AWIS
ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE
Central Massachusetts Chapter
AWIS Central Massachusetts Board of Directors
Izabela RC Stroe, Ph.D.
President - izabela@wpi.edu
Associate Professor of Teaching
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Prof. Stroe is an experimental biophysicist with fourteen years of innovative teaching and curriculum development experience. She earned her undergraduate degree in physics at the University of Bucharest, and her PhD in physics at Clark University. She completed her postdoctoral research as a Seaborg Postdoctoral Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. At Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Dr. Stroe conducts both fundamental and applied research that bridges many disciplines. Her work on proteins and cell-protein interactions impacted current understanding of the role of water in the function and dynamics of proteins and the relationship between Alzheimer’s and Type II Diabetic disease. She developed a novel detection method of amyloidogenic proteins that may lead to early detection of amyloidosis diseases, specifically Alzheimer’s Disease. In her teaching, she transformed and enriched the physics undergraduate and graduate curriculum by incorporating components of Entrepreneurial Mindset Learning and Value Creation to accelerate innovation and global technological and societal impact. She led the Master of Science in Physics for Educators since 2015 and the Renewable Energy Materials STEM Scholars Program since 2018. Dr. Stroe presented her work nationally and internationally, and her work was published in high impact journals like PNAS and has been featured in the New and Views of Nature. She became an AWIS volunteer member in 2022, and a full member in 2023. Dr. Stroe aims to continue building a strong networking and mentoring STEM program that provides impactful value to the members and strengthens the AWIS local community.
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Peren Coskun, Ph.D.
Vice President - Peren.Coskun@umassmed.edu
Post Doctoral Associate
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Peren is a Post Doctoral Associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Her research focuses on post-transcriptional regulation in mRNAs in the germline. Before her graduate studies, Peren studied Biological Sciences and Bioengineering in Istanbul, Turkey, and received her Bachelor of Science degree with minor honor in Chemistry from Sabanci University. Dr. Coskun completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She is passionate about outreach and mentoring; she participated in several student organizations such as Graduate Student Body Committee and Peer Mentoring Committee in University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She has joined AWIS in 2022 as the Outreach and Engagement Chair. She currently serves as the co-chair in the Industry Exploration Program’s executive board.
Sarah Woodard
Senior Treasurer - sarah.woodard.awis@gmail.com
Director Product Management
Invoice Cloud
Sarah currently works as a Director of Product Management at Invoice Cloud with a focus on solving customer pain points with clear business goals and product vision. She has previously worked as an applications engineer at Instron and founded an engineering and technical training program at IPG.
Sarah holds a certification in project management and received a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She is passionate about inspiring and mentoring others to have fulfilling STEM careers. She is committed to helping grow a society that promotes women in STEM.
Kathleen Desevin
Treasurer - Kathleen.Desevin@umassmed.edu
PhD candidate
UMass Chan Medical School
Kathleen is a PhD candidate at UMass Chan Medical School, where she is currently studying how the male reproductive tissues can mediate the paternal effects of metabolic perturbations on offspring phenotypes. Before starting her doctoral training at UMass, Kathleen was a research technician at Boston University (BU), where she got her BA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and MA in Biotechnology, as well as working on various projects related to lipid metabolism and adipose tissue biology. Kathleen is hoping to apply everything that she has learned throughout her research career to better understand the early development of metabolic tissues. Kathleen joined AWIS in 2024 to broaden her knowledge on life beyond her graduate training, as well as help foster the community of scientists in the Worcester and Central Massachusetts area.
Mridushi Daga
Membership Director - Mridushi.Daga@umassmed.edu
PhD candidate
UMass Chan Medical School
Mridushi is a PhD student in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, where her research focuses on autoimmune diseases, specifically Cutaneous Lupus. She joined AWIS in 2024 to both give and receive mentorship from women in STEM, with the goal of fostering a supportive scientific community. She believes building a strong network of women in science is essential for encouraging collaboration, breaking down barriers, and empowering the current and next generation of female researchers.
Ruchi Sharma
Events Director - ruchi.sharma@umassmed.edu
Post Doctoral Associate
UMass Chan Medical School
Ruchi is a Postdoctoral Associate in Padron-Craig lab, UMass Medical School. Her lab is interested in structure of myosin protein and thick muscle filament. Ruchi is working on single particle analysis using cryo-EM as technique. She did her Ph.D. from IMTECH, CSIR lab from India. Here, in AWIS, Ruchi is working as event director. In AWIS, she aims to convey her research to girls who are interested in science and form a strong networking between women in science.
Snehalata Kadam, Ph.D.
Brand Ambassador- snehalata.kadam.awis@gmail.com
Assistant Teaching Professor - Department of Physics
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Snehalata Kadam is the President and one of the founding members of the AWIS Central MA chapter. She is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Worcester. Dr. Kadam earned a B.S and M.S in Biology from India and her Ph.D in Animal Genetics from University of Tuebingen, Germany. She worked as a Post-Doctoral Scholar at California Institute of Technology (CALTECH), Pasadena where she studied how mechanics of cell migration affects developmental processes. Dr. Kadam joined WPI as a Physics faculty in 2014 with a goal of bridging Physical and Biological Sciences. She is passionate about creating a Physics loving atmosphere especially in female students and developing innovative learning strategies for students to adapt and apply their knowledge in diverse fields of science.
Dr. Kadam, an AWIS member since 2014 was involved in founding the AWIS affiliate group, which led to the establishment of the AWIS Central MA chapter. She currently lives in Shrewsbury with her husband and two sons. She is an active volunteer of the non-profit organization, India Society of Worcester (ISW) and helps coordinate cultural performances for the society. She is an avid dancer and loves performing the classical Indian dance style of Kathak.