Pedro Perez ’13 left Whittier well equipped for a career in making a real difference—from under-served schools to the lab, and beyond.
After Pedro graduated, his first job was working with a high school outreach program, Upward Bound, to promote the sciences to underrepresented and under-served students. He was prepared thanks to both his broad coursework—he majored in chemistry and minored in history and Spanish—plus his on-campus job as a tutor and supplemental instructor.
Pedro soon entered graduate school at University of California, Riverside’s School of Medicine, where his research experience with Professor Devin Iimoto gave him an advantage: he could hit the ground running. Because his classes at Whittier were small, he gained direct experience in the laboratory and honed his technical skills with sophisticated tools—which peers in his grad program never had the opportunity to do.
Pedro also grew as a scientist thanks to his professors’ personal guidance.
“The faculty at Whittier College take a personal interest in the success of their students,” Pedro said. “Their guided mentorship has led to a really good history of graduates who move on to higher degrees such as a Ph.D or M.D. In my class alone, more than half of us have a doctorate level degree or are near their completion.”
Now, as a full-fledged researcher, Pedro is excited to investigate diet-induced obesity because of the significant difference he could have to combat a life-altering disease. Last summer, he was part of a team that produced new insight into the relationship between our stomachs and our brains in the context of overeating.
In the lab, he enjoys collaborating with different researchers. It reminds him of his time at Whittier, where his work with Iimoto crossed paths with organic chemistry professor Ralph Isovitch. Bringing his career thus far full circle, he also mentors other budding scientists, with an emphasis on people of color and diverse backgrounds.
