Undergraduate Researchers
We also welcome undergraduate researchers in the group. Please get in touch with Prof. Oropeza.
Graduate Students
We are always looking for talented graduate students to join our group. Please contact Prof. Oropeza for further details. Remember to include your résumé and Ph.D. research interests in all communication.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Several postdoctoral fellowships are available on campus. Please contact Prof. Oropeza for more details.
Our Values
Academic Excellence and Scientific Inquiry: We value curiosity, innovation, perseverance, and the scientific method. We strive for excellence and professionalism in our work as we seek to ethically address global challenges.
Collaboration and Mentorship: We foster collaboration within our research group, department, UCSB community, and beyond by respecting others' ideas, appropriately acknowledging their contributions, and willingly sharing our knowledge and skills. We also acknowledge that strong mentorship is essential to individual and collective success, and commit time to honing these skills and building supportive and productive mentoring relationships.
Respect, Integrity, and Accountability: We commit to conducting our work honestly and ethically, and using our privilege and leadership positions to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented in STEM spaces. We will hold ourselves and others accountable to our shared values, while recognizing this is an ongoing process of learning and building self-awareness.
Safety and Wellness: In order for our group to thrive, we must create and maintain a safe working and learning environment that prioritizes wellness. Our daily functions must encourage and support a healthy lifestyle which includes physical, mental, emotional and social health. This means fostering a culture that prioritizes individuals' health over productivity, and by providing access to support systems for working through life's challenges.
Humility and Service: We recognize the intrinsic value of others - we respect others' viewpoints and we are willing to listen to criticism as we strive for self-improvement. We recognize our privilege as members of the academic community at UCSB and strive to serve our community by providing educational and professional opportunities. We are passionate about igniting an interest in the value of materials and manufacturing in our community, regardless of educational level or background.
Stewardship: We recognize that we are custodians of valuable resources and strive to responsibly manage and utilize our resources as we aim to produce world-class research and solutions to global challenges.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
Diversity in academia is the cultivation and holistic support of talented people of various identities, including race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, physical and language abilities, class, culture, religion, and sexual orientation. In addition to ensuring structural diversity, we cultivate a culture that views diversity as an advantageous necessity in our mission to solve global challenges. Our group is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and current group members without regard to race, religion, citizenship and citizenship status, veteran status, color, age, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic disposition or disability. We celebrate multiple approaches and points of view and strive to build a group culture where difference is valued.
We acknowledge the pervasive inequalities perpetuated by racism, sexism, ableism, and other exclusionary societal structures in the United States and abroad, and recognize that certain members of our community and applicants to our program face unique challenges and obstacles based on their identities. We commit to uprooting inequitable practices that, in concert, hinder the success of everyone in our community. Finally, we measure equity based on outcome rather than intent. If a policy, program, activity, building or other physical structure contributes to inequities, then it is unjust and must be modified to ensure all members of the community can thrive.
Inclusion goes beyond tolerance and acceptance to build a culture of belonging that actively invites participation and equally values the voices of all community members. Such an environment enables each member of our community to reach their full potential and upholds UCSB's commitment to equal opportunity in education and employment.
Text and ideas for values benefited greatly from discussions and iteration with Asegun Henry, Cullen Buie, Dawn Wendell, Bryan Nance, Katey Provost, Yadira Rivera, Fiona Grant, and Vishnu Jayaprakash.