Shania Khatri, Lead Organizer and Teaching Assistant
Shania is the founder and lead organizer of SCRI. A two-time alumni of a summer research program, she believes in the power of research to give students opportunities in the sciences, confidence in their own abilities, and a strong network of mentors. She will be graduating from Georgia Tech with B.S. in biology and is in the process of publishing her research in antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Todd Streelman, Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences
Dr. Streelman is a faculty sponsor supervising SCRI. A researcher and mentor to students at all levels, he is passionate about involving students in scientific research at an early age. He runs his own lab at Georgia Tech studying the cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi.
Dr. William Ratcliff, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Quant Bio
Dr. Ratcliff is a faculty sponsor supervising SCRI. A researcher studying the evolutionary origins of multicellularity, he runs his own lab at Georgia Tech, where he mentors students of all levels. He is dedicated to outreach at the high school and college level so students can learn about and perform their own evolution!
Celine Akande, Organizer and Teaching Assistant
Celine Akande is an organizer and teaching assistant for SCRI. Having benefited from a summer undergraduate research program herself, she sees potential in all students who, like her, are underrepresented in research and academia. She is a third-year undergraduate student who will be graduating with a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Spanish. She is conducting research that investigates the link between poorly-controlled diabetes and social determinants of health, namely food and housing insecurity, and applies practical solutions to improve diabetes outcomes.
Alexandra Newberg, Organizer and Teaching Assistant
Alexandra Newberg is an organizer and teaching assistant for SCRI. She is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology. During the fall semester, she completed biology education research with Dr. Weigel and looked at the impact of place on learning, focusing on ecology classes in the Kendeda building. This semester, she is interning with Georgia Audubon as their Wildlife Sanctuary Program Intern!
Tehreem Hussain, Organizer and Teaching Assistant 
Tehreem Hussain is an organizer and teaching assistant for SCRI. She is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Law, Science, and Technology. She currently works in Dr. Joseph Sadighi’s research lab and her project focuses on organometallic research in terms of synthesizing silver phosphate complexes. As a first-generation immigrant, Tehreem is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM workplaces. In her free time, she enjoys writing for Georgia Tech’s student publication, The Technique, and attending TedX events.
Ruth Nya, Organizer and Teaching Assistant
Ruth Nya is an organizer and teaching assistant for SCRI. She is a second year undergraduate student at Georgia Tech who is pursuing a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Biology on a Pre-Health Track. She is involved in research that analyzes damaged tissue cells in the hip joint of patients at the Emory Musculoskeletal Institute.
Julia Ciaccia, Organizer and Teaching Assistant
Julia Ciaccia is an organizer and teaching assistant for SCRI. She is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology with the Research Option and a Spanish minor. She works in Dr. Chrissy Spencer’s research lab and is completing her independent senior research project on retention in STEM at the college level. In her free time, Julia likes baking, working with kids, and taking care of her geckos.
If you are a Georgia Tech student who is interested in joining our team, please contact us at gtscri@gmail.com.