In August 2026, high school students from across Arizona gathered on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson to begin an unforgettable research journey through PRISM. Partnership for Research Inspiration in STEM Mentorship, or PRISM, is SARSEF’s high school research mentorship program, where high schoolers work directly with graduate student mentors on a research project of their design.
Mentors have been matched with students and are currently working on creating an authentic research project. Throughout the fall semester, students will work with mentors in the lab or remotely to finish a university-level research project. Throughout the program, graduate student mentors will learn about the best practices in mentorship and leadership through professional development led by SARSEF and the University of Arizona Research and Partnerships Office of Societal Impact. With that, meet the incredible 2026 PRISM mentor cohort!
“Mentorship is caring.”
Carolina Galaz is a PhD candidate in the Genetics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) program at the University of Arizona. Galaz is interested in understanding the genetic causes of diseases and how this information can be used to improve people’s lives. Through her participation as a PRISM mentor, Galaz hopes to gain experience in teaching and communication.
“Mentorship is a discussion.”
As a returning PRISM mentor, Julia Podgorski hopes to inspire new scientists. Podgorski studies pancreatic cancer and the aorta at the University of Arizona. She can identify up to 12 different pancreatic cancer cell lines by only looking through a microscope! To Podgorski, mentorship is about asking questions, making mistakes, building patience, and having fun.
“Mentorship is an invaluable experience for both mentor and mentee alike!”
Kelsey Graves is an Environmental Science Graduate Student at the University of Arizona. Graves likes to call herself a “bubble scientist” because she works with environmentally-friendly soaps in her research. By becoming a mentor, Graves is hoping to increase her confidence in communicating her lived experiences navigating STEM, higher education, and research.
“Mentorship is the practice of investing in another person’s growth, sharing insight to help them navigate their path while sharpening your own perspective in return.”
Oluwaseun Fapohunda is a Chemistry and Biochemistry graduate student in the College of Science at the University of Arizona. Fapohunda sees mentorship as an opportunity to shape future leaders and give back to the community. Through his research, Fapohunda gets to observe how complex physical and chemical systems can be automated to reveal patterns in real-time!
“Mentorship is a gift that keeps on giving.”
As a graduate student in the School of Nutritional Sciences and Wellness at the University of Arizona, Mary Thompson hopes to grow in her career by becoming a PRISM mentor and learning how to mentor effectively. Thompson loves that she gets to talk about food all day — her research involves improving the therapeutic implementation of diet and lifestyle for people who live with chronic conditions such as diabetes.
“Mentorship is support through all the highs and lows.”
Holly Molinaro is an Animal Welfare professional and owns her own company called Animal Wellbeing Solutions. To Molinaro, mentorship offers opportunities for support and enlightenment for students to help them realize how amazing science can be. Molinaro loves zoos and the welfare research, conservation, and education that occur at these institutions, and is excited to bring these insights to her mentorship.
“Mentorship is feeling alive.”
As a PhD student in biochemistry at the University of Arizona, Hager Shogaaledin views mentorship as a way to pass on knowledge and encourage students younger than them to do science. Shogaaledin studies cannabis sativa and is excited to learn more about how to communicate and about American culture.
“Mentorship is sharing your experience while helping others find their own path.”
Jose Daniel Castro Cisneros has a doctorate from the Department of Physics at the University of Arizona. To Cisneros, mentorship means guiding other students to explore something new and allowing them to learn from his experiences and mistakes. One thing that Cisneros likes to share from what he has learned is that Earth’s Moon is an unusual satellite because it is large and so far away from Earth. And, it is the only satellite that produces a perfect solar eclipse in the solar system!
Learn more about the PRISM program and see what projects students have completed in the past: https://sarsef.org/programs/stem-in-practice/prism/