Thaniya Shankar
Co-President
About Me:
Hi! My name is Thaniya Shankar and I'm a 4th year Biology major with a Law and Society minor. UCR gave me a platform to follow my passion and pursue research in autism alongside creating programs on campus to foster inclusivity for individuals with autism. I value mentorship and love advising younger students in regards to their academic and professional goals. As the co-president of Science Ambassadors, my favorite aspect is introducing the younger generation to STEM-related fields and encouraging them to pursue higher education. I'm from San Jose, CA and love playing with my two dogs in my free time. Feel free to connect with me if you have any questions!
Extracurriculars:
Chancellor's Research Fellowship Senior Fellow: I was awarded $8,625 through a competitive fellowship awarded to 14 top undergraduate researchers campus-wide.
Fight for Autism Founder and President: I supervise an on-campus organization dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment and advocating for individuals with autism throughout the Riverside community.
Supplemental Instruction Leader: I facilitate problem-solving sessions for traditionally difficult courses with high fail rates (economics, chemistry, math) to help students better understand course concepts.
R'Course Instructor and Governing Board Member: I innovated the undergraduate curriculum to offer a 1-unit course, "Understanding Social and Behavioral Aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder," to UCR undergraduate students.
Social Cognitive Developmental Neuroscience Lab Research Assistant: I serve as the lead undergraduate researcher for "Measuring Cute Aggression in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder" by scheduling participant visits and running procedures.
Highlander Abroad Advisory Committee Member: I work closely with the Education Abroad office to create budget plan proposals that will best serve UCR’s student body with their study abroad experiences.
Health Professions Advising Center Ambassador: I advise and support undergraduate students who aspire to pursue graduate and professional programs in the health professions.
Crisis Text Line Counselor: I operate a 24/7 text line to help with personal crises nationwide and establish an empathetic space for texters to reach out.
Contact Me:
tshan012 [at] ucr [dot] edu