Mariela Pajuelo, an assistant scientist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, has been named advisor of the year by UF Engagement. For the last three years, Pajuelo has served as faculty advisor for the Florida chapter of SACNAS, the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. During that time, she’s helped passionate, hardworking students across several departments make their ideas become a reality.
“Dr. Pajuelo’s commitment to the SACNAS Florida chapter has played an essential role in shaping our activities and growth,” wrote Claudia Garnica Díaz, a graduate student in UF’s department of biology and president of the local SACNAS group from 2023 through 2024. “Her presence, availability to members and genuine interest in our development have been critical to the chapter’s success.”
Student groups are required to have at least one faculty advisor, whose job is primarily to supervise and provide students with logistical support. Pajuelo went above and beyond these requirements for a particularly active group that’s grown quickly. They’ve developed resources and hosted numerous events to empower their members and give back to the community, including workshops, seminars and language exchange meetups. They’ve participated in numerous science education and outreach initiatives and have organized beach cleanups on Earth Day and World Sea Turtle Day two years in a row.
They received an outstanding chapter award for innovative science from the national SACNAS board in 2024, and this year, they won the UF Engagement career catalyst award for hosting a 3-minute thesis competition in Spanish as a way to help graduate students explain the importance of their research to the public. The competition was originally developed at The University of Queensland in Australia and has since been adopted by universities in several other countries.
Pajuelo will continue to advise the group for the foreseeable future and said it’s a rewarding job made easier by the students’ dedication and hard work.
Source: Mariela Pajuelo, mpajuelo@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Media contact: Jerald Pinson, jpinson@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-294-0452