From 2020-2023 I ran three cohorts of Building Belonging undergraduate research clusters. Participants helped me to gather and analyze archival and oral history sources related to my current American Venom book project. Alumni have gone on to do exciting things – at UCSC and beyond! Venom Lab alums are currently studying in graduate programs across several fields including Latin American Studies and Public Health. Others have gone on to study abroad in Latin American countries including Costa Rica and Mexico, and one mentee became a fellow at the Rachel Carson Center, where she is researching and writing about pesticide use in agricultural contexts. Read one of her latest stories here!