Serena is a Neuroscience major and Design minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is deeply motivated by the intersection of human experience, creativity, and technology. She hopes to integrate her love for design with STEM, developing technology that enhances human capabilities. Currently, Serena works as a research assistant at the Betley Lab, where she studies how diet impacts the gut microbiota and, subsequently, brain health. She believes that visual problem-solving and graphic communication via design works hand-in-hand with conceptualizing neural networks and behavioral data. In the future, she hopes to integrate art into prosthetics and assistive health technology, making them more personalized, expressive, and accessible to all communities.
At Penn, Serena is an active member of Penn Lions, a traditional Chinese dance troupe. She enjoys performing during Lunar New Year, where the energy of the audience brings the performance to life. She finds joy in sharing Chinese culture and hopes to continue fostering that sense of connection. Furthermore, as a second-generation Chinese immigrant, Serena’s parents were among the many who left behind their family, culture, and language to build a new life in the United States. With the fellowship’s support, Serena hopes to create a home at Penn for those who have bravely left theirs in search of a new one.
Serena also is a member of the Penn Debate Society, where she supports programs like the Prison and Reentry Debate Initiative, aiding the reintegration of incarcerated individuals by guiding their public speaking and debate skills. These conversations taught Serena the importance of deliberate communication across cultural, racial, and socioeconomic boundaries. Through the SNF Paideia program, she will use dialogue as a tool for connection and change––both within Penn and in the broader community.