Over the past couple years, Stevens has made huge strides in their research departments, with President Farvardin setting a goal for Stevens to become “a premier, student-centric, technological research university.” The university takes another step with Dr. Andrés Mansisidor, who has joined Stevens as the new Director of Undergraduate Research and PhD Program Application. Mansisidor brings a new perspective with a goal in mind; to support students in their research efforts at Stevens and as they continue forward in their careers.
Dr. Mansisidor began their own career in research after graduating from George Mason University with a degree in Biology. While they were initially following the pre-med track, they quickly realized that they saw themself as an academic and scholar. Upon graduation, Mansisidor applied to a lab at Columbia University, where they studied epigenetics and gene regulation in nematodes, a type of worm. After their time at Columbia, Dr. Mansisidor began their PhD at New York University (NYU) in the biology department where they studied mechanisms of gene expression in the context of DNA repair and genome evolution in yeast. At NYU, Dr. Mansisidor found an incredible community and learning environment, something that they hope to facilitate at Stevens as the Director.
Prior to joining Stevens, Mansisidor completed their postdoctoral studies at Rockefeller University that focused on trying to connect biophysical properties and folding states of DNA to gene function. Through this project, they stated, “I accomplished one of my long-life research goals to write a peer-reviewed research article, which gave me a feeling of expertise in the field but also humbled me as there is so many studies out there that make it difficult to completely assess and incorporate all the relevant knowledge into one’s understanding of a problem–science can be really messy sometimes”. While Dr. Mansisidor sometimes works on small aspects of their own research on the weekends; they have shifted their focus to helping students at Stevens feel just as accomplished and excited about pursuing their own research.
Dr. Mansisidor’s main role is to support students in their research efforts. They have begun this process by meeting with students individually, holding group workshops, and meeting with faculty and staff members. They aim to help connect students with research opportunities and help them to write grant or PhD applications. Mansisidor notes, “Some students would like to know the benefits of a PhD over a masters or vice versa, and since I have both a lot of experience in academia and a lot of friends who have moved to industry, I can give balanced advice on the advantages of each path”.
Dr. Mansisidor has many ideas for working with both undergraduate and graduate students to ensure that they can be best engaged in research opportunities at Stevens. One idea they have is forming a research-related book club, so that students may facilitate conversations regarding topics they enjoy with faculty members and their peers. They expressed interest in seeking further advice from students, faculty, and staff regarding what would be most beneficial moving forward.
Mansisidor expressed that students should not be discouraged from research if they are not finding opportunities immediately. They encourage students to look into different departments and faculty for more opportunities. Doing paid research through summer programs at external institutions is one way that Mansisidor encourages students to try. “I hope to make it easy for students to access research opportunities here at Stevens and elsewhere that are helpful to their career development”, Mansisidor states. They are currently looking into programs at Stevens that could offset the cost of doing research, such as funding from the Provost’s Office, in order to make engaging in research more accessible to students.
If students are interested in meeting with Dr. Andrés Mansisidor, they can reach out to them directly by email at amansisi@stevens.edu or by filling out this research interests google form. They will also be promoting research-related events through Ducklink and Instagram. Be sure to stay on the lookout for information if you are interested!
