May 20th 2026

Huge congratulations to my graduate students, Kobra Foroughi and Kilyna Nguyen, who both passed their qualifying exams and are now officially PhD candidates!

It was a long day with both exams scheduled on the same day, but they absolutely rocked it. I am incredibly proud of the hard work, preparation, and scientific maturity they each brought to this milestone. It has been a privilege to watch them grow as scientists, and I am excited to see all they will accomplish in the next stage of their PhD training.