Alejandra Almaraz
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Micron School of Materials Science & Engineering
Alejandra (Ally) was born and raised in Idaho, attending elementary through middle school in Homedale before moving to Caldwell her freshman year of high school. When Ally started college after graduation, she pursued her interest in microbiology and the microscopic makeup of living things. After earning an Associate degree in Human Biology from the College of Western Idaho and working as a medical assistant for nearly five years, she found that her interests did not lie in direct patient care. Having realized this, she applied her biomedical training and experience to an internship at Sapidyne Instruments, where she was able to break down and build research technologies for biochemical research. During this internship, Ally discovered a passion for engineering. Upon matriculating at Boise State, Ally initially enrolled as a Mechanical Engineering major with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. However, upon taking MSE 101 her sophomore year, she was inspired by Dr. Amy Moll, whose introductory Materials Science and Engineering course opened a door that connected her twin interests: studying molecules at a microscopic level while applying them to engineering. After this, Ally switched her major to Materials Science and Engineering, and has thrived ever since (including being featured in Boise State’s national advertising campaign). She is excited to continue this journey of exploration and growth in her educational career path and combine her background in biology and healthcare with her passion for progression in STEM. Working in the SSL, she is most excited to collaborate on projects that correlate with her interest in advancing technology and treatments in medicine.
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journal Publications
Coming soon.
Conference Presentations and Posters
Coming soon.