Last updated 03/13/2023
Jose Zarate Diaz is majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a Cellular-Molecular Emphasis in USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering. He graduated from Foshay Learning Center as Salutatorian of the Class of 2021. He was part of the Leslie and William McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) at USC, from middle school through high school, and received a high honor roll every year. He continues his relationship with NAI in working for the organization’s Saturday Academy as a Health and Science Teacher’s Assistant. His own high school involvement with NAI’s Health and Science Academy, motivated him to volunteer at Kaiser Permanente and take college classes at Los Angeles Trade Technical College (LATTC) in Health Occupations and Careers. Being very passionate about acquiring new skills within his major, he tried soldering circuits and is currently working as an undergraduate research lab assistant in Dr. Chung’s lab. As an undergraduate research lab assistant, he prepares nanoparticles such as Micelles and purifies solutions through an HPLC. As a member of USC’s Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering, he has made
connections with people within different institutions like Medical school, and a Biotech company to explore future career paths. Through these career paths, he hopes to improve medical care and solve medical problems. In his free time, he pursues his interests in film, music, and art. He tries to create
different types of media to challenge himself and to express his creativity.