Taveras and Garcia live in
Pawtucket with their children , pets , and a shared mission to ensure everyone has access to education in medicine and public health . support to others ever since . As passionate advocates for diversity , equity , and inclusion , they are dedicated to addressing inequities in both education and the biomedical professions .
FINDING PURPOSE A self-described “ Third-World , blue-collar kid ” and “ firstgen everything ,” Garcia migrated to the US when he was 11 and grew up in Central Falls , the smallest and most densely populated city in Rhode Island . Throughout his school years , he worked several jobs to supplement his parents ’ income .
By high school , Garcia had set his sights on a career in the military , but teachers and guidance counselors envisioned something else for him : “ They convinced me that I was capable of doing things that I , myself , did not think I was capable of doing .” In 1999 , his senior year , he applied to the University of Rhode Island . He got in , and graduated in 2004 with a major in microbiology and a minor in chemistry .
Then , after working for a year as a research associate at the biopharmaceutical giant Amgen , Garcia applied to Brown ’ s doctoral program in molecular pharmacology , physiology , and biotechnology — again at the urging of a mentor .
As he climbed the steps of Brown ’ s Biomedical Center for his interview , he told himself , “ Enjoy it , because this is the first and last time you ’ ll ever be here .”
To Garcia ’ s surprise , he was accepted , and in 2005 , began working in the lab of his adviser , Wayne Bowen , PhD , now a professor emeritus of neuroscience . It didn ’ t take Garcia long to notice that he and Bowen , along with then-Professor of Medical Science Andrew Campbell , PhD , were the only
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