STEM Star Seminar Series

Alejandra Huerta, PhD.

Dr. Alejandra Huerta is an Assistant Professor in Phytobacteriology at North Carolina State University. Her research goal is to advance our scientific understanding of the interacting components that influence the survival, establishment, and suppression of plant pathogenic bacteria within agricultural systems, and how this impacts plant health and productivity. She believes that understanding the fundamental biology of plants and their pathogens will lead directly to applications. She was born in Michoacán, Mexico and immigrated to Salinas, California the “Salad Bowl of the World” with her immigrant parents. English is her second language, Portuguese her third and she is a first-generation college graduate.



Alejandra is passionate about agriculture, plant disease, and STEM education. She received a Bachelors in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California in Santa Barbara and a second Bachelor’s in Chemistry from the University of California in Santa Cruz prior to earning her doctoral degree in Plant Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Evelyn Asiedu, PhD

Dr. Asiedu will join us to discuss her advocacy work for the representation and visibility of Black people and all people of color in STEM.

Evelyn Asiedu is a native of Brampton, Ontario. In 2013 she received her Honors BSc in chemistry in 2013 from Western University. That same year she moved to Edmonton to begin her graduate studies in analytical environmental toxicology. Her research aims to understand which chemicals are in oil sands wastewater and how long those chemicals take to degrade. Her volunteer activities have centered around environmental and social sustainability. She is also passionate about the promotion of diversity in science. Specifically, she is an advocate for the representation and visibility of Black people and all people of color in STEM.

Learn more about Dr. Asiedu.

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Past Seminar Presentations

Bertha Jimenez, PhD

Dr. Jimenez joins us to discuss her path to successful start-up founder.

Bertha Jimenez graduated from New York University Tandon School of Engineering with a PhD in technology management and innovation. She also holds an MS in engineering and technology management from Portland State University and a BE in mechanical engineering from the  Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Bertha is the Co-founder and CEO of Rise Products, a food-tech startup that uses its patent-pending process and technology to convert organic byproducts into food-grade ingredients. She works very closely with the craft-beer network in NYC to help them divert tons of food waste from the landfill. She is an expert in upcycled ingredients, and consults with food brands to help them develop, market and launch sustainable products. Bertha previously worked in environmental consulting, design and construction. Bertha is passionate about traveling, being immersed in different cultures, and dancing. She is an advocate of women entrepreneurs, and currently volunteers as a mentor for the New York City Department of Small Business Services, where she helps women start and grow their business. 

Learn more about Dr. Jimenez.

Aleksandra Popowich, PhD

Dr. Popowich will join us to discuss creating her own research path to a career in conservation science.

Aleksandra Popowich is about to begin the position of research assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In their Department of Scientific Research, Aleks will be studying the many uses of proteins, gums, and lipids in works of art. She is currently finishing her postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute focusing on the characterization of decorative ancient metal threads and the development of technology, from Medieval Mongolia to epaulettes and insignia in the American Army. She holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Alberta, Canada, where she studied the effects of carcinogenic arsenic compounds on proteins using mass spectrometry and immunoassays, and a BSc in chemistry from the University of British Columbia, Canada. Aleks began her career as a conservation scientist by volunteering in the Conservation Departments of several Canadian museums, where performed scientific analyses on a wide range of artifacts, from taxidermy and bones to paintings. Her favorite experiences thus far in the world of cultural heritage have been seeing a ton of mummies, being draped in diamond jewelry while in a vault in a vault in a vault, and getting really close to George Washington’s epaulettes.