Ricardo Sanchez Cortes SEAS’28 is from Middleton, Wisc., and is majoring in chemical engineering with a minor in applied mathematics. He is being recognized for his leadership, service, and commitment to expanding access to science and engineering within the Columbia community and beyond. Sanchez Cortes serves as Communications Chair of Columbia’s Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society, where he supports their outreach efforts that bring hands-on science experiences to children across Morningside and help spark curiosity about STEM. Sanchez Cortes is also a class representative on the Columbia Engineering Student Council, where he advocates for his peers’ concerns, helps organize class events, and contributes to conversations surrounding school policy and DEI. In addition, he is a member of Dr. Parisa Yousefpour’s Biomedical Engineering lab, where he helps develop next-generation biomolecular immunotherapies by integrating approaches from protein engineering, synthetic biology, and biomaterial science to overcome treatment challenges in various diseases.