Ms. Gladynel Saavedra Peña

Gladynel completed a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, receiving the George Simon Ohm Award for ranking top of her class. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) under the supervision of Prof. Vivienne Sze and Prof. Thomas Heldt. Her research focuses on developing an embedded platform to track cognitive decline in Alzheimer's Disease patients through the identification, extraction and processing of digital biomarkers, such as eye movements and speech patterns. In the past, Gladynel worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and at the University of California in San Diego on projects at the intersection of biomedical engineering and computer science. At MIT, Gladynel has served as Co-Chair for EECS Visit Day and Orientation for the Graduate Student Association in the EECS department. She has also served as a member of the MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP) Application Review Committee (ARC), a program that provides underrepresented minorities the opportunity to conduct summer research at MIT.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program 2018, Honorable Mention.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Competition 2018, Honorable Mention.

MIT Irwin Mark Jacobs and Joan Klein Jacobs Presidential Fellowship, 2016.

MIT University Center for Exemplary Mentoring Sloan Scholarship, 2016.

Awarded the George Simon Ohm Award in 2016 for ranking top among her graduating class.

Member of invitation only Golden Key International Honour Society and Tau Beta Pi Alpha of Puerto Rico.

RISE 2 BEST Fellow 2013, only three were chosen in 2013.

Lockheed Martin Top Scholar in 2010, 25 freshmen chosen out of the whole school.

AXA Achievement Community Scholarship Fellow, 2010.

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Fellow, 2010.