Award Recognition
Senior Marshal
George Vincent Wendell Memorial Award
Elías Tzoc-Pacheco is a Biomedical Engineering major born in Totonicapan, Guatemala, and raised in Texas and Ohio. Through his roles as the University Senator for undergraduate SEAS students, the chair of the university-wide Student Affairs Committee, a board member of the Latinx Professional and Educational Network, and a student representative in the Department of Biomedical Engineering's DEI Committee, he has sought to better the experience of underrepresented and marginalized students by advocating on their behalf for better academic resources, increased financial support for student life, recognition of cultural issues, and pressing for both greater physical and social spaces for students to build community. Elías is the President of the Biomedical Engineering Society which has expanded its outreach to schools across New York City and opportunities for current students to connect with working professionals. He is also a student researcher in Dr. Helen Lu's laboratory and previously has worked with Undergraduate Admissions.
Thank y'all for this honor and I am incredibly grateful to my parents, my brother, my grandparents, all of my friends (including my suite+), and especially the countless mentors and faculty that have helped me along during my time at Columbia. I could not have made it this far without all of the help so generously offered and the many wonderful memories shared.