Samantha Mendez, a PhD student in materials science and engineering at Ohio State University, was awarded the 2022 Women of Color National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) Student Leadership Award.
The Women of Color GEM Student Leadership Award is given to students with an accomplished academic record who have contributed to society and impacted other students' future interests.
Though she hasn't yet decided whether she wants to pursue a career in industry or academia after her PhD, Mendez plans to use her education and experiences to inspire underrepresented students to pursue further education in STEM.
"My mother and grandmother showed me that hard work and resilience can take you where you want to go," she told Women of Color magazine. "As I endured hardships, I remember the women of color who made my journey possible. It is my life's goal to facilitate this path for others."
Mendez is a College of Engineering Discovery Scholar Fellow, a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and volunteers at a local food market.
She also participates in community outreach through the Graduate Wellness Committee in the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis, SHPE, and SACNAS and encourages minority students to pursue STEM careers.
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Mendez earned her bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin before coming to Ohio State University to pursue a PhD.
She received the GEM Fellowship for her first year at Ohio State, and began attending the consortium's conferences and events.
Mendez's research focuses on nanomaterials for high-energy-density batteries. She uses x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods to synthesize and test nanomaterial additives in batteries, using the Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis' world-class instruments for imaging and analysis.
