5,000+

Name: Christopher Alexander
Period of Participation: Undergraduate August 2008 – August 2010; BD August 2010 – Present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2010
Current Status: 2 nd Year Civil Engineering Ph.D. Student
Personal Statement: FGLSAMP has had a huge impact on my current position in life. I was awarded
many scholarships to get through my undergraduate degree. I was able to do research for 3 out of the 4
years of my undergraduate. I gained skills in public speaking, paper writing, and professional etiquette.
Name: Natalia Diaz
Period of Participation: BD August 2010 – Present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Chemistry, 2010
Current Status: I'm currently going on my second year of the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical
Sciences at UF.
Personal Statement: The Bridge to Doctorate fellowship has been very helpful in my graduate career,
and has been a key factor in my success. Also, the various workshops have been essential to my
development as a graduate student. However, what I most appreciate from being a BD fellow is that the
experience has encouraged me to grow, not only as a graduate student or a professional, but as an
individual.
Name: Miguel Lugo
Period of Participation: BD August 2008 – Present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2010
Current Status :
Personal Statement: My involvement with FGLSAMP through the BD program has been a very
rewarding experience at the University of Florida. The structure and involvement allowed for an
effortless transition to graduate life on and off campus. With the program guidance, I have been able to
benefit from the university's opportunities and support from day one, helping me focus in what matters
most: advancing into a graduate degree.
Name: Sabrina Parra
Period of Participation: BD August 2010 – present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2010
Current Status: I am focused on estuarine dynamics, more specifically the turbulent energy variations
emitted from a freshwater spring in a saltwater lagoon off the Yucatan Peninsula coast.
Personal Statement: My participation in the BD Program has helped me transition between
undergraduate work into a more flexible but more demanding graduate program. I am able to focus all
my energies into studying, performing research and balancing my personal life.
Name: Blayne Phillips
Period of Participation: Undergraduate August 2005 – August 2010; BD August 2010 – Present
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, 2010
Current Status: I'm in the process of taking classes and ramping up my research to prepare for my
qualifiers and proposal in the spring. My goal is to get published by the end of the year, and there is also
the possibility of me being able to patent some of the work I've done so far.
Personal Statement: The BD has provided me the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical
Engineering without many of the financial hang ups that may otherwise occur.
Name: Jorge Medina
Period of Participation: Undergraduate August 2007 – August 2010; BD August 2010 – Present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Chemistry, 2010
Current Status: I am a 1.5 year student in physical chemistry preparing to defend my oral qualifier
exam. My research is in quantum mechanical control of chemical reactions via light-matter interaction.
Personal statement: The BD program is possibly the most beneficial thing that helps to advance my
progress towards a Ph.D.
Name: Ismael Sarmiento
Period of Participation: BD August 2010 – Present
Date of Graduation: B.S. in Computer Science, 2004
Current Status: After having worked in the software industry for five years, I am currently one year into
my PhD program at The University of Florida. I am pursuing a degree in computer science with an
emphasis on database research.
Personal Statement: The FGLSAMP BD program has significantly eased my transition from the
software industry to a full time graduate program.
19