We Celebrate! Fall 2024 Outstanding Senior & Transfer Awardees

Tate Coggins is a senior graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology. She earned her associate degree in 2021 at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. Thereafter Tate then spent a year in South America working with an organization to rehabilitate wild animals from the illegal pet trade in the Amazon, and volunteering for a turtle research center on the Uruguayan coast. She brought her passion for research and biology with her to University, where she took part in neuroscience research studying ALS and TDP-43 aggregation in Drosophila, and microbiology research studying pseudomonas pathogenicity. She completed her thesis on a multidisciplinary review of Yersinia pestis and the Black Death. In addition to her other endeavors on campus, Tate helped with the establishment of WMACE (Wildcats Move Against Child Exploitation), which is partnered with local organizations to fight against sexual exploitation and trafficking in southern Arizona. After graduation, Tate will be entering a French and Arabic language intensive in West Africa and plans to pursue graduate studies in neuroscience in the future.

Pablo Luna Falcon, originally from Guadalajara Mexico, transferred to the University of Arizona as a W.A. Franke Honors College student from Pima Community College. Through strong connections with a community of transfer students, Pablo identified the impact he wants to have as a mechanical engineer and researcher and is always seeking opportunities to give back to the community. He has served as a peer mentor for recent transfer students to help them have a smooth transition to the university and been part of multiple panels to share his experiences and advice to incoming freshmen. Pablo is a passionate researcher dedicated to creating energy efficient solutions to address the excessive carbon emissions from the transportation sector. From additive manufacturing techniques, machine learning as a guide for design, and new structural materials engineering, he is always invested in exploring state-of-the-art technology to guide his future investigations.