Aiyana Wins People's Choice at 5th Annual CSU-Wide Grad Slam

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We’re thrilled to share that Aiyana has been named the People’s Choice Award winner at the 5th

Annual CSU-Wide Grad Slam, held on Friday, May 9, 2025, and hosted by California State

University San Bernardino!

After earning first place at the Sonoma State University Grad Slam, Aiyana advanced to

represent SSU at the CSU-wide competition. This exciting event brought together graduate

student researchers from across 22-campuses of the California State University system, with two top

presenters from each campus.

Aiyana impressed judges and audiences alike in the initial preliminary round, where the top two

presenters out of 37 students advanced to the final round. Competing

among 12 finalists, Aiyana captivated viewers with her presentation—and ultimately earned the

People’s Choice Award, a reflection of her impact and connection with the audience.

Congratulations to Aiyana for this incredible achievement and for representing SSU with such

excellence and passion!

Aiyana Wins SSU Grad Slam '25 !

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We are excited to announce that Aiyana has taken 1st place in the SSU 2025 Grad Slam, held on

Friday, April 4, 2025! This fast-paced and exciting virtual event, hosted by the Office of Graduate

Studies, challenges graduate students to present their research, scholarship, and creativity in just

three minutes. Aiyana's exceptional presentation stood out among many talented participants,

earning her the top spot and a chance to represent Sonoma State University at the CSU-wide

Grad Slam competition.


On Friday, May 9, 2025, Aiyana will compete against graduate students from 22 other campuses

at the prestigious CSU-wide event, hosted by California State University, San Bernardino.

Winning the SSU Grad Slam not only earned Aiyana valuable prizes but also provided her with a

unique opportunity to enhance her professional presentation skills. We’re incredibly proud of her

accomplishment and can’t wait to cheer her on as she takes the next step in this exciting journey!

Holiday Season in the Zippay Lab

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The holiday season is here, and the Zippay Lab is spreading festive cheer! This year, our team

came together to create a special winter wonderland right here in the lab. The highlight? Our

beautifully decorated door is adorned with sparkling snowflakes that bring the magic of the

season indoors.

These snowflakes symbolize more than just the holidays—they represent the uniqueness of every

idea and contribution our team makes throughout the year. As we reflect on 2024, we're grateful

for the discoveries and collaborations that made this year memorable.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates in the new year, and from all of us at the Zippay Lab, we

wish you a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and a little bit of magic!

Aiyana's Poster at SACNAS

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We’re thrilled to congratulate Aiyana, our graduate student, for presenting her upcoming thesis project at the SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference in Phoenix, Arizona! Although her research will officially begin in the spring, Aiyana shared her plans for studying the effects of thermal stress-induced gene expression during the maternal-to-zygotic transition in purple sea urchins. She was also awarded a travel scholarship from SACNAS, which allowed her to attend this impactful event and connect with fellow researchers. We’re excited to see her project develop and are proud of her accomplishments!