Student Profile: Alonso Torres

outdoors head and shoulders photo of Torres

Soon-to-be Doctor Alonso Torres, Jr. knows the value of community. His life has taken him from the Central Valley, through military service and parenthood, now to a PhD in bioengineering.

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Congratulations 15 NSF Fellows!

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We are very proud to announce that fifteen Berkeley Bioengineers are receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year – one of the most competitive and prestigious awards for early-career PhD students. Congratulations to graduating seniors Esha Ananth, Emilie Petit and Christopher Zavala; recent BS alumni Sina Ghandian ’21, Pamela Herrera ’25, Cassandra Reyes ’24, Hanen…

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Phd student James Pai named Soros Fellow

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PhD student James Pai, a member of Iain Clark’s lab, is one of only 30 outstanding graduate students in the US who received a 2026 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. The Soros Fellowship is a highly competitive award for immigrants and children of immigrants who are poised to make significant contributions to American society.

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Congratulations Grad Slam participants

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Congratulations to all of our 2026 Grad Slam finalists! Nadja Michelle Maldonada Luna took 3rd place at UCSF on April 7, and Kavita Parekh and Grace Hu competed at Berkeley on April 8, with Kavita winning the People’s Choice prize. Amazing work showcasing a passion for their research!

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Torres and Brener receive UCSF Mentoring Awards

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Congratulations to BioE PhD students Alonso Torres and Stephanie Brener! Torres received a 2026 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars at UCSF, and Brener and Honorable Mention.

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Alice Tang named to 30 Under 30

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Congratulations to bioengineering MD/PhD candidate Alice Tang, named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30! Tang has pioneered methods to analyze millions of health records using AI, uncovering revelations about complex diseases like Alzheimer’s. 

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Gustinvil named Outstanding GSI

Bioengineering PhD student Lordean Gustinvil will receive a 2024-25 Outstanding GSI Award from the UC Berkeley campus. Awards are given to the best GSIs of the year, nominated by the course instructor.

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Congratulations NSF Fellows!

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Congratulations to our new NSF Graduate Research Fellows! Among the winners are current PhD students Ashley Qin; incoming PhD students Erin Ahern and Steven Robles Blasini; graduating undergraduates Monica Mendoza, Safaa Mouline and Arvind Swamynathan; and undergraduate alumni Jacob Bryan, Emily Huynh, and Elaine Tong. Well done!

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