ENIGMA Post Doc Andrea Rocha one of the top 50 women featured in the “Latinas in Information Technology of Hispanic Engineer and IT” magazine. She was honored for her contribution during the Women of Color (WOC) STEM Conference in Detroit on October 16, 2015.
Andrea Rocha is a post-doctoral fellow in the Biosciences Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Rocha anchors the field sampling efforts at the Oak Ridge Field site in radioactively contaminated areas as well as background sites. As part of the ENIGMA [Ecosystems and Networks Integrated with Genes and Molecular Assemblies], a multi-institutional collaborative project, Rocha is trying to determine subsurface keystone bacteria species differences in gradients of pH, nitrate, uranium, and conductivity to enable modeling of microbial community resiliency. During her academic and research career, Rocha has received numerous honors and awards. These include the Facilis 2014 workshop travel award, American Society of Microbiology (ASM) minority travel award, Delores Auzzune Fellowship, Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship, GEM fellowship, Successful Latino Student Award, Alfred P. Sloan fellowship, Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Bridge to Doctorate Fellowship, and Hall-Bonner Fellowship.
A person performing technological functions, who has designed, developed, managed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement in the field. The overall impact of technological achievement is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned. The committee sees a nominee that offers broad impact and high value to society as a whole.
Women recognized at this event include Special Recognition honorees, Promotion of Education Awardees as well as the women featured in the issues of Women of Color magazine and Hispanic Engineer magazine. Some of the attendees include the Department of Defense officials, military service chiefs, political leaders, corporate executives and many others who promote workforce diversity and inclusion.
Through our participation in WOC STEM development programs, we hope to engage young people, build relationships, and influence STEM as a career choice for young people. Andrea serves as a role model for other postdocs and we are pleased to support her efforts in science.