Socrates Fellows Who We Are 2010-2011 Carmen Laura Velez
Carmen L. Vélez was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, where she spent most of her undergraduate career studying manganese-oxo-pyrazolato complexes and discovered the joys of research.
Currently, Carmen is attending UCSD as a graduate student in the chemistry department with Prof. Joseph O’Connor. There she studies the fundamentals of metal induced carbon-sulfur bond activation in sulfoxides and the synthesis and reactivity of a sterically congested late metal metallacyclobutene.
Her interests outside of research include cooking and organizing hands-on science outreach activities. As outreach co-chair from the Association for Women in Science, San Diego Chapter, she organizes events for youth. With her joint conviction of science and community activism, Carmen believes in compelling students to explore their own interests in science by engaging them in relevant and exiting ways, with the hope that they might also embark on a rewarding journey in science.
