Ciencia Puerto Rico

Hecmarie Meléndez-Fernández is a PhD candidate in the Department of Neuroscience at West Virginia University. She earned her bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, and then went on to complete a postbaccalaureate research year at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In her current position, she works in the lab of Dr. Randy J. Nelson, studying how disrupted circadian rhythms by exposure to artificial light at night impair vascular endothelial function. 

Hecmarie is passionate about science communication and outreach, and is focused on the inclusion, education, and retention of underrepresented minorities and Latinx populations in science. She is involved in all recruitment efforts at her university, and recently helped develop her department’s first summer undergraduate research program. She is also passionate about education regarding career options and professional development. For this reason, she developed the Non-Academic Careers in Science seminar series at her university, a monthly series which brings STEM PhDs to discuss their non-ac careers and provide advice to graduate students and postdocs regarding career options. 

Some of her long-term goals include working in higher education administration and developing and implementing a curriculum of professional development support for graduate students which includes rigorous education about non-academic careers in science and how to prepare for these. In her spare time, Hecmarie enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, kayaking and camping, or creating art - YouTube step-by-step painting videos are her favorite!