2024 ADCA Board
Yi Wang
Co-President
Yi (She/her) is a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate School of Applied Physics at Northwestern. Her current research focuses on studying the optical properties of in-plane plasmonic Moire lattices. Her research involves nanofabrication, solid sample characterization, Fourier microscopy setup, femtosecond, and continuous-wave laser, and single-angle setup with rotating stages. Outside the lab, Yi enjoys playing tennis, baking, and reading books.
Dana Monzer
Co-President
Dana Monzer (She/Her) is a graduate student in the Transportation Systems Planning and Analysis program at Northwestern University. Her research is quite interdisciplinary and it revolves around advancing modeling methodologies to better understand traffic dynamics encompassing both human drivers and autonomous vehicles, analyzing the potential impacts of urban air mobility, and tackling optimization challenges within the domain of LTL routing. She also holds a Master’s degree in Civil engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a certificate in railroad Engineering. Before attending Northwestern University, she worked in the industry on infrastructure design projects and various traffic control studies, and she coordinated the planning of several projects and conducted feasibility studies in collaboration with different clients and stakeholders. Her previous research includes studying micro-level driving behavior through experiments using a driving simulator and studying the distributions of bus stop spacing of different transit systems in the US and outside the US. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Dana enjoys extreme sports like bungee jumping and skydiving, and admires the art of stand-up comedy as a way for cultural enrichment.
Aashutosh Shetti
Vice President, Outreach
Aashu (He/Him) is a postdoctoral scientist at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology. His current research focuses on the role of calcium homeostasis in the brain and how alterations in it can cause neuroinflammation. Aashu holds a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). During his time at UIC, he held several leadership positions, including Event Coordinator for Graduate Education in Medical Sciences and Graduate Student Council Representative. Beyond UIC, he served as a lead fundraiser for ComSciCon-Chicago, a regional chapter organizing Science Communication Workshops for PhDs and Postdocs across the United States. Outside of the lab, Aashu enjoys exploring various Chicago neighborhoods on his bike to try different cuisines. He has a collection of more than 25 houseplants and often shares cuttings with fellow plant enthusiasts. As an ADCA board member, Aashu aspires to create more consulting opportunities for PhDs and Postdocs at Northwestern University. Connect with Aashu on LinkedIn: Aashutosh Shetti.
Kristine A Zlatkovic
Vice President, Communications
Kristine, a postdoctoral fellow at Winberg College’s Cook Family Writing Program, teaches Business Communications to business minor undergraduates and Design Thinking to engineering major undergraduates. With a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of Florida, her research centers on inclusive technologies for personalized data communication. Beyond work, she explores diverse cultures worldwide to enrich her communication skills. In Armenia, Kristine consulted small agricultural businesses, excelling in market diversification and management strategies. She also ventured into apricot farming, dried fruit production, and tourism services. As Communication VP at ADCA, Kristine plans to enhance internal and external communication and empower team members’ consulting careers.
Xin Wen
Vice President, Content
Xin Wen (She/Her) is a Ph.D. student at Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry. Her current research focuses on using gold nanostars as imaging probes to do single-particle tracking of biological processes. As a second-year Ph.D. student, she hopes to explore diverse career development. She had her undergraduate studies in China. During the study experiences in two countries, she witnessed the differences between companies of two countries in preference for investment focus science-oriented. She also looks forward to learning more skills also contributing to ADCA and pursuing her future consulting career.
Alexis Martell
Vice President, Event Management
Alexis (he/him) is a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at Northwestern University. His research focuses on quantifying the relationship between network topology and mechanical properties of sustainable thermosets through incorporating various orthogonal reaction chemistries and various spectroscopic methods. He also focuses on developing machine learning algorithms for the discovery of novel covalent adaptable networks. He hopes to broaden the scope and heighten the potential of this novel class of materials. Outside of the lab, Alexis enjoys hiking, photography, and exploring Chicago.
Cade McClellan
Vice President, Finance
Cade McClellan (he/him) is in the Master of Biotechnology Program in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. He is also completing a Graduate Minor in Engineering Management. He got his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. After his time at UW – Madison, Cade spent two years in industry working in biopharmaceuticals and chemical production and decided to come to Northwestern to pursue new career interests. Cade hopes to find himself in industry at the intersection of business and science within the field of biotechnology, and he looks forward to building relationships along the way. Cade grew up in Colorado, so he enjoys everything outdoors, from snowboarding to hiking and camping.