Aldrin Gomes
University of California, Davis |
Davis,
CA |
2022
I am truly humbled and honored to be selected for the Presidential Award that recognizes excellence in mentoring. One of my greatest joys is seeing my mentees achieve their dream and potential. I am grateful for my colleagues who collaborate with me on this journey, the students for their hard work and dedication, and my university for providing a supportive environment. This award inspires me to find new creative ways to expand mentoring opportunities for a diverse group of students.
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Aldrin Gomes is a Professor of Physiology and Vice-Chair in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at the University of California, Davis. Aldrin has been at UC Davis for the last 17 years, studying the role of the proteasome in cardiac signaling, and has mentored students for more than 24 years.
Aldrin's research mentees encompass over 220 undergraduate STEM students, of which approximately 50% are from low-income families with over 60 students being underrepresented minority (URM) students. His mentees have won top university awards such as the University Medal (top graduating student), Veloyce Glenn Winslow Jr. Award, and Undergraduate of the Year. Besides directly mentoring students in his laboratory, Aldrin is the Principal Investigator of the UC Davis MARC program which increases the number of talented underrepresented, disadvantaged, and disabled students in Ph.D. Programs. He is also the Principal Investigator for the UC Davis IMSD T32 grant which trains underrepresented graduate students to become research leaders and innovators.
Aldrin earned a B.S. with honors in biochemistry and zoology and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad. He was a UC Davis Chancellor's Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in 2021, received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring Undergraduate Research in 2019 and won a Chancellor's Fellowship in 2016. In 2021, he received the College of Biological Sciences Principles of Community Award and was a National Academy of Sciences Teaching Fellow in 2011. He is a Fellow of the Cardiovascular section of the American Physiology Society (APS) and the American Heart Association (AHA).