Scientific Outreach

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Fall in Merced. Vivid colors and migratory waterfowl in the vernal pools and wetlands.
I grew up as a member of a minority ethnic group in Malaysia, and am a first-generation college attendee. I know firsthand the importance of educational opportunities for socioeconomic progress. I was fortunate to have received a Government of Malaysia scholarship to study at Harvard University. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that lead to an undergraduate degree in Biology, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, and has placed me on the path towards a faculty position at the University of California, Merced. I am wholly committed to increasing diversity in academia, and my lab is an open, safe, and conducive environment for people of all backgrounds to pursue excellence in science and engineering. Without the benefit of a support system, a career in science and technology may seem daunting. Please drop me a line if you are curious about research in my lab, at UC Merced, and in the wider STEM community.

Mr. Maril Soomalan's  time in our lab! September 22nd 2017
Left: Mr. Soomalan next to the fume hood after observing how we deposit lipids onto paper.  Right: Mr. Soomalan and Anand at the CCBM/STEP Poster session where Mr. Soomalan presented a poster detailing his time learning about lipids and paper in our lab.

Buhach Colony High School Tour of Our Labs!  June 30th 2017

Joseph Pazzi lead a tour of Buhach Colony high school students of our labs!
Top: Joey describing how we use the differential interference contrast (DIC) optics to image transparent liposomes. Right: Joey showing the students an image of filter paper acquired with the GEMINI SEM 500.  

Light Microscopy Tutorial, UC Merced June 7th 2017

The Subramaniam Lab engaged in an all-day STEM outreach activity with local high school students and teachers using the NSF-funded Zeiss LSM 880 laser scanning confocal microscope in our lab at UC Merced. The students were introduced to the fundamentals of light microscopy and confocal microscopy and had hands-on experience fluorescently labeling onion cells and imaging the cells using the microscope! 
Top Left: Anand describing the components of a microscope. Top Right: Anand showing the spots of fluorescent dye on filter paper that the students will image. Bottom Left: Students recording their observations from the filter paper. Bottom Right: Graduate student Alex Li describing the procedure for the onion cell experiment.
Bottom Left: Students preparing their onion cell samples. Bottom right: Alex Li demonstrating how to load the samples on the LSM 880.  
Left: Alex Li discussing the hands-on portion of the tutorial with the students. Right: A lighthearted moment between a high school teacher and student while preparing the onion cell samples.

HS Crime Lab Module at Buhach Colony High School- March 10th 2017
Melissa Xu presenting the crime module to the high school class. Photo credit-James Rosenberg

Lecture on Scanning Electron Microscopy to an open audience- July 14th 2016

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Top: Anand talking about electron microscopy at the MACES open house to an audience compromised of undergraduates from UC Merced, Stan State, Fresno State and Merced College/.

Outreach Event at Merced College -  March 10th 2016

Left: Graduate student Melissa Xu talking about our lab's research to community college students.

UC LEADS Annual Symposium Poster Judging Competition- March 2016
Some images of Anand at the Poster Symposium at UC Davis. Anand served as a faculty judge at this competition.  Photo credit - UC LEADS.

MACES Research Open Day - December 4th 2015

Left: Research poster event. M.S student Henry Do is on the right presenting work on a paper-based assay. Bottom Left: Prof. Subramaniam talking about assays in resource poor settings. Right: An example of a microfluidic master in a Petri Dish.

Outreach visit to CSU Stanislaus LSAMP student meeting to present on summer research internship opportunities in STEM at UC Merced - November 5th 2015
 Left:  A lighter moment, as Prof. Subramaniam presents to the LSAMP students. Prof. Sai Gosh (UC Merced Phyics, and MACES faculty) is in blue. Right: A candid shot of the audience. Students were introduced to the research opportunities available at UC Merced.