Maria Peña

Maria Teresa Peña is a junior honors student at the University of San Diego (USD), majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Spanish. Her work focuses on a human-centered approach to connect scientific research with diverse community service, a passion informed by her international travel, language, and cultural studies. 

She is an active volunteer, regularly supporting Indigenous Native Elders from the Navajo Reservation, demonstrating her commitment to fostering cultural diversity and connecting with all communities. Maria has also been published for her contributions to computational chemistry research, conducted under the guidance of University of San Diego Professor Jeremy Kua as part of his NASA exobiology grant.