The Graduate School at the University at Albany

A big welcome to the newest staff members of the Graduate School! ?? Lisanny Manzueta Custodio - A dedicated higher education professional committed to fostering diversity and supporting student success. In her role, she manages initiatives like the Carson Carr Diversity Fellowship Program and collaborates on strategic recruitment efforts to increase diversity. Mai Huynh - Mai develops and implements marketing strategies to elevate UAlbany's Graduate School, using the website and social media to engage and connect with prospective students. She enjoys collaborating with faculty, staff, and students to creative campaigns and showcase UAlbany’s graduate programs and Graduate School’s community. Sarah Hyman - Sarah is responsible for graduate student academic records maintenance, registration and program enrollment adjustments. She has prior experience at a variety of higher education institutions. Sarah Murphy - As the Associate Director of Academic Affairs, Sarah is responsible for the graduate degree conferral process, dissertation and thesis preparation and review, and supervises graduate student academic records maintenance including the processing of transfer credit/advanced standing, admission to candidacy, leave of absence, and statute of limitation extensions.

Big congratulations to our 2024 Three Minute Thesis winners! ?? In just three minutes, they wowed us with their research, clarity, and presentation skills. 1st place: Srishti Katuri – Psychology: Social/Personality PhD 2nd place: Shyrill Mariano – Environmental & Sustainable Engineering PhD 3rd place: Samara Choudhury – Biology PhD 3rd place: Theekshana Fernando – Public Health PhD People Choice 1: Reagan Conrad – Biology PhD People Choice 2: Srishti Katuri – Psychology: Social/Personality PhD Drop a ?? in the comments to celebrate their achievement! UAlbany College of Integrated Health Sciences, UAlbany Biology Department, University at Albany College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE)

It's Spring Break o'clock! Comment down below which one you're doing this week??

This week, I had the incredible honor of competing as a finalist in the Three Minute Thesis competition. Despite still working on my dissertation proposal, I was able to stand alongside exceptional students with completed or nearly completed dissertations. Although I did not place in the top three, I am immensely grateful for the experience & opportunity to present my research in just three minutes—a strict time limit that resulted in disqualification if exceeded. I am particularly proud to be the FIRST student from my college to participate, and I hope my experience encourages others to follow in the coming years. Being the only BLACK FINALIST for this year provided personal reassurance that “AIMING BEYOND THE SKY REMAINS POSSIBLE”. I am deeply thankful to everyone who believed in and supported me: my wonderful College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (specifically the Dean's office for the highlight and the well-wishes from some faculty and fellow students), these two amazing individuals Mubarak Hussein & Oyeronke Ogunbayo who came in person to support me. If you two hadn’t shown up, l wouldn’t have been able to compete seeing the support base of other competitors. Lastly and most especially Lisanny Manzueta Custodio for her tremendous encouragement and support. Thank you all!

Balancing a PhD, family, and a love for music—Scott Pasch does it all! From studying at the University at Albany School of Education to running a record label, he’s sharing his go-to strategies for making it work. Read his blog here: https://lnkd.in/gDrYq9Hk

Congratulations to our graduate students, Ellie Hojeily and Rachel Lange, on receiving the 2025 The State University of New York GREAT Awards. Ellie Hojeily, a PhD student in Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, earned an Honorable Mention in the 2025 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program for her research on air quality monitoring in NYC using low-cost sensors and UAlbany’s New York State Mesonet. She is mentored by Dr. Scott Miller and Sarah Lu. Rachel Lange, a PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences at UAlbany College of Integrated Health Sciences, received the NIAID F31 fellowship grant for her research on the Powassan virus, a reemerging tick-borne disease. She studies how the virus may switch tick vectors and the impact on viral evolution and immune response. She is mentored by Alexander Ciota at New York State Department of Health. Comment below to celebrate with us on this well-deserved recognition! ??

?? Alum Spotlight ?? Meet Alexis Weber, Ph.D., CEO of SupreMEtric LLC, a pioneering start-up advancing forensic science through Raman spectroscopy and chemometric technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from UAlbany in 2024 and holds degrees in forensic science from the University of New Haven and UCF. Her outstanding academic achievements are evident, as she was a finalist for the Chancellor’s Distinguished PhD Graduate Dissertation Award. With expertise in non-destructive body fluid identification, she has led grant-funded research, published numerous studies, and mentored students in forensic analysis. Combining scientific expertise with entrepreneurial leadership, Alexis is driving innovation and bridging the gap between research and real-world forensic applications. Alexis was the winner of last year’s 3 Minute Thesis competition. Join us tomorrow, March 12, at 11 a.m. in Assembly Hall to see this year’s contestants take the stage!

UAlbany graduate students and alum—want to be featured on social media? Share your journey, research, and experiences with us! ?? Sign up today: https://lnkd.in/en8gCAK9

?? Research Highlight: Neurodegenerative Diasease Biology PhD student, Asmer Aliyeva, is uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases like spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). Her recent study, published in Human Molecular Genetics, explores how alternative splicing contributes to disease progression—work that could lead to new biomarkers and treatments. Originally from Azerbaijan, Aliyeva’s passion for scientific discovery brought her to UAlbany’s Graduate School, where she’s making a real-world impact in the Berglund Lab at the RNA Institute. Her advice for future researchers? Get involved in research early! She points out that UAlbany Graduate School offers great opportunities to build hands-on experience through internships and summer research programs.

Stop by Lecture Center 27 this March to connect with departments from the College of Arts and Sciences to learn about their diverse graduate programs. More departments will be in LC 27 in April too!