UC Merced scholar’s Grad Slam victory was doubly impressive. Here’s why
UC Merced’s Tahirah Williams said her biggest battle heading into the UC systemwide Grad Slam championship in Sacramento on Wednesday would be her nerves.
She conquered those and claimed the title. Make that titles.
Not only did Williams impress the judges with her presentation, but she claimed the title of audience favorite.
Williams, a fourth-year quantitative and systems biology PhD candidate from Jamaica, won first place in the competition and took home the People’s Choice Award.
Grad Slam is a fast‑paced competition that challenges scholars to explain their research in an engaging presentation for a general audience. Think of it as a higher-education “Shark Tank” pitch.
In March, Williams won the UC Merced competition with her three-minute talk, “More Than Slime: When Mucus Meets the Valley Fever Invader.”
“We knew she was exceptional, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see her talent recognized at this level,” said UC Merced Director of Events and Community Engagement Jen Quiralte.
Williams competed against nine other UC grad students. Carla Bassil of UC Berkeley finished second; Brandon Courteau of UC San Francisco was third.
Williams won $8,000 for being the systemwide champ.
She became the second UC systemwide winner from UC Merced, after Shayna Bennett won the event in 2021.
