About CAL BMES
BMES hosts professional development events, workshops, formal dinners, tutorials, panels, and everything in between! Many of these events are open to the general public. We also spend time hanging out as a club playing games, traveling, volunteering, or just eating food together. Our goal is to ensure our club members’ success in the world of bioengineering and/or biotechnology; this could manifest in a research position, an internship, a job offer, or even a new best friend! Our five distinct committees help members to find their own idea of success, whatever that might look like to them.
meet the 2025 - 2026 Officers
Our hardworking, dedicated officer team ensures BMES is able to function well. Get to know each officer below!
Hi Everyone! I’m Stanley and I am a fourth year bioengineering student on the pre-med track, concentrating in both Biomedical Devices and Biomedical Imaging. I am passionate about creating rapid, cost-effective point of care diagnostics to help recognize and treat life-threatening conditions earlier and more quickly. In my free time, you can probably find me at dance practice (#mainstacks #kairos), hiking the Berkeley hills, or discovering new food spots around the bay. I’m super excited for what BMES has in store this year and I can’t wait to meet everyone–please feel free to reach out about anything!
stanley wong
Co-President
calbmes.president@gmail.com
Hi, I’m Chimkasinma, a senior passionate about bioengineering, immunology research, and global health. As Co-President of BMES, I’m excited to create fun, engaging opportunities for members and build community this year. Outside of BMES, I run an NGO called KidInNeedSociety, which supports education and healthcare access across Nigeria.
Fun facts: I’m an international student from Nigeria and a Resident Assistant in Unit 1. If you see me around, don’t hesitate to say hi!
chimkasinma mbakwe
Co-President
calbmes.president@gmail.com
Hey guys, my name is Julie and I’m Co-VP with Aryan 🙂 I’m a senior, majoring in bioengineering (concentration in computational biology), and I love playing games and finding new food places in the near me. Feel free to ask me any questions about my experience! I’m very excited to meet all of you this year and hope we can make great memories together at BMES 🥳
julie jin
Co-vice President
calbmes.vp@gmail.com
Hey everyone, I’m Aryan and I’m super excited to serve as your BMES co-VP this year! I’m big on all kinds of music, but hip hop, indie R&B, & 2010s radio are my favorites. I like working out, watching sports, and collecting soccer jerseys. Happy to share anything about my journey as a 4th year pre-med BioE major, and looking forward to my senior year as a long-time BMES member!
aryan dwivedi
Co-vice President
calbmes.vp@gmail.com
hi everyone, i’m melissa and i’m excited to be serving as secretary for BMES this year! i’m a senior majoring in bioengineering and data science. my hobbies and interests include playing badminton, skiing, drinking matcha/boba, and shopping. i hope to see as many of you as possible at BMES events and don’t be afraid to chat!
melissa theodorus
SeCRETARY
calbmes.secretary@gmail.com
Hey everyone! My name is Irene, and I’m a 4th year bioengineering student focusing on phage engineering and design engineering. I’m really excited to be part of BMES as a finance chair this year 🙂 In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with my pet rabbit Mocha and going grocery shopping to shop seasonal items for cooking and baking. Please don’t be afraid to reach out for a chat, and super excited to meet you all!
irene song
Treasurer
calbmes.treasurer@gmail.com
Hi! I’m Preeti, and I’m a third year BioE major with an intended concentration of Cell and Tissue Engineering. This year, I’ll be one of your General Member Chairs, alongside Jenna Patel! I’m super excited to get to know all of our general members this year and help plan general meetings throughout the school year. I love going on hikes, trying new food spots, checking out new live music venues, and painting! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about BioE or want to learn more about BMES as a whole!
preeti rao
General Member Chair
calbmes.gmc@gmail.com
Hi! I’m Jenna, and I’m a 3rd year bioengineering major and one of your General Member Chairs, alongside Preeti. I’m excited to meet more BioEs through all our general member events this year! I grew up in SoCal so I love being able to explore new places in the bay! I am currently interested in medical devices and biotechnology, however, I hope to branch out and learn about other aspects bioengineering has to offer through some more courses. I love listening to music, going on drives, playing volleyball, rollerskating, and being outdoors. If you ever see me around please say hi, and reach out to me via email if you have any questions or just want someone to talk to!
jenna Patel
general member co-chair
calbmes.gmc@gmail.com
erik Lopez
Public RElations Chair
calbmes.pr@gmail.com
Hi everyone! My name is Nina and I am a 3rd year Bioengineering major concentrating in Cell and Tissue Engineering. My interests mainly lie in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, though I am also interested in neuroscience. After Berkeley, I plan to work with biotechnological applications in regenerative medicine. Outside of BMES, I enjoy dancing (s/o to Cal Celerity 🪭), hanging out with friends, trying new food spots, and adventuring around the Bay. I also love meeting new people, so feel free to reach out to me about literally anything lol. Super excited to be one of this year’s Academic Co-Chairs! (˶ˆᗜˆ˵)
nina nguyen
academic co-chair
calbmes.academic@gmail.com
Hi everyone! My name is Natalie Leyva, and I’m a second-year bioengineering student with a strong interest in public health. I’m thrilled to serve as your BMES Academic Commute Cochair this year! BMES has not only fueled my passion for engineering, but has also helped me make so many incredible friends.
Outside of academics, I love hiking, cooking, trying new cafes around the bay, and I’m always down for a side quest! I’m excited to connect with even more members this year and work together to make BMES an inclusive and supportive space for everyone!
natalie leyva
academic co-chair
calbmes.academic@gmail.com
Hi! My name is Jasmine Cao and I am a third year Bioengineering major concentrating in cell and tissue engineering with a strong interest in immuno-oncology and drug delivery. I will be graduating early this year and plan to pursue grad school before joining the pharmaceutical industry! In my free time I like to travel, explore new restaurants/cafes, hike, and paint. I’m looking forward to getting to know everybody, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to chat!
jasmine cao
BioE Banquet co-chair
calbmes.bioebanquet@gmail.com
daniel block
BioE Banquet co-chair
calbmes.bioebanquet@gmail.com
Hey, I’m Sreshta! I’m from the bay area and I’m a 2nd year EECS and bioengineering major. I’m interested in medical devices and hope to pursue this in industry in the future. I’m excited to be one of the corporate committee co-chairs with Edmund and meet new people this year! In my free time, I enjoy listening to music (R&B, rap, and rock!), being outdoors, dancing, and trying different foods. Feel free to reach out, I’d love to chat!
sreshta yelisetti
Corporate co-chair
calbmes.corporate@gmail.com
edmund chen
corporate co-chair
calbmes.corporate@gmail.com
Hi! I’m Nchegem, and I’m a 3rd year bioengineering major with an interest in patent law. I’m particularly interested in medtech and the devices/software that go into helping improve accessibility across different medical disciplines. In my free time, I looove relaxing with a book or manga, some music, and a face mask, but I also love playing puzzle games, writing, and hanging out with friends. Feel free to reach out to me whenever—I’m a yapper, so I’ll talk about pretty much anything!
nchegem nyenke
design co-chair
calbmes.design@gmail.com
Hi! My name is Kaitlyn, and I’m a second-year Bioengineering major with an interest in biomaterials and synthetic biology. I’m a co-officer for the Outreach Committee this year, and I’m excited to see what opportunities we’ll have with/for the Bay Area community and Bears! My hobbies include music, food, word puzzles, and going on side quests around the Bay.
Feel free to reach out or say ‘Hi’ if you see me around campus!
kaitlyn le
outreach co-chair
calbmes.outreach@gmail.com
Hi everyone! I’m Ernesto and I am a second year bioengineering student and I’m currently interested in medical devices. I am excited to be this year’s Outreach Committee Co-Chair. Outside of academic I like listening to music, going to concerts, trying new food, exploring new places and napping! Feel free to reach out to me about anything!
ernesto de santiago
outreach co-chair
calbmes.outreach@gmail.com