Commencement Spotlight: Christian Herrera, Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry
Future Plans: Graduate Student, University of California, Irvine
(Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D., UC-HBCU Fellow) 

Christian Herrera, Cardenas San Luis Potosi, Mexico native, will graduate on May 6 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Minor in Biology. As an active student on campus, he is a member of the Psi Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity Inc., Cultural Exchange Club, MALES Mentors (Men Advocating for Leadership, Excellence, and Success), and Alpha Iota Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society.  

A student leader, he served as a peer educator for Project Take CHARGE, a student delegate for the ASU Model African Union Delegation, lead student coordinator for CLASS, president of the Council of Independent Organizations, a campus ambassador for Black Men Engaged, captain of the Honda Campus All-Star Team. He served two terms on the Student Government Association as senator for equity and inclusion and director of community service, as Mr. Honors Council for the Velma Fudge Grant Honors Program, and was the first Mr. Albany State University International.  

On a national level, he is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Biomedical Engineering Society.  

He has participated in the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership (TMCF) Institute and two TMCF Innovation and Entrepreneurship challenges. He also attended developmental events, including workshops at Princeton and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and a forum hosted by George Mason University. He also represented the university in the NBC College Bowl, hosted by Peyton Manning. He has also completed over 300 hours of community service.  

Committed to academic excellence, he has made the dean’s list and is the highest-ranking senior in chemistry. He was also the highest-ranking junior and sophomore in chemistry and maintained above a 3.5 grade point average since spring 2020. He has won nine other awards, including the ACS SOWEGA-OPTIMA CHEM Outstanding Chemistry Student and 1st place at the NBAxTMCF Innovate the Future. He received six scholarships, including the TMCF David J Stern Sports, Sabal Trail, and Helen Eagle Hill scholarships.  

He has had internships as a research assistant at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Georgia State University, the University of Lorraine in France, Albany State University, and Clemson University. While he had many research experiences, he makes a special note of working with ASU professor, Dr. Richard Mason, on synthesizing a library of compounds containing Imidazo [1,5-a] pyridines, studying the antimicrobial properties of the compounds. In graduate school, he plans to research tissue engineering and sex differentiations in cardiomyocytes.  

He will attend the University of California, Irvine as a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student and UC-HBCU Fellow. 

 

What motivated you to learn more about your field?  
My summer internship at Clemson University helped me develop an interest in Biomedical Engineering. However, it was only when I completed my summer research internship at UCI that I decided this was a field I wanted to explore more. 

The intersectionality between biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics is interesting as it can enhance and develop an interdisciplinary approach to answer and mitigate health-related issues in marginalized communities.  
 

Why did you choose ASU? 
I consider myself a local to the Albany Area. It was the right space for me since it was so close to home. ASU is also very affordable compared to other institutions in the state.  

 
What do you love most about your chosen profession?  
While I still love chemistry, I wanted to shift away from the discipline to make myself more marketable. Also, biomedical engineering can be a lot more interdisciplinary.  

 

Who has made the most significant impact on you, and whom do you consider to be a role model at ASU?  
Plenty of faculty played particularly important roles in my development as a scholar at ASU, from the professors in the natural science departments to the staff in the office of student engagement. Everyone was super supportive and motivated me.  
 

What are you passionate about outside of your education? 
I am passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and mitigating health disparities in marginalized communities.  

What advice would you give to other ASU students?  
If you do not feel like you belong, make space for yourself and others who feel like you. Be proud of your differences and use them as strengths. Also, realizing that everyone's experience is unique to them, and even if it is different from yours, it does not make it any less valid. 
 

What would you tell a high school student about choosing ASU to further their education?  
ASU will quickly allow you to get involved and active on campus. You can have plenty of opportunities starting as a first-year student. You can also have plenty of leadership opportunities. The academic environment is friendly.