2020 1L Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholars
Tiffany Allen
Ms. Allen is pursuing her J.D. degree at UC Berkeley. She received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Business from the University of Southern California &, prior to law school, was employed as a quality assurance engineer, software engineer & senior automation architect at Workday, Inc., a provider of cloud-based HR- and finance-related software services for businesses. In her Senior Automation Architect role at Workday, she was responsible for overseeing the quality improvement efforts of software developers in each of the company’s product areas. She is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, where she has been active in its community outreach efforts targeted to motivating minority youth to pursue a STEM education.
Katherine Costella
Ms. Costella is pursuing her J.D. degree at the University of Houston Law Center. She received a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology from Emory University. Prior to entering law school, she was employed as a Math & Science teacher at an alternative high school in Phoenix, where she provided instruction, adapted curriculum for Spanish-speaking students, & spearheaded the development of a conceptual science curriculum. While pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree, Ms. Costella attended the Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholar program at the University of Maine School of Law. From co-chairing Elect-Her on the leadership board at the Center for Women at Emory & spearheading the Women in STEM housing programs, she plans to pursue patent and IP law to serve as a role model for her Latinx community who are underrepresented in both the STEM and legal fields.
Abhinav Garg
Mr. Garg is pursuing his J.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Law. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical & Polymer Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. After completing his Bachelor of Science degree, Mr. Garg worked as a Process Engineer for Adhesives Research, Inc, where he led engineering projects from initial customer specification to successful commercialization. Prior to entering law school, he worked as a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Sangheon Han
Dr. Han is pursuing his J.D. degree at the University of Houston Law Center. He received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Rice University, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Miami University of Ohio, and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Seoul. He has been a postdoctoral fellow at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, & a Technical Writer by Hao Law P.C. & interned at the Office of Technology Transfer, Rice University. While pursuing his Doctorate, Dr. Han’s research image was selected for the collection gallery of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Close Up 2017. He was active with the Korean Federation of Science & Technology Societies and participated as one of 15 Rice engineering students in the Ignite Entrepreneurship Trek 2018, where he learned about major trends & innovations in established companies and venture-capital-backed start- up life-science companies in Houston and Silicon Valley.
Elizabeth Kimbrough
Ms. Kimbrough is pursuing her J.D. degree at Vanderbilt University School of Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tuskegee University &, while a student at Tuskegee, was employed as a Legal Redress Committee Intern at the NAACP Nashville Branch. Ms. Kimbrough is a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where she served as Community Service chair, and the United Health Diverse Scholars Initiative, which promotes the exploration of solutions to critical public health issues faced by underrepresented & under-served communities.
Mark Lampert
Dr. Lampert is pursuing his J.D. degree at Duke University School of Law. He received a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California – San Diego and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from The Ohio State University. At UCSD, Dr. Lampert was an NIH F31 Graduate Research Fellow, and received the UCSD T32 Pharmacology Training Grant. Since 2016, Dr. Lampert has served as a mentor for first generation Hispanic high school students seeking admission to a four-year University.
Payal Patel
Ms. Patel is pursuing her J.D. degree at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. She received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from George Mason University. While pursuing her Bachelor of Science degree, she served as an extern for the United States Patent & Trademark Office, analyzing patent applications in the field of image processing. Ms. Patel was a member of the Indian Student Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, & Society of Women Engineers during her undergraduate studies. Ms. Patel served as a Women in STEM E-Mentor, providing guidance regarding STEM classes and projects to female high school students.
Noah Rushi
Mr. Rushin is pursuing his J.D. degree at Columbia University School of Law. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia where he served as an Undergraduate Research in Dr. William Epling’s Catalysis Lab and as a Teaching Assistant for Differential Equation. As a fourth- year student, Mr. Rushin was awarded the McGuire Woods Scholarship & the Ridley-OAAA Academic Achievement Award. While pursuing his degree, he was an active member of AlChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), representing students and organizing professional development for Chemical Engineering students.
Sara Serag
Dr. Serag is pursuing her J.D. degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. She pursued her graduate studies in Biotechnology through the American University in Cairo where she did her Masters research at UT- Southwestern and her Ph.D. research in Molecular Biology at Harvard Medical School. She has a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy from Ain Shams University, Cairo. She practiced as a Clinical Pharmacist, Clinical Scientist, Clinical Assistant Professor, and, since 2017, has served as a Lecturer at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research has been published in Cell, Genes and Development, Molecular Cell Biology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and Cell Metabolism.
Jacqueline Yee
Ms. Yee is pursuing her J.D. degree at Santa Clara University School of Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from San Jose State University, with minors in Chemistry and Legal Studies. Prior to entering law school, Ms. Yee was employed by The Lindon Company as an office manager. While a student at San Jose University, Ms. Yee served as a debate tournament judge for the James Logan debate team.