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Dr. Diana Azurdia earns Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award from UCLA

Congratulations to Dr. Diana Azurdia, Director for Recruitment and Inclusion at GPB, for becoming a recipient of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) award at UCLA! The DEI Staff Award solicits nominations campus-wide and recognizes efforts and accomplishments in fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive UCLA.

Dr. Diana Azurdia serves as the Director for Recruitment and Inclusion for Graduate Programs in Bioscience at UCLA. In this role, she leads the development and implementation of a strategic plan to enhance diversity in the biomedical graduate student population. She uses her platform as a National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Master Facilitator to promote inclusive mentoring practices at UCLA where she leads the Entering Mentoring Training Program which provides mentor and mentee training to scientists at all career stages. Additionally, Dr. Azurdia works with the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Research Experiences (CIMER) to deliver research mentor training and facilitator training nationally. Dr. Azurdia currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from UCLA, and graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from CSU Los Angeles. Dr. Azurdia is a first-generation Guatemalan-American and the first in her family to attend college.

We are lucky to have Dr. Azurdia on our team to promote initiatives that foster access to STEM degrees, which are important for equal representation of all identities in STEM, the creation of innovations that serve all communities, and income equity.