Q&A: Myriam Belen Sotomayor, president of CBE Women

This Q&A originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of Olin Hall News.

Why did you choose Cornell?

I chose Cornell for its collaborative environment and the countless opportunities available to graduate students. I’m interested in entrepreneurship, so I was excited to see Cornell offered many entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities in the graduate community such as the entrepreneurship certificate for engineering Ph.D. students and the W.E. Cornell program.

The Smith School also encourages cross-disciplinary partnerships among professors, students and other universities, an approach that boosts essential skills like teamwork and leadership and fosters a culture of innovation.

The whole CBE community — students, professors, and staff — also creates a strong sense of belonging by hosting various student organizations such as CBE Women, Diversity and Inclusion Program and the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association. These groups organize events and workshops that not only enhance professional development but also raise awareness about diversity and inclusion.

What leadership positions did you take as a student?

I currently serve as president of the CBE Women’s group, which focuses on supporting gender diversity in STEM and encourages young girls to pursue engineering through outreach. I also served as a student representative in ChEGSA, helping raise funds for the CBE annual symposium. Prior to these positions, I held multiple positions within the group, including vice president, career coordinator and Ph.D. student representative.

Beyond CBE, I was chosen by the University of Cambridge as a top 100 Leaders of Tomorrow in 2022 and elected a top 100 Young Biotech Leaders in Latin America by Allbiotech in 2021.

What are your major accomplishments as a leader?

I led a diverse global team to create AllVAX Biosciences, a potential startup aimed at democratizing life-saving vaccines. Our project won the global biotechnology competition with over 500 participants from 79 countries at Cambridge, UK.

Within the department, one of my major achievements was to bring back Lisa Walker Day and other professional development events. These initiatives featured speakers and panelists who promoted entrepreneurship, networking, and developing soft skills among our engineering community.

What is your advice to future leaders?

My advice to future leaders is to embrace leadership roles without fear. I believe that leadership can be learned and improved over time through training and practice. There are so many opportunities to develop leadership and soft skills at CBE. For example, taking the initiative to organize lab events, tasks and journal clubs can be immensely beneficial. To excel as future leaders, maintain a positive attitude, set clear expectations and collaborate effectively with your team. Most importantly, focus on improving communication and listening skills, as they are vital for success in leadership.

What are your post-graduation goals?

After graduation, I want to become a research leader in the pharmaceutical industry. I am also eager to enter the entrepreneurial world, either by contributing to a startup or establishing my own. In the future, I would like to serve as a part-time professor in my home country, Ecuador. My plan is to bring the knowledge I gained at Cornell and in the USA back to my country.

Do you have a favorite Olin Hall memory?

My favorite Olin memory was during Halloween 2021. After a long period of remote learning due to COVID, we finally returned to in-person classes. That Halloween, our lab decided to dress up as Dr. Plague, complete with spray bottles filled with ethanol for disinfection. I will never forget our PI, Matthew DeLisa, wearing his outfit (which also included a hoodie from his startup Glycobia) and fully embracing the role. He sprayed ethanol on everyone, including professors. He truly became Dr. Plague!