Thank You, Kristiana Wong: A Creative Force at IEM

05/06/2025

May 6, 2025 – Kristiana Wong, the Institute of Engineering in Medicine’s (IEM) previous Social Media & Marketing Assistant, has recently graduated from UC San Diego with her Master’s in Biology. Kristiana has been a cornerstone of IEM throughout the past  two and a half years, continuing to work with us throughout both her undergraduate and graduate studies. She was  integral to the IEM’s success, assisting with our marketing and communications, including graphic design, and was the creative mind behind our weekly newsletters and various social media channels. As she begins a new chapter beyond UC San Diego, we celebrate her accomplishments and reflect on her journey through undergraduate studies, graduate research, and impactful contributions to the IEM community.

Kristiana's academic journey at UC San Diego began with uncertainty. Entering college amid the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, she worried about the lack of closure from high school. Those worries quickly faded as she found her place here. Outside of her undergraduate coursework, Kristiana found her community with science communication through both Saltman Quarterly, a biology research journal, and the IEM.  She was also involved in research at the Towers Lab at the Salk Institute, and continued her research with them into her Master’s degree. Her undergraduate years laid the foundation for a strong connection to UC San Diego’s science community, where she discovered the power of combining her creative interests with her passions in biology.

Kristiana played a critical role in shaping the IEM’s identity, bringing new energy to the IEM’s marketing and outreach. She was dedicated to supporting the IEM’s mission to promote innovation at the intersection of engineering and medicine. Kristiana’s creative touch was seen in her content creation and graphic designs. Her strategic efforts helped grow IEM’s social media following, which more than tripled viewership and interactions. Her work cultivated a more connected and vibrant science network here at the IEM.

Reflecting on her time at UC San Diego, Kristiana shares one of the most valuable lessons she’s learned throughout her academic journey:
“You know yourself best. Don’t stress about everything at once—just do what you need to do to get where you need to go.”

This advice was evident in the confidence, self-awareness, and leadership she’s shown throughout her time with the IEM. We thank Kristiana for her creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm demonstrated in all her work at the Institute of Engineering in Medicine and wish her well wherever life takes her.

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