Pamela Padilla, associate professor of biology, will encourage more students and professionals to participate in STEM research, attain advanced degrees and advance in STEM leadership as a newly elected board member of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. In her own research, Padilla studies cellular, genetic and molecular responses to environmental stressors such as oxygen deprivation and high sugar diets, relevant to heart problems, diabetes and obesity in humans. Her research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and her honors include the prestigious NSF CAREER award.