Amalbert-Birriel Selected as Yale Ciencia Academy Fellow

Kinesiology doctoral candidate Marcos Amalbert-Birriel has been selected as a 2022 fellow of the National Institutes of Health-funded Yale Ciencia Academy (YCA) for Career Development. He joins a cohort of 16 young science leaders from institutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

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Led by Yale University, in collaboration with the non-profit organizations Ciencia Puerto Rico (CienciaPR) and iBiology, YCA equips biomedical and health sciences PhD students from historically marginalized backgrounds with the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to find great postdoctoral positions that will further their academic interests and career goals. Fellows must be in the final one to two years of their programs and apply to be selected to participate in the year-long, in-person and virtual program. The program leverages the CienciaPR community—one of the largest networks of Hispanic/Latinx scientists in the world—among other networks, to provide a diverse cadre of peers, scientific role models, and professional development, mentoring, and diversity and inclusion experts.

“YCA recognizes talented Ph.D. students who are committed to making science more inclusive. We empower them with access to a diverse network of peers and role models, and with training to develop their planning, communication, and mentoring skills,” said Giovanna Guerrero-Medina, principal investigator and director of YCA. “Our goal is to complement traditional graduate training to help our fellows become the scientists they want to be. Our current cohort of fellows is impressive for their scientific accomplishments, as well as their leadership.”

Amalbert-Birriel attended the YCA In-Person meeting held June 14-16, at Yale University, where fellows participated in in workshops, community building, networking and mentoring activities. During the kickoff workshops, the cohort developed trust and a sense of community through improv; learned how to craft personal narratives to communicate their scientific and personal identities to different audiences; participated in mental health discussions, tackling subjects such as imposter syndrome, belonging, and strategies for self-care; and had the chance to network with the outgoing cohort to share experiences, expectations and accomplishments.

“I am very honored to have been selected among this group of great scientists, each coming from different fields and sharing some experiences in academia and life,” says Amalbert-Birriel. “It was amazing how we all connected after just one meeting. Also, the whole team behind the program, led by Guerrero-Medina, created a safe place for us to feel comfortable sharing and enjoy the learning experience. I couldn’t be more excited to complete the program and meet again with everyone next summer.”

“Marcos has been a tremendous addition to my lab group and UMass Amherst,” says John Sirard, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity and Health Laboratory. “He is an excellent student and meaningfully engaged in several of our research projects, including Spanish translation and data collection support for a study with Springfield middle school students and our ongoing physical activity measurement study in children and adolescents. In addition, Marcos has engaged substantially in committee and leadership opportunities at UMass, and at regional and national conferences. His academic excellence, engagement in research, and commitment to service made him an excellent fit for the Yale Ciencia program. I’m proud to be mentoring Marcos on his academic journey at UMass and excited to see how his network, opportunities, and confidence expand through his involvement with YCA.”

Amalbert-Birriel is involved in calibration and validation of algorithms used to assess devise-determined physical behaviors in older adults in free-living environments. While attending UMass Amherst, he has been selected twice to participate in the American College of Sports Medicine Leadership and Diversity Training Program and served in numerous leadership positions and academic organizations including the Kinesiology Graduate Student Organization; the School of Public Health and Health Sciences (SPHHS) Research Committee; the School of Public Health and Health Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Board, where he served as co-chair; and the Western Massachusetts Health Equity Network.

Over the upcoming year, the 2022-23 fellows will gather once a month for online conversations and workshops with role models and experts who will share advice and insights to help them develop important career planning, mentoring, and scientific and interpersonal communication skills and products. Although all activities are specifically designed to help fellows successfully transition to a post-PhD position matching their career goals, interests, and values, the skills developed through YCA will continue to serve them at every stage of their scientific career. At the end of the program in June 2023, the cohort will meet again in person at Yale for final workshops and to welcome the next cohort of YCA fellows.

One of the most innovative aspects of the program is that YCA fellows are guided to design and implement a science engagement project that puts into practice transferable skills (e.g., science communication, leadership, etc.) and allows them to connect with a community they care about.

“I plan to work on a project related to science communication directed to the general population about the importance of engagement in physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviors in the older adult population,” says Amalbert-Birriel. “The YCA program offers a vast learning experience to help me fulfill this goal. Furthermore, I plan to learn and develop my scientific communication and writing, mentoring, and career goal planning skills with the training I aim to receive in the program. I hope this program will strengthen my confidence, self-evaluation, and public speaking and help cultivate a social network that will prepare me for the next step in my professional and personal life.”

Since 2016, YCA program has trained six cohorts for a total of 210 young scientists from nearly 80 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico. The program helps students define the career they want to pursue, improve their professional development and mentoring practices, and increase their science identity and confidence in their ability to navigate graduate school and career transitions successfully. You can meet the full class of 2022 YCA Fellows here.

About Ciencia Puerto Rico

CienciaPR is a nonprofit organization that connects nearly 15,000 Puerto Rican and Hispanic scientists, students, and educators worldwide through an innovative online platform. By leveraging its community’s collective knowledge, the organization has created thousands of resources to improve science education and help forge the next generation of Hispanic/Latinx STEM leaders.