Meet the Program Founders
Randolph S. Faustino, PhD (Founder and Scientific Director of the STaR Program)
Randy is the CEO and Founder of med/STEM Communications, a biomedical communications firm out of which the STaR Program is based, as well as Cardionostix, a digital health company focused on improving client fitness/wellness. Academically he is appointed as an Assistant Professor within the Department of Pediatrics in the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota. He earned his doctorate in Physiology studying the effect of lipids on nuclear signaling using atherosclerosis as a disease model, after which he trained at Mayo Clinic in applications of stem cell biology and bioinformatics to better understand cardiac development and disease. Supported by funding from the American Heart Association as well as the National Institutes of Health, he has published 40+ manuscripts in the areas of cardiovascular science and disease, cardiac and stem cell biology, network biology, and bioinformatics.
His additional professional interests include scientific outreach and coaching, with a history of having mentored multiple trainees at various academic stages over his 18+ year career. His alumni include staff scientists, graduate students, undergraduates, and high school students who have gone on to matriculate at prestigious colleges and top-rate graduate, law, and medical programs across the country. Mentees from his lab have gone on to win full-ride scholarships, and successful applications for research funding from the Department of Defense.
Claudia C. Preston, MD (Co-Founder and Educational Director of the STaR Program)
Claudia is an Assistant Professor of Biology at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, MN and a physician scientist with a professional background in cardiovascular research, ovarian cancer biology, cell biology, and advanced imaging. Her academic research interests are focused on utilizing bioinformatics to understand the roles of nucleoporins in reproductive biology. Moreover, as the CEO and Founder of IntelliOmics, a company specializing in understanding big data, Claudia brings her expertise in bioinformatics, biomedical education, and STEM outreach to the mentees of the STaR Program.
As an educator, she specializes in Anatomy and Physiology, with an emphasis on applying this knowledge in a clinical setting. She has mentored over two dozen trainees to date, with post-baccalaureate mentees that have gone onto successful careers as physician assistants, clinical research assistants, and scientific researchers. Her post-secondary students have competitively applied for scholarships and research opportunities, securing full tuition scholarships and Department of Defense funding for their work.
