Meet Our Diversity Ambassadors
Lama Abufares
Lama is a third-year Ph.D. student in Civil and Environmental Engineering, focusing on Transportation Engineering. She received her bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Birzeit University, Palestine in 2020. As part of the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) research team, Lama is interested in ground-penetrating radar (GPR) applications for highway and airfield pavements.
While at UIUC, she has been a member of many student and university bodies: Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee (EGSAC), Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) institute, Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects (AAAEA), ASCE Transportation Development Institute (TDI), Illini Strings Orchestra, Ballet Folklorico Mitotiani (traditional Mexican dance), and LaFuerzaFlamenca (Spanish Flamenco Dance). She helped organize the Kent Seminar Series in 2020-2023. She was also a research mentor for an underrepresented undergraduate student in Fall 2022. She hopes to be a professor after graduation.
Lama enjoys group sport activities like volleyball, frisbee, soccer and tennis. She is a foodie and likes trying new foods and restaurants. Ask Lama for restaurant recommendations around Champaign-Urbana!
Jacob Fritchie
Jacob Fritchie is a third-year master’s/PhD student in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering. His research focuses on radiation detector characterization, crucial for advancements in nuclear verification technologies. Jacob furthers his passion for international safeguards and nuclear nonproliferation through his role at Sandia National Laboratories in the International Safeguards and Engagements department.
As a first-generation college student and queer individual from a rural area, Jacob has been actively involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, holding leadership roles to foster a welcoming environment. He has served on the Campus Honors Program student council, the Elks National Foundation Scholar Advisory Board, Collegiate 4-H executive committee, the U of I Institute of Nuclear Materials Management student chapter, the NPRE Graduate Student Advisory Committee, and the Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee.
Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, Jacob is an avid music enthusiast who enjoys exploring different genres and attending live concerts. He also loves hiking and has visited over 50 national park sites.
Garima Gupta
Garima is a second-year MS/Ph.D. student in Electrical Engineering, focusing on nanotechnology-based neural probes. She received her bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Mumbai, India, in 2023.
Garima firmly believes that campus diversity enriches educational experiences and prepares students for an interconnected world. As an international student and woman in STEM, she has been actively involved in initiatives aimed at supporting inclusivity since her undergraduate days.
Beyond academics, Garima enjoys going on walks, binge-watching Netflix, and taking up new hobbies.
Yasmin Isa
Yasmin is a third-year Ph.D. student in Computer Science with a focus on interactive computing. Passionate about the intersection of technology and society, her research investigates the application and transformative potential of generative AI.
Yasmin brings a unique perspective to her work, enriched by diverse experiences, including her roles as a Heritage Garden Intern Leader, member of the Honors College Advisory Board, Women in Computer Science organization member, Undergraduate Student Mentor, Student Body President, and Black Tech Scholar. This diversity in experiences fosters a more inclusive approach to problem-solving in interactive computing.
Committed to increasing representation in tech, Yasmin authored a book introducing programming logic and design in the Hausa language, aimed at providing non-English proficient students with the tools they need to succeed in the realm of computer science.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Yasmin is known for her desire to learn and her curiosity. She has a fascination with languages and cultures, enjoys philosophy and psychology, and loves archery, ice skating, and Zumba. Additionally, she is fond of solving riddles and mysteries.
Johanna Arita
Johanna is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability track in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She works with techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment to study the performance of non-sewered sanitation technologies in cities.
She received her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras and her master’s degree in Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Having the possibility to study and work in three different countries has given Johanna a broader outlook of the globalized world we live in. She is the founder of the Central American Chapter of the World Youth Parliament for Water, is part of the Swedish Institute Network for Global Professionals, and the Graduate Society of Women Engineers at Illinois.
She is passionate about higher education and dreams on becoming a professor to positively impact students’ lives. She values diversity and is a strong supporter of women in STEM. In her free time, she likes to try coffee shops and restaurants around town.
Sagar Regmi
Sagar Regmi is a third-year Ph.D. student in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. His research focuses on developing instrumentation for measuring agricultural processes, aiming to revolutionize the field with innovative solutions that positively impact society.
Originally from Nepal, a breathtakingly beautiful country nestled in the foot of the majestic
Himalayas, Sagar's journey in engineering began at Tribhuvan University, where he completed his
bachelor's degree with a major in Mechanical Engineering. Demonstrating a commitment to
sustainable development and societal progress, he pursued double master's degrees in Energy for
Sustainable Social Development and Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, respectively from
Tribhuvan University and North Dakota State University.
Having mentored numerous undergraduate students as a teaching assistant and instructor following his masters, Sagar understands the power of education in nurturing talent and fostering global perspectives. He believes in the concept of the global world and cherishes his humble roots, growing up in a serene village surrounded by nature's wonders.
Beyond academia, Sagar finds joy in exploring the outdoors through hiking, cooking, and biking.
Pedro Rivera-Cardona
Pedro is a third-year Physics Ph.D. student researching the particle physics of the early universe, with a focus on dark matter and extended Higgs models. Pedro is also an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, a GEM Fellow, an Illinois SURGE and Graduate College Fellow, and an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar.
Pedro earned his B.S. in physics at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (UPRM), with departmental honors in 2022. Pedro was also a visiting student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PR-LSAMP Scholar.
Pedro actively contributes to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access efforts. In Puerto Rico, Pedro conducted live physics demonstrations in schools and particle physics workshops for teachers and students worldwide through UPRM’s Society for Physics Students chapter and particle physics research group. At the U of I, Pedro has actively mentored students through the physics department’s Graduate Peer Mentoring and Sloan Scholars programs. Independently, Pedro helps students navigate through the graduate school application process.
For fun, Pedro enjoys climbing at Urbana Boulders (like all physicists do), watching boxing matches and conquering Soulsborne games.
How can we help you?
Use this form to learn more about the program, get in touch with an ambassador, ask a question about becoming an ambassador, or request an ambassador’s presence at your event.
Grainger Engineering departments can request Diversity Ambassador involvement in mentoring, onboarding, and social events. Contact us with your ideas and requests.