"I never would have gone into the scientific field if not for people exposing me to it, inspiring me in it, and carrying me all the way through it." -David Cagan
David Cagan, a chemistry graduate student at Caltech and alumnus of Pasadena City College (PCC), says his path to Caltech was paved by mentors who introduced him to the beauty of science and vouched for him at every turn. Now, he is laying the foundation for the next generation with a program that formalizes those support systems: Rising Tide.
Conceived by Cagan and implemented in partnership with Caltech's Student-Faculty Programs (SFP) and Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE), Rising Tide is a chemistry research techniques training program for PCC students. Over five weeks in the summer, students complete research rotations in synthetic, analytical, and computational chemistry, while also developing professional skills and building relationships with scientific mentors.
Rising Tide aims to increase the participation of historically excluded students in STEM PhD programs. Cagan says he hopes the program can make research accessible to students who have the highest barriers to entry, especially first-generation and low-income students.
"Rising Tide is just one of many ways that David gives back to the larger scientific community," says Candace Rypisi, assistant vice provost and director of SFP. "He is an inspirational campus leader who is always looking for ways to make a difference. Rising Tide is a perfect addition to help bridge Caltech's outreach efforts with our undergraduate research programs."
The concept for Rising Tide came from Cagan's own experiences in research. After discovering an unexpected passion for chemistry as an art student, he began participating in scientific research at PCC, as a summer intern at Cal Poly Pomona, and at Cal State Los Angeles, where he ultimately transferred to earn his bachelor's degree in chemistry. During his final summer as an undergraduate, he completed a 10-week research program as a WAVE Fellow at Caltech.
Cagan says adjusting to Caltech research, even with years of prior lab experience, was a challenge. "Going from community college to Cal State LA felt like I was gaining resources, and then coming from Cal State LA to Caltech, I realized how little resources I had before. I felt very underprepared and kind of like a fish out of water."
That experience led him to rethink what a pipeline to equity in higher education could look like. Cagan says diversity and inclusion programs should consider existing equity disparities among the student populations they aim to recruit. For example, first-generation, low-income students do not have the privilege to participate in unpaid research internships for experience and may have to prioritize jobs and family commitments over schoolwork.
For those reasons, Rising Tide does not require participants to have previous research experience or straight A's. In fact, it favors students with no research experience, serving as an accessible introduction to research techniques and graduate education. Students are also paid a stipend throughout the program.
David Cagan (top left) poses with the Rising Tide cohort. Top row, from left to right: Cagan, Vincent Vu, Rebecca Ramirez, Chaw Soe. Bottom row: Pablo Romero, Shelli Wang, Seiji Sakamoto. Credit: Lance Hayashida/Caltech
