Plant and soil science PhD student Erika Bueno, together with her advisor, associate professor Yolanda Chen, have been awarded a 2020 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The prestigious fellowship recognizes exceptional doctoral students who have the potential to be leaders in their fields and who are supported by a faculty mentor with a shared commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in science.

In the Chen lab, Bueno is studying the evolutionary genomics and stress response of agricultural insect pests, namely the Colorado potato beetle. Chen plans to use the fellowship funds to seed the new CALS Life Science Leadership Program, which would provide fellowships for undergraduate students who contribute to increasing diversity in the life sciences. Chen is working with the UVM Foundation on finding additional funding to make the program more permanent, beyond the three years provided by the fellowship.

As part of the Gilliam Fellowship, both Chen and Bueno will have opportunities to strengthen their own mentoring skills. The fellowship includes funding to support professional development opportunities for Bueno and a year of training to optimize mentorship skills for Chen.

Having experienced the important role of mentorship first-hand, Bueno, a first-generation Peruvian American, sought to create opportunities for other underrepresented students to share that experience. Working with a group of fellow graduate students, Bueno recently founded the first Vermont chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), based at UVM.

“My identity has often made me doubt whether I’m good enough for science. I’ve always had a sense of wondering whether I am here because of my identity or because of my transcript and accomplishments,” said Bueno. “Part of SACNAS is to be able to open up these conversations, because we know how hard it is to reflect on these issues and talk about them openly.”

“Our country is experiencing so many tensions that come from a lack of understanding around racial and cultural divides,” said Chen. “As mentors, we must know how to navigate these issues and support students with different experiences and backgrounds. I’m really excited to engage in this work and bring those lessons back to UVM.”