SJSU Grad Slam 2026 Event Information
Meet the Grad Slam Finalists!
Colin Chamberlin
Title of Presentation: Trail of the Clams and Snails: A Journey Through Ancient Global
Warming
Elizabeth Davidson
Applied Anthropology, MA
Title of Presentation: Archaeology of the Caribbean: Ancient Human Genetics
Jason Ly
Mechanical Engineering, MS
Title of Presentation: Custom Upper Limb Support for Children
Kailin Cui
Human Factors and Ergonomics, MS
Title of Presentation: Wearable Technology That Prevents Workplace Injuries
Katherine Hamilton
Creative Writing, MFA
Title of Presentation: The Forgotten Harvest: Mexican American History and the Making
of Silicon Valley
Matthias Milton
Marine Science, MS
Title of Presentation: Monitoring Rockfish in a Changing Ocean
Mayank Kapadia
Data Intelligence, MS
Title of Presentation: AI That Anticipates Not Reacts
Shirley Tang
Human Factors/Ergonomics, User Experience Concentration, MS
Title of Presentation: Designing Wheelchair Alerts: What to Say & Where to Signal
Vanessa Ly
Transportation Management, MS
Title of Presentation: Avoiding Transit Delays: The Power of Preventive Maintenance
Yilin Sun
Applied Data Intelligence, MS
Title of Presentation: Multi-Agent AI for Resilient, Responsible Virus Detection
Meet the Judges, Speaker, & Emcee
Tomy Tran - Judge
Tomy will graduate with his Master of Science from San Jose State’s Mechanical Engineering
Program in May 2026. For his master’s project with Dr. Hohyun Lee, he developed software
models to support the use of electric vehicle batteries in residential homes. He was
the first-place winner in Grad Slam 2025.
Nerissa Draeger, Ph.D - Judge
Director of Open Innovation at Lam Research Corporation.
Dr. Nerissa Draeger works in the Office of the CTO at Lam Research, where she builds
academic partnerships to grow Lam’s technology pipeline. Her vision of innovation
lives at the intersection of emerging technologies, strategy, and people. Dr. Draeger
has managed pathfinding for semiconductor deposition and etch processes at Lam Research
and Novellus Systems. She served on the Board of Directors of the Materials Research
Society and as Chair of the Board of Directors for UIDP. She earned her Ph.D. in materials
science and engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her
B.S.E. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Angel Rios Jr. - Judge
Angel Rios, Jr., is a leader with 25 years of professional experience working in both
the public and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Deputy City Manager
for the City of San Jose. Angel previously served as the Director of Parks, Recreation,
and Neighborhood Services. Before joining the City of San Jose, Angel served as the
Associate Director of the largest Latino-based, non-profit in Santa Clara County.
Angel holds a master's degree in Public Administration and a bachelor's degree in
Political Science and Government. He is a senior fellow of the American Leadership
Forum. Angel has served as one of the chief architects of the Mayor's Gang Prevention
Task Force, an anti-violence effort that has received national acclaim for its effectiveness
in redirecting youth away from gangs and keeping neighborhoods safe.
Dr. Andrew Carter - Judge
Dr. Andrew Carter, an Associate Professor in Communication Studies and co-creator/Director
of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at San Jose State University, specializes
in health disparities, food systems, community-based participatory research, and intercultural
communication. His recent book with Oxford University Press, entitled Seeds of Sovereignty:
Critical Public Health, Radical Sisterhood, and the Fight for Agricultural Justice
will be released in May 2026.
Marc d'Alarcao - Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Interim Vice President
for Research and Innovation (VPRI) and the Interim President of the Board of Directors
of the SJSU Research Foundation
Marc d’Alarcao is the newly appointed SJSU Interim Vice President for Research and
Innovation (VPRI) and the Interim President of the Board of Directors of the SJSU
Research Foundation. He currently also serves as the Dean of the College of Graduate
Studies.
Girish Bhat, SVP - Guest Speaker
Girish is a technical and go-to-market leader who has built and scaled products and
teams across both startups and global enterprises. He brings deep experience in AI,
data, security, SaaS, observability, DevOps, and analytics. Over his career, he has
worked across engineering and marketing, and has been involved in venture and growth
fundraising, IPOs, M&A, and private equity consolidation. He has also led and grown
teams across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia.
Peace Lu - Emcee
Peace Lu was the Audience Choice Winner of SJSU’s 2023 Grad Slam. Her experience at
the Grad Slam was instrumental in preparing her to communicate complex medical information
in easy-to-understand ways. Today, she is a Speech-Language Pathologist at Good Samaritan
Hospital, where she helps stroke and brain disease patients regain their ability to
eat and talk (eating and talking also happens to be two of her favorite activities).
Judging Criteria
See What Grad Slam is All About
Prizes
Acknowledgements
Special Thanks
