About

Rokhaya is originally from Senegal, West Africa. She earned a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from the City University of New York and worked as an engineer in the manufacturing division at Merck & Co.. Rokhaya's aspirations, however, were to pursue a doctoral degree in the field of bioengineering. She chose to pursue her doctoral studies at U.C. Berkeley because of its world-renowned school of engineering and the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge research. Her current research focuses on the effects of mechanical forces on adult and embryonic stem cell development. By using experimental apparatus to apply mechanical forces on stem cells and combining mechanical cues with biochemical factors, she is able to direct the differentiation of stem cells toward different lineages. Outside of her research activities, Rokhaya currently serves on the executive board of the Black Engineering Student Association and takes part in community outreach and educational projects. Rokhaya hopes to combine her scientific background and business in a career as a consultant.

Education

UC Berkeley

Ph.D. , Bioengineering

Class of 2010

Awards & Publications