Jesse Gomez, assistant professor of Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI), joined the faculty in 2020. He specializes in human cognitive neuroscience and brain development.

Since Gomez began teaching “Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience” and redesigned the curriculum in 2021, its enrollment has nearly doubled, and about 15% of all Princeton students now take the course.

“Jesse’s creative lectures and discussions were incredibly well received amongst the undergraduates, so much so that we have seen a sizeable spike in the number of undergraduate concentrators in neuroscience,” said a colleague. “Jesse has played an instrumental role in engaging not only with the undergraduate population, but also helping to foster a more inclusive and dynamic training environment for our graduate students.”

A mentee said Gomez “is a model of inclusive leadership, compassionate teaching and joy for the sciences.” He regularly recruits students through Princeton’s ReMatch program and PNI’s summer internship program as part of his mission to train first-generation students from underrepresented backgrounds and ensure their continued success in STEM.

Gomez has also worked with graduate students to ensure that their training is equitable, having helped to establish a student group for first-generation and underrepresented students to address obstacles experienced uniquely by these students.

A colleague said Gomez represents the institute’s highest standards and “encapsulates the best of what we hope for in our teachers: excellence in the classroom, combined with excellence in advising and mentoring individual students.”

Commencement citation: To be regarded as a cherished Princeton instructor within a few years of joining the faculty is a remarkable enough accomplishment, made more so in the case of Jesse Gomez, because he arrived at the University just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Students who had dispersed to learn remotely were soon captivated by “Dendrites & Dragons,” an interactive learning element that Professor Gomez designed as part of his curriculum for the rigorous “Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience.” His reputation as a dynamic educator took hold. Enrollment in the course has nearly doubled, to 250 students, since Professor Gomez began teaching it, and he has become a coveted adviser and mentor. His laboratory has already published a landmark journal paper. “In short,” said an admiring colleague, “Professor Jesse Gomez encapsulates the best of what we hope for in our teachers.”