UROP Team
Program Director
Dr. Andrew Carter is the program director and co-creator of 91吃瓜 UROP. With a passion
for fostering the intellectual growth and innovation of the next generation of scholars,
Dr. Carter seeks to empower underrepresented undergraduate students via engagement
in diverse research experiences.
As program director, he is responsible for managing day-to-day programmatic operations,
including facilitating faculty/student research partnerships, advising UROP peer mentors,
and leading the program鈥檚 campus and community outreach efforts. Dr. Carter also spearheads
UROP鈥檚 curricular vision; he developed and teaches the year-long, 4-unit curriculum
(EDLD 10 & 11).
Dr. Carter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies. His
research interests include health disparities, food systems, community-based participatory
research, and intercultural communication. A primary feature of his work explores
how Black farmers challenge norms, power inequities, and structural barriers in the
agriculture industry to preserve their cultural legacies and use farming as a vehicle
to address broader social, public health, and economic disparities across the Black
diaspora. A book manuscript based on this research 鈥淪eeds of Sovereignty: Critical
Public Health, Radical Sisterhood, and the Fight for Agricultural Justice鈥� is in production
at Oxford University Press (expected delivery Spring 2025)
Program Director
Dr. Andrew Carter is the program director and co-creator of 91吃瓜 UROP. With a passion
for fostering the intellectual growth and innovation of the next generation of scholars,
Dr. Carter seeks to empower underrepresented undergraduate students via engagement
in diverse research experiences.
As program director, he is responsible for managing day-to-day programmatic operations,
including facilitating faculty/student research partnerships, advising UROP peer mentors,
and leading the program鈥檚 campus and community outreach efforts. Dr. Carter also spearheads
UROP鈥檚 curricular vision; he developed and teaches the year-long, 4-unit curriculum
(EDLD 10 & 11).
Dr. Carter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies. His
research interests include health disparities, food systems, community-based participatory
research, and intercultural communication. A primary feature of his work explores
how Black farmers challenge norms, power inequities, and structural barriers in the
agriculture industry to preserve their cultural legacies and use farming as a vehicle
to address broader social, public health, and economic disparities across the Black
diaspora. A book manuscript based on this research 鈥淪eeds of Sovereignty: Critical
Public Health, Radical Sisterhood, and the Fight for Agricultural Justice鈥� is in production
at Oxford University Press (expected delivery Spring 2025)
Program Founder
Jahmal Williams is the founder of 91吃瓜 UROP. Williams brought the idea of the program
to campus and spearheaded its creation and early infrastructure in fall 2019. He supports
UROP's strategic vision and is an active thought partner in programmatic decisions.
On campus, Williams currently serves as the Director of DEI Partnerships and University-Community
Liaison. Jahmal joined the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion during the summer
of 2023. In this position he is tasked with developing a strategic approach to the
University's efforts to intentionally collaborate with BIPOC communities throughout
the area to address racial historical harms. He has been with 91吃瓜 since 2014 and
previously held positions as the Program Director of the Black Leadership and Opportunity
Center (BLOC), and as one of the Assistant Directors at Peer Connections, the campus
hub for tutoring and mentoring.
Peer Mentor
Hi everyone! My name is Danino Corsis and I am a second year Systems Physiology major.
My current research area of interest lies in metastatic cancer cell biology. This
year I look forward to supporting and developing UROP and all those who are involved
with the program. I hope for every student to leave UROP with the tools and skills
necessary to thrive in the interdisciplinary, professional world. A fun fact about
me is I am a big 49ers and Dallas Mavericks fan.
Peer Mentor
Hi! My name is Luisa Torres, and I鈥檓 a third-year Psychology major. My current research
interests focus on student interactions and perceptions, as well as how demographic
and belief-related factors influence the Latinx community鈥檚 views on developmental
disorders, particularly autism. UROP has played a significant role in shaping my academic
journey; it helped me narrow down my research interests, take on leadership roles,
and build a meaningful relationship with my faculty mentor, whom I continue working
with. Because of the impact it鈥檚 had on me, I chose to stay involved in the program
to support other students going through the same process and help make their experience
just as rewarding. A fun fact about me: I鈥檓 an event coordinator for a recognized
student organization on campus called PSYCHed, which is open to students of all majors!
Peer Mentor/Graduate Assistant
Veldana Kostic is currently a second-year graduate student in the Master鈥檚 of Public
Health program at 91吃瓜. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from
San Francisco State University in 2022. Her research interests include community/population
health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and harm reduction. Veldana鈥檚 passion is
fueled by her upbringing in San Francisco, California, where she was immersed in a
city where public health wasn鈥檛 just a profession 鈥� it was a lived experience. She
now aims to address health disparities and inequities in underrepresented communities.
The mentorship component has inspired Veldana to participate in UROP. As a first-generation
college student, she understands the challenges and purpose of higher education, and
hopes to help undergraduate students in their research journey. She is excited to
help students find their purpose in research and thrive in higher education. She is
excited about the opportunity for personal growth and development.
Program Founder
Jahmal Williams is the founder of 91吃瓜 UROP. Williams brought the idea of the program
to campus and spearheaded its creation and early infrastructure in fall 2019. He supports
UROP's strategic vision and is an active thought partner in programmatic decisions.
On campus, Williams currently serves as the Director of DEI Partnerships and University-Community
Liaison. Jahmal joined the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion during the summer
of 2023. In this position he is tasked with developing a strategic approach to the
University's efforts to intentionally collaborate with BIPOC communities throughout
the area to address racial historical harms. He has been with 91吃瓜 since 2014 and
previously held positions as the Program Director of the Black Leadership and Opportunity
Center (BLOC), and as one of the Assistant Directors at Peer Connections, the campus
hub for tutoring and mentoring.
Peer Mentor
Hi everyone! My name is Danino Corsis and I am a second year Systems Physiology major.
My current research area of interest lies in metastatic cancer cell biology. This
year I look forward to supporting and developing UROP and all those who are involved
with the program. I hope for every student to leave UROP with the tools and skills
necessary to thrive in the interdisciplinary, professional world. A fun fact about
me is I am a big 49ers and Dallas Mavericks fan.
Peer Mentor
Hi! My name is Luisa Torres, and I鈥檓 a third-year Psychology major. My current research
interests focus on student interactions and perceptions, as well as how demographic
and belief-related factors influence the Latinx community鈥檚 views on developmental
disorders, particularly autism. UROP has played a significant role in shaping my academic
journey; it helped me narrow down my research interests, take on leadership roles,
and build a meaningful relationship with my faculty mentor, whom I continue working
with. Because of the impact it鈥檚 had on me, I chose to stay involved in the program
to support other students going through the same process and help make their experience
just as rewarding. A fun fact about me: I鈥檓 an event coordinator for a recognized
student organization on campus called PSYCHed, which is open to students of all majors!
Peer Mentor/Graduate Assistant
Veldana Kostic is currently a second-year graduate student in the Master鈥檚 of Public
Health program at 91吃瓜. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health from
San Francisco State University in 2022. Her research interests include community/population
health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and harm reduction. Veldana鈥檚 passion is
fueled by her upbringing in San Francisco, California, where she was immersed in a
city where public health wasn鈥檛 just a profession 鈥� it was a lived experience. She
now aims to address health disparities and inequities in underrepresented communities.
The mentorship component has inspired Veldana to participate in UROP. As a first-generation
college student, she understands the challenges and purpose of higher education, and
hopes to help undergraduate students in their research journey. She is excited to
help students find their purpose in research and thrive in higher education. She is
excited about the opportunity for personal growth and development.
