SACNAS professional member Dr. Maricelly Santiago was selected by the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) from Puerto Rico under the category of Humanitarian Service in Oncology.
Dr. Santiago has been a member of the SACNAS community since she joined the largest network of underrepresented minority STEM professionals in the country in 2016 as part of the Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute (LPSLI). She believes this program, “nourished my leadership capacities and encouraged me to believe in my professional goals”.
Dr. Santiago has 15 years of experience in biomedical sciences and research, specifically in the oncology field. She was the first woman in her family to achieve graduate and doctoral studies. Currently, she is a professor and the Director of Oncology Community Outreach at two institutions: Ponce Health Sciences University – Puerto Rico and Ana G Mendez University System (UNE).
JCI is one of the largest youth organizations in the world with the main objective to create positive change through collective action. JCI recognized Dr. Santiago under the category of Humanitarian Service in Oncology—this is the first year that this distinguished recognition is awarded.
“Puerto Rico is full of talented health professionals all capable of excelling in charity and humanitarianism. I feel blessed to have been selected and I am proud of my 15 years of helping cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers,” she expressed. “I want to emphasize to all health professionals that it is crucial that we diversify our careers into service, outreach and education no matter our cultural heritage.”
Congratulations Dr. Santiago!
Read the full JCI Recognition published by Noticias Ponce (in Spanish).