núñez-Guerrero, Outreach & Community College Coordinator for NSME

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NSME recognizes outstanding students of 2025

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FootNotes

Check out top photos from recent events

March 4th, 2026

April 9 event now features two tracks, student ticket

Gift will establish Wonderful Scholars Center in Rohan Building

Dahna Stowe and sister Dorie Gutierrez donating $125,000 over five years

Janie Flores to be inducted into Alumni Hall of Fame

March 4^th, 2026