Leala Punjabi ’25 Named Outstanding Islander Graduate for the College of Science
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – From a self-described shy first-year student to a confident researcher bound for a Ph.D., the journey for Leala Punjabi ’25 at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been nothing short of transformative.
Punjabi, a member of the Honors Program, TRIO Student Support Services STEM, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, has been named the Spring 2025 Outstanding Islander Graduate for the College of Science. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology on Saturday, May 17, during the university’s largest commencement ceremony in history.
A first-generation American who grew up in Texas Hill Country, Punjabi spent her summers in Corpus Christi, an experience that sparked her passion for marine biology and set her on a path toward scientific discovery.
“From a young age, I have always been fascinated with animals, particularly marine ones,” Punjabi said. “I remember going to the Texas State Aquarium as a child and being drawn to their amazing conservation work.”
Punjabi eventually chose the Island University due to the dedicated mentorship from faculty members, hands-on research opportunities, and support for first-generation students. Her passion and education in marine animal welfare developed over her collegiate years and culminated in her senior research project. This study explored the behavioral impacts of industrial proximity on bottlenose dolphins in the Texas Coastal Bend. Her findings, shaped by fieldwork, data analysis, and collaboration within the university’s Functional Anatomy and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals Lab (FABEMM), earned her national recognition.
“I have been able to present my research at nine different conferences, from the local to national level,” Punjabi said. “At these conferences, I have had the chance to not only share my work but to represent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and our focus and drive for research and innovation.”
At the 2024 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference, Punjabi won the Outstanding Student Presentation Award. At the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel Conference, she won 3rd place in the overall poster category, and at the TAMU-CC Symposium for Student Innovation, Research, and Creative Activity, she won 2nd place in undergraduate research oral presentations.
As part of the FABEMM Lab, led by Assistant Professor of Marine Biology Dr. Dara Orbach, Punjabi gained extensive field and technical experience, from dolphin fin matching and GIS mapping to vessel operation and scientific writing.
“Dr. Orbach has contributed so much to my journey as a scientist,” Punjabi said of her mentor. “I joined her lab in my sophomore year, and throughout my time in the lab, Dr. Orbach has not only been an amazing example of a woman in a male-dominated field but has also shown me how to find confidence in myself. She pushed me throughout the process to not settle for just doing ‘good,’ but doing my best.”
Orbach said that along with being both an excellent team player and independent worker, Punjabi has also been generous with her time, helping new interns find their way in the lab.
“Leala stands out amongst peers in leadership capacity,” Orbach said. “Despite the many odds stacked against her, Leala has learned firsthand how to become resourceful, persevere through adversity, and develop foundational TAMU-CC community support to achieve academic excellence. She is wholeheartedly vested in the TAMU-CC community and epitomizes the pillars of excellence we aspire for our graduating undergraduate students.”
Punjabi’s research endeavors also opened doors to competitive internships, including one with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. She was also awarded various scholarships, including the TAMU-CC Excellence Scholarship, the TAMU-CC LSAMP Scholarship, the Ennis S. and Virginia C. Joslin Endowed Scholarship, the Dr. Howard and Beth Hoekje Conservation Scholarship, and the Honors College Scholarship.
“As both a first-generation college student and a first-generation American, college was a new experience for me and my family,” Punjabi said. “Due to the generosity of these scholarship donors and my efforts through various jobs, I will be able to graduate debt-free. This financial stability is a big part of why I am able to attend graduate school straight out of my undergraduate degree and continue to further my education. My journey with college and education would be drastically different if not for these scholarships.”
Beyond the classroom, Punjabi’s Islander years were enriched by holding various student-worker positions within Islander Housing, eventually becoming Senior Resident Assistant, where she supervised teams, developed training materials, and helped support key campus events like Islander Launch.
Punjabi is now headed to the University of California, Davis, where she has been accepted into a Ph.D. program in Animal Behavior and was awarded a Eugene Cota-Robles Fellowship. Her end goal is to influence animal welfare policy through research and advocacy.
“To be honest, the person I was when I started at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi would not recognize me as I am now,” Punjabi said. “I was a very different person. I was shy, I was undecided on my major, and I lacked self-confidence. But now, I have found a field I am passionate about, and I’m actively pursuing my academic goals. I am so proud of how I’ve grown.”
