Last updated 09/21/2023
Jose Zarate Diaz is majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a Cellular-Molecular Emphasis in USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering. He was part of the Leslie and William McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) at USC, from middle school through high school. He
continued his relationship with NAI during his freshman and sophomore year as a Saturday Academy Health and Science Teacher’s Assistant and Math Teacher. 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.
This summer Jose took an organic chemistry course and lab at Cal State LA and he also traveled to Catalina Island as part of a USC nondenominational religious retreat where he enjoyed meeting a new group of people. As part of his work as a research lab assistant, he learned how to image what he puts under the microscope. Jose was recently accepted to the CURVE program, which provides a resource for undergraduate students in Viterbi to explore research opportunities early in their educational career. He continues to explore his creative side by creating videos and is recording his own music.