Ariana obtained her BS in Physics and Chemistry '19 from Moravian College in Pennsylvania. She is currently during her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Michigan. Her undergraduate research consisted of biochemistry work studying how transition metals bind to DNA, form crosslinks, and initiate apoptosis. In addition, she spent one summer at the University of California, Davis in the NSF-funded REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program in Nuclear Physics, analyzing data sets from the CMS experiment at CERN via a Glauber Model method. In her graduate research, she is using protein engineering to develop optogenetic tools for protein detection and manipulation in living cells, primarily investigating neurons and neural pathways. She is motivated by her passion to mentor and help support future scientists from disadvantaged communities and is part of several outreach initiatives at her university. As someone in the sciences with disabilities, she is also passionate about helping other scientists navigate their hardships, and highlighting their resiliency as one of their strengths. Outside of the lab, she enjoys weightlifting, is an outdoor enthusiast, and likes to read about philosophy, as well as practicing mindfulness.