FAST is a program in which Stanford University graduate students mentor Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST) toward achieving their goals of answering open questions in science and engineering clever solutions to problems in their society. Students from Andrew P. Hill, James Lick, and Independence high schools in East San Jose meet with Stanford students every other Saturday during the academic year. Between September and April, they design and execute original scientific research spanning topics in chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and data science. Every spring, FAST students present their work at local and state science fairs and also at an annual symposium at Stanford University.

Feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns!

  • For general questions, email Shahadat (shahadat[at]stanford.edu) or Nathalie (nhong98[at]stanford.edu).
  • For questions about joining FAST, email Caroline (cesc[at]stanford.edu) or Andre (andregu[at]stanford.edu).
  • For questions about the website, email Jessica (jessluu[at]stanford.edu).

Note: FAST is currently only open to students enrolled in the East San Jose High School District. If you attend an ESUHSD school that is not Andrew Hill, James Lick, or Independence, and would like to join FAST, please email Shahadat. We are unable to accommdate any students outside of ESUHSD, sorry!

Stanford Mentors 2025-26

Headshot of Shahadat Rahman, President, Chief Party Officer, Student Opportunity Specialist

Shahadat Rahman
Developmental Biology

President, Chief Party Officer, Student Opportunity Specialist

Headshot of Nathalie Hong, Chief Operations Officer

Nathalie Hong
Chemistry

Chief Operations Officer

Headshot of Cindy Shi, Chief Compliance Officer, Financial Officer

Cindy Shi
Material Science and Engineering

Chief Compliance Officer, Financial Officer

Headshot of Jessica Luu, Andrew Hill Chief Program Officer, Communications and Website Officer

Jessica Luu
Chemistry

Andrew Hill Chief Program Officer, Communications and Website Officer

Headshot of Oliver Wu, Andrew Hill Chief Program Officer

Oliver Wu
Chemistry

Andrew Hill Chief Program Officer

Headshot of Cade Napier, James Lick Chief Program Officer

Cade Napier
Environmental Engineering

James Lick Chief Program Officer

Headshot of Daniel Howell, James Lick Chief Program Officer, Workshops Coordinator

Daniel Howell
Chemistry

James Lick Chief Program Officer, Workshops Coordinator

Headshot of Sai Gautham Ravipati, Andrew Hill Deputy Program Officer, Symposium Chair

Sai Gautham Ravipati
Electrical Engineering

Andrew Hill Deputy Program Officer, Symposium Chair

Headshot of Caroline Scheuing, Mentor Recruitment Director, Student Recruitment Officer

Caroline Scheuing
Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Mentor Recruitment Director, Student Recruitment Officer

Headshot of Sai Varanasi, Deputy Financial Officer, Workshops Coordinator

Sai Varanasi
Chemical Engineering

Deputy Financial Officer, Workshops Coordinator

Headshot of Leslie Chan, Development Officer

Leslie Chan
Immunology

Development Officer

Headshot of Andre Gu, Mentor Recruitment Director

Andre Gu
Bioengineering

Mentor Recruitment Director

Headshot of Lucy Wang, Outcomes Officer

Lucy Wang
Material Science and Engineering

Outcomes Officer

Headshot of Julia Dressel, Outcomes Officer

Julia Dressel
Chemistry

Outcomes Officer

Headshot of Sarah Wu, Outcomes Officer

Sarah Wu
Psychology

Outcomes Officer

Headshot of Luke Zhao, Science Fair Coordinator

Luke Zhao
Biology

Science Fair Coordinator

Headshot of Dom Pizzarella

Dom Pizzarella
Bioengineering

Mentor

Headshot of Punya Gupta

Punya Gupta
Cancer Biology

Mentor