
Amnahir Pena-Alcantara
Amnahir Pena-Alcantara (she/her/hers) is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Materials Science and Engineering. Her research in Prof. Zhenan Bao’s lab focuses on understanding the kinetics and thermodynamics of conjugated polymer/ elastomer blends. This work will influence the materials used for skin-like electronics and wearable technology. Prior to Stanford, she earned a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT.
Amnahir is passionate about better preparing students for the challenges associated with engineering and higher education. In 2017, she worked with City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez in NYC to create a STEM summer program for high school students. In addition, she has collaborated with a team to create a workshop to help East Palo Alto high school students learn about college and career trajectories. She hopes to apply her knowledge from these experiences to allow graduate students to excel in their respective engineering degrees.