Meet The Team
Team Mentor
Dr. Zhengguo Xiao
Subul Beg
Subul Beg is a Biochemistry major and pre-med student from Ellicott City, MD. After graduation, she intends on pursuing her dream of becoming a surgeon by attending medical school. Outside of Gemstone, she is an ED scribe and participates in several community service initiatives. On Team BASIC, Subul is the financial liaison, as well as a member of the lab subteam.
Ciara Egan
Ciara Egan is a Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics major. She hopes to go to Med school but wants to take a year or two off before then. She was born in Dublin, Ireland and moved to the US when she was in 1st grade. Ciara is very excited to be part of the lab subteam.
Allen Kao
Allen Kao is a Chemical Engineering major in the Clark School of Engineering. Allen is a member of the OXE Chemical Engineering Honor Society, a Clark School Engineering Ambassador, and co-chair of the Gemstone Thesis Conference Planning Committee. He enjoys traveling, and has done two short term study abroad programs; one in Beijing and Shanghai, and another in Paris and Madrid. On Team BASIC, Allen is part of the lab subteam and works in the lab, as well as manages the website.
Waheed Sehareen
Saadiya Sehareen is a Biology major from Frederick, Maryland. Saadiya hopes to attend graduate school to further her education and pursue her interest in biological systems. She is the service chair for American Medical Women’s Association, an advocate for Health Leads DC, and is Vice President-External for Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. Outside of college, she spends her summers and some winters interning at the National Institutes of Health. Saadiya’s other passions and hobbies include traveling (she grew up in India, Japan, and the United States), photography, and reading. On Team Basic, Saadiya is on the Methodology subteam.
Team Librarian
Eileen Harrington
Alice Chang
Alice Chang, from Potomac, Maryland, is double majoring in Economics and Finance, while also pursuing a minor in Survey Methodology. She is a Resident Assistant in North Campus, is heavily involved in Honors Ambassadors, and is a co-president for Club Table Tennis. On Team BASIC, Alice is on the Grants subteam, and also takes meeting minutes as the team clerk.
Lienna Feleke-Eshete
Lienna Feleke-Eshete is a Government & Politics major with minors in French and Arabic. She hopes to obtain a Masters degree in Public Policy after graduating and has explored this field through various internships at law firms, the United States Senate and the White House. Lienna is a member of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity and Ethiopian Students Association. Her hobbies include writing, dancing and traveling. As a member of Team BASIC, Lienna hopes to have the opportunity to work in a laboratory, learn more about the relationship between pH and cancer and contribute to the field of melanoma research.
James Martinson
Growing up just outside of Ellicott City, MD, James Martinson has always had a passion for science- so much that he could not pick between chemistry, biology, or physics, and chose to pursue a major that incorporated each: Bioengineering. He aspires to obtain an M.D.Ph.D. with Bioengineering, and plans to conduct clinical research for the military. Besides studying, James also is an active tutor for the Office of Multiethnic Student Education, and is a member of the Branchville Volunteer Fire Department as an EMT. In his spare time, he enjoys listening and playing to music, in addition to participating in his national fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Benjamin Tunick
Benjamin Tunick is a BioEngineering major. Benjamin has always loved solving brain teasers and puzzles, and had an interest in most areas of science. With the goal of pursuing all of those interests, he became a BioEngineering major. Although originally from Centerport, NY, Benjamin loves his new home at UMD. Other than classes, he is an active member of UMD’s chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Additionally, Benjamin has worked as an Assistant Student Coordinator for Gems Camp, a program for incoming Gemstone Freshmen freshmen. In his free time, he enjoys watching basketball and football, playing on UMD's Quidditch team, and relaxing to his favorite music. After graduation, he plans to enter the workforce and work in prosthetics or orthotics. Eventually, Benjamin hopes to earn an MBA and enter management.
Julia Wainger
Julia Wainger is a Biological Sciences major with a concentration in Cell Biology and Genetics and a minor in Public Leadership. Outside of Team BASIC, Julia is a Rawlings Undergraduate Leadership Fellow, a member of Delta Epsilon Mu, a pre-health fraternity, a peer counselor at the UMD Help Center, and a teaching assistant for introductory freshmen gemstone classes. Her hobbies include shower singing, self-learning the guitar, and reading. After graduation, Julia hopes to travel and study medicine.