THE CAROLINA SCIENTIFIC EXECUTIVE BOARD
Get to know the team!
NATALIE DRUFFNER
EDITOR IN CHIEF
natdruff@unc.edu
Natalie Druffner is a senior from Dallas, Texas, and currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Carolina Scientific. She is double majoring in Polymer Chemistry and Music. On campus, she plays viola in the UNC Symphony Orchestra, is in a chamber music trio with friends, and does electrochemistry research in the Jackson Lab to develop safer and more sustainable battery materials. In her free time, you can find Natalie on a run, drinking copious amounts of tea, or spending time with friends. Natalie hopes to pursue a PhD in Electrochemistry and eventually work in renewable energy or energy storage.
REAGAN GULLEDGE
EDITOR IN CHIEF
reagansg@unc.edu
Reagan Gulledge is a senior from Albemarle, North Carolina, and currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Carolina Scientific. She is an Environmental Science major with a concentration in water and climate. She is also a Communications Intern for the North Carolina Collaboratory, volunteers with the Net Zero Tracker, and works at the Shrunken Head Boutique on Franklin St. In her free time, she is in a book club with her friends and enjoys running. Reagan hopes to pursue a Master's of Public Policy and eventually an environmental law degree.
RIA PATEL
TREASURER
riapatel@unc.edu
Ria Patel is a senior from High Point, North Carolina and currently serves as the treasurer for Carolina Scientific. In previous years she has also been a staff writer and the fundraising chair for Carolina Scientific. She is majoring in neuroscience and nutrition with hopes of attending medical school. On campus, Ria is involved in neuroscience and food insecurity-based research, UNC Holi Moli, and is a peer tutor. In her free time, Ria enjoys trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with friends/family.
BRITNEY MUNGUIA CASTILLO
SECRETARY
britneym@unc.edu
Britney is a Durham, NC native who studies both Global Public Health and Creative Writing at UNC-CH. She hopes to fight against human trafficking as a career and have a few books published by the time she’s 25.
ANA BARTON
COPY EDITING CHAIR
mabarton@unc.edu
Ana Barton is a junior from Chapel Hill and currently serves at the Copy Editing Chair of Carolina Scientific. She is a Neuroscience and Psychology double major and a member of the Social Neuroscience and Health Lab where she explores the link between social stress and neuroinflammation. Off campus, she is the Content Development Intern for Well, a health and wellness tech company. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and playing board games with her roommates.
NEHA PANDA
DESIGN CHAIR
nehap2@unc.edu
Neha is a second-year Neuroscience & Statistics major and serves as Carolina Scientific's Design Chair. She hopes to apply her interdisciplinary education to a career in industry, research, or scientific journalism. On & around campus, she chairs Publicity for CPALS, organizes STEM education at local schools through STEAMHEALS, and volunteers in the NC Cancer Hospital. When she's not hard at work designing spreads in the UL, you can find her reading historical fiction, attending group yoga, and birdwatching in the arboretum.
DANIELA DANILOVA
MANAGING EDITOR
daniela3@unc.edu
Daniela is a senior from Chapel Hill studying Quantitative Biology. Outside of CS, she acts as Director of Communications at Railcare Health, a mobile healthcare clinic serving North Carolina's rural communities. She also writes and edits for the NC DNA Day Blog and is currently a Communications Intern at UNC’s Institute for the Environment. When she isn't sharing stories, she enjoys promoting constructive discourse through BridgeUNC and unwinding on the jiu-jitsu mats.
ESHA AGARWAL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
eagarwal@unc.edu
JULIA BOLTZ
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
jlboltz@unc.edu
Julia Boltz is a senior at UNC studying quantitative biology, data science, and Spanish. She has been in Carolina Scientific since she was a freshman, and she has been an associate editor since she was a sophomore. She does research using genomic data from liver cancer cells in the Raab Lab in the Department of Genetics. She loves all things scientific literature, which is why she loves to be a part of Carolina Scientific.
ALEX LI
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
jungan@unc.edu
Alex is a Junior from Beijing, China majoring in biomedical engineering. This is his second year serving as an editor at Carolina Scientific. He is highly interested in the engineering techniques on the DNA or cellular level, as well as communicating all these awesome knowledge to other people! He plans to further his interest in genetics by completing a PhD program, and in his free time, he enjoys landscape photography, table tennis, and traveling!
RYAN PARSAEE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
rparse06@unc.edu
Ryan Parsaee is a sophomore from Malvern, Pennsylvania, and currently serves as an Associate Editor of Carolina Scientific. He is studying neuroscience, health policy & management, and creative writing. On campus, he is a part of the Magic of Science club and participates in undergraduate research at the Redinbo lab studying microbial interactions with medication. Ryan loves to parallel play with his friends, learn languages, and play music. He's interested in academic medicine as a career path.
JULIA SALLEAN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
jsallean@unc.edu
Julia Sallean is an Associate Editor for Carolina Scientific and a senior from Apex, North Carolina. She is majoring in biology and works in the Matera lab on campus to study epigenetics. In her free time, Julia can be found running, cooking a new pasta recipe, or writing in her favorite coffee shop. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Molecular Biology to study the intersection of metabolism and genetics.
GAYATRI VENKATESAN
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
gavenkat@unc.edu
Gayatri Venkatesan is a junior from West Chester, Pennsylvania, and currently serves as an Associate Editor of Carolina Scientific. She is double majoring in Neuroscience and English & Comparative Literature. On campus, she assists with gastrointestinal cell biology research in the McCauley Lab to investigate how specialized gut cells called enteroendocrine cells influence digestion, nutrient absorption, and metabolism using mouse and human organoid models. She is also involved in a longitudinal project in the Brain and Early Experience Lab studying how early childhood conditions shape brain development, behavior, and cognition. In her free time, she enjoys watching films, reading literary fiction, listening to music, going on long walks, and sipping on matcha. Gayatri hopes to pursue an MD-PhD to advance research and clinical care in pediatric gastroenterology.
EMMA JOHNSON
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
emma.johnson@unc.edu
Emma Johnson is a senior from Wilmington, North Carolina and is serving as an Associate Editor. She is double majoring in Geological Sciences and English & Comparative Literature. On campus, she plays for the women’s club water polo team, works as an expeditions leader with Carolina Adventures, and does remote sensing research in global hydrology. You can find her exploring new trails, playing banjo, or reading a good book. She hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Earth Science to further our understanding of changing climate patterns.
MASHA DIXON
PUBLICITY (SOCIAL MEDIA) CHAIR
madixon@unc.edu
JACKIE BODYCOMB
FUNDRAISING CHAIR
jacb@unc.edu
Jackie is a sophomore at UNC and an aspirational orthopedic surgeon. She is double majoring in Chemistry and English and Comparative Literature. She is also involved in research back in New York, teaching children S.T.E.M., and several clubs here at UNC. Beyond her academic commitments, she loves to cook, travel, and read.
NICOLE BRANCH
WEBSITE MANAGER
nicolelb@unc.edu
Nicole Branch is a junior from Carrboro, NC. She is majoring in Biostatistics and Medical Anthropology, with a minor in Biology. On campus, she is involved with clubs like Carolina Scientific and Magic of Science to spread her love of science with her community. She loves reading, going to concerts, hiking, and traveling. In the future, Nicole hopes to earn an MPH and PhD (and possibly even serve in the Peace Corps!).