WMIS Leadership

 Alaina Smith - Co-Director

Alaina (she/her) is a 6th year PhD student in Biological Oceanography, studying phytoplankton biogeography and diversity. She has been a member of WMIS for 5 years, and Co-Director since 2020. Her favorite event is the Student Seminar Series because she loves learning more about what everyone studies, what they’re interested in, and who they are as people rather than just researchers.

Anela Akiona - CO-DIRECTOR

Anela (she/her) is a 5th year PhD student in Marine Biology. She studies what determines species distribution on coral reefs, and models how emerging interventions might make reef ecosystems more resilient to negative impacts. She’s been involved with WMIS since 2019, and joined the leadership team in summer 2020, previously serving as the Growing Up In Science Coordinator. Although she may be biased, her favorite WMIS event is Growing Up in Science. Being able to speak candidly in a safe space with scientists about how they got to where they are (both the good and the bad) is a really unique experience. Each conversation is always so different, and she always finds them very grounding and inspiring.

 Ahmi Cacapit - Growing Up In Science Coordinator

Ahmi (she/her) is a 2nd year PhD student in Marine Biology. A Guam native, she studies coral reef ecology in the Sandin lab.

Shailja Gangrade - Skill Share Coordinator

Shailja (she/her) is a 4th year PhD student in Biological Oceanography, studying plankton patchiness in coastal upwelling systems. She’s been a member of WMIS since she began at Scripps in 2019, and recently joined WMIS leadership. She loves the WMIS beach hangout events because it’s a great way to unwind at the end of the week with an awesome community. She also says, “Stay tuned for some terrific Skill Share events! These are great activities where we can learn from others, pick up new skills, share cultures, and have some fun.”

OlÍvia Pereira - Student seminar series coordinator

Olívia (she/her) is a 5th year PhD student in Biological Oceanography. She studies deep-sea ecology, focusing on community dynamics and trophic ecology. Specifically, she's interested in invertebrates associated with hard substrates at methane seeps and mineral-rich rocks on continental margins. While she just became a member of WMIS leadership in 2021, she's been attending WMIS events since she started her Master's degree in 2017. She says the reason she's the coordinator of the Student Seminar Series is because it's her favorite WMIS event! She enjoys learning about all the incredibly diverse research that SIO students are working on. It also provides an opportunity to connect with others at SIO. Her second favorite event is Growing Up in Science, because she's received some amazing, unforgettable advice from speakers. Fun Fact: Olívia is an exceptional science communicator! Check out her Instagram (@seathescience), where she talks about the deep-sea and life as a graduate student - from the highs to the lows. She's also OBSESSED with crustaceans and has countless selfies with 'crusties' in her hands.

anya Štajner - Social media co-manager

Anya is a 3rd year PhD student in Biological Oceanography. She studies zooplankton ecology and the many sub-facets within the field, ranging from ocean acidification to food webs. She joined WMIS in Fall 2021 during her first quarter as a graduate student, and quickly jumped onto the social media team during her second quarter at Scripps. She loves the WMIS Skill Share events because they’re a great way to learn something new and connect with the WMIS community at the same time. Fun face: Anya loves brewing her own kombucha, and welcomes new flavor combo suggestions for future batches of booch!

Scarlett Hensman - Communications Manager

Kelli Mullane - Website Manager

Kelli (she/her) is a 7th year PhD student in Marine Biology. She studies microorganisms (e.g., bacteria) that live and thrive in extreme environments, with her work spanning everything from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the search for extraterrestrial life. She’s been a member of WMIS since 2018, but only recently joined the leadership team! Growing Up in Science is her favorite WMIS event. She says that being able to hear about the different paths that people follow (both inside and outside of academia), the hardships they've faced/still face, and how these experiences have shaped them into the scientist (and human!) they are is so amazing. She also says it’s a chance to see a side of these brilliant scientists that you don't get anywhere else, and the lessons learned are invaluable. In her free time she likes to crochet, embroider, bake, and tend to her garden - many of these skills and interests she’s developed through the WMIS Skill Share event!