Biography
Hails from New Jersey
B.S. Science, Minors in Forensic Psychology and Chemistry
A.S. Professional Studies
Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2020
Bergen Community College, 2017
My name is Robert, but most of my friends call me Robbie. I was born in the Philippines and raised in North Jersey for most of my life. I’m the youngest of seven siblings and the first in my family to attend college. I recently graduated magna cum laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University and discovered my interest in infectious disease (ID) while writing my Honors thesis. I studied nanoparticles with the potential to treat antibiotic-resistant infections. My interest deepened while working for CityMD, where I worked directly with COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. My prior experiences in ID were what inspired me to pursue the MS-IDGH program at the Cummings School. I am confident that the training I will receive through the program will prepare me to protect my community from infectious diseases on both a micro and macro level. After completing the program, I hope to attend medical school to become an ID physician, working within the crossroads of research and direct clinical care.
Outside of school, I often find myself gravitating towards sports and athletics. I was a former amateur boxer, a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and recently found new hobbies in hiking and powerlifting. I have two dogs at home: a Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu. During my free time, you can find me teaching myself new things like beatboxing, barbering, and cooking new recipes.