Sandra Vega-Semorile

Sandra works as an Educational Content Specialist in Science with PEOPLE (Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence) since 2014. Her primary responsibility is to support students academically and inspire, expand and ensure our students access to STEM programs & UW facilities, as well as create STEM career exploration and experiential learning opportunities. She develops academic enrichment activities considering our students’ different learning styles as well as making sure of its cultural relevance. Her hands-on workshops, focus tours, panels and speakers include several STEM schools and departments at UW and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.  

Sandra is originally from Lima, Peru. She earned her Licentiate in Biology at the Universidad Nacional Agraria-La Molina. She worked at the International Potato Center as a Research Assistant before coming to UW-Madison for graduate school. After obtaining her Masters of Science and Ph.D. in Plant Breeding & Genetics and Horticulture, she worked at the UW Horticulture Department as a Scientist for 22 years.  

While in graduate school, she was also an afterschool Spanish teacher for the Metropolitan Madison School District. She remains a regular invited speaker, sharing her heritage and research expertise with students. In addition to Spanish, she has knowledge of German and Italian. She enjoys cooking both Peruvian and Italian food. She loves her adoptive city of Madison where she raised her two kids who are now UW graduates too. She visits family in Peru and spends as much time as she can by the ocean whenever she is able.