Yazmin Feliz, a researcher with a doctorate in science and engineering, was honored with the GEM Outstanding Young Alumnus Award at the 2021 Women of Color Conference.
She was born in the United States to Dominican parents and grew up in the Bronx, NY.
Feliz became interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) during sixth grade and realized her potential after working with mentors.
She received full scholarships for both her undergraduate and graduate programs and took on leadership roles in various engineering projects during college.
Feliz earned a bachelor's degree in computational mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.
In 2008, Feliz began her research journey and achieved early success in solar cell research and bacteria-repellent metals for food surfaces.
She published her first paper and won awards at research symposiums during her undergraduate studies.
In 2016, Feliz joined the Creative Machines Lab as a GEM fellow and National Science Foundation Graduate Research fellow and led the Open-Source Portable Ultrasound project.
This innovative technology generates 3D sonograms for under $100 in materials cost, making it affordable and paving the way for ultra-affordable ultrasound systems.
As a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University Medical Center, Feliz developed low-cost medical imaging solutions and now plans to launch her startup providing user-friendly and economical imaging systems for remote patient monitoring.
