Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Honors, Awards & Certificates
Timeline
Generic

Diego A. Valderrama-Román

Trujillo Alto

Overview

3
3
years of professional experience

Work History

Laboratory Assistant

UAGM Bioinspired Materials Research Laboratory
San Juan , Puerto Rico
03.2024 - 05.2025
  • Synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles using oregano leaf biotemplates to optimize surface morphology and porosity for solar cell applications.
  • Conducted X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to analyze titanium oxidation states and residual biotemplate elements on nanoparticle surfaces.
  • Evaluated effects of biotemplating on surface chemistry and phase composition to enhance dye adsorption in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Summer Research Intern

Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University
Ithaca, NY, United States
06.2024 - 08.2025
  • Conducted XAS analysis on TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized via biotemplating for solar energy applications.
  • Collected and processed synchrotron data using PyMca and Larch, including normalization and pre-edge fitting.
  • Gained experience with synchrotron instrumentation and advanced data interpretation techniques.

Laboratory Assistant

UAGM ChEMTox Labotatory
San Juan , Puerto Rico
02.2023 - 08.2023
  • Collaborated closely with Dr. Osvaldo Cox and Dr. Beatriz Zayas on the multi-step synthesis of nitrobenzazoloquinolium salts.
  • Optimized conditions and refining methodologies to enhance the purity and yield of synthesis products.
  • Employed qualitative tests, such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, to confirm the identity of the final synthesis product.

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Chemistry

Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Cupey Campus
San Juan, Puerto Rico
05-2025

High School Diploma -

Colegio Nuestra Señora Del Carmen
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
01.2020

Skills

  • Bilingual: English and Spanish
  • UV-Vis, FTIR, XPS spectroscopy
  • Peak fitting and data normalization
  • Data visualization with Python
  • Organic and material synthesis
  • Microsoft Office proficiency
  • Technical report writing
  • Lab safety protocols

Honors, Awards & Certificates

  • Honor Scholarship, Universidad Ana G Méndez – Cupey Campus (Aug 2020 – May 2025), awarded to students with financial need and a GPA of 3.50 or higher for outstanding academic performance
  • NSF-PREM CiE2M Research Scholarship (Aug 2024 – May 2025), selected as a PREM scholar under a multi-institutional partnership with CHESS at Cornell University to develop skills in synchrotron-based materials characterization, and promote minority student success in STEM
  • Colegio de Químicos de Puerto Rico Excellence Award (Jun 2025), awarded to the top graduating chemistry student across all Universidad Ana G Méndez campuses
  • Viola and Joseph Kelter Excellence Award (Jun 2025), recognized for academic excellence, leadership, and civic engagement in the sciences during undergraduate studies

Timeline

Summer Research Intern

Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University
06.2024 - 08.2025

Laboratory Assistant

UAGM Bioinspired Materials Research Laboratory
03.2024 - 05.2025

Laboratory Assistant

UAGM ChEMTox Labotatory
02.2023 - 08.2023

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Chemistry

Universidad Ana G. Méndez - Cupey Campus

High School Diploma -

Colegio Nuestra Señora Del Carmen

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Diego A. Valderrama-Román