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Rafael Luna

Executive administrator, Scientist, Mentor, & Leader in Diversity in STEM and compassionate about the career development of students, trainees & faculty

Rafael E. Luna is an accomplished executive administrator, scientist, mentor, and leader deeply passionate about fostering the career development of students and trainees.

With a strong background in academic administration within higher education, Rafael has collaborated extensively with various stakeholders including provosts, vice provosts, deans, department heads, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students.

Renowned nationally for his exceptional skills in mentoring and advising undergraduate and graduate students, Rafael also offers guidance to academic institutions across the United States, particularly in the realm of best practices for successful mentoring and advising strategies during career transitions.

His experience includes overseeing a $24 million NIH grant as the National Research Mentoring Network leader, where he managed team leadership, financial directions, and ensured compliance.

As a distinguished scientist, Rafael Luna has an impressive publication record with 24 papers and has delivered numerous presentations to scientific and administrative leaders in higher education and the senior leadership of the National Institutes of Health.

Possessing a broad national perspective on cutting-edge biomedical research across various scientific disciplines, Rafael Luna brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the field.

Rafael's educational journey includes studying at the Goethe Institute along with earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Educational Leadership and Administration from Boston College, a PhD in Molecular Virology from Louisiana State University, and studying Biology and Microbiology at Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge.

His professional affiliations encompass roles such as Associate Dean in the Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences at Boston College, Director at the Gateway Program for Scholars in STEM, Director at the Pre-Health Program at Boston College, Principal Investigator and Executive Director of the National Research Mentoring Network at Boston College, Program Director for Senior Faculty Promotions at Harvard Medical School, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, CEO of Luna Scientific Storytelling L.L.C., and a former Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School.