Lilian de Melo Barbosa

Rady School of Management at UC San Diego

“Restless dreamer with a quirky eye for detail, spreading empathy, good vibes and sense of humor.”

Hometown: Aracaju, Brazil

Fun fact about yourself:  I’m not a huge fan of chocolate unless it is “brigadeiro”, a Brazilian chocolate-flavored candy. And I have 10+ tattoos.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil) and Master of Science in Chemistry (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Scientific Police of Sao Paulo State (Government of Sao Paulo)- Senior Forensic Chemist.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Nkarta. South San Francisco, CA

Where will you be working after graduation? I am a visiting Assistant Professor teaching forensic chemists at The George Washington University.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Rady Life Science, President. Women of Rady, VP Outreach. Volunteer at HomeLab UC San Diego and Volunteer in events hosted by “Corporate Directors Forum” and “Aquillius”.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of earning the inaugural “Skill Building for the Inclusive Professional” certificate. This wasn’t just another program, it sparked vulnerable, deeply personal dialogues between students and faculty on critical diversity-related topics, from implicit bias to generational intelligence. It was about building a more inclusive community, one conversation at a time. The impact resonated so strongly that I was invited to keynote the Rady LGBTQ+ Month celebration, where I shared my perspective as a queer Brazilian woman with the broader Rady community. My most significant achievement is the ripple effect of amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering a sense of belonging. It’s how I made a tangible difference at Rady.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In my forensic chemistry career, I’m most proud of bringing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) into the procedures for identifying new psychoactive substances at the Police Forensic Lab I was working in Brazil. It was a game-changer, but initially, it was an uphill battle. Few believed in the potential of FTIR, so I became its advocate, essentially campaigning for my lab to acquire the analytical instrument via government funds. My persistence paid off, and the impact was immediate. FTIR dramatically improved the quality of our work, revolutionizing how we detected emerging threats, such as synthetic drugs, in our jurisdiction. This new technology allowed forensic chemists to produce more comprehensive forensic reports, significantly impacting enforcement laws and public health policies. The success in Campinas quickly spread throughout Sao Paulo state, leading to adoption within the entire Scientific Police. Even now, years later, that work is still making a difference. I recently heard from a colleague who confirmed its continued value, which is incredibly rewarding.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Rady because “Business is a Science” is Rady’s ethos and I knew it was the right place for someone like me: curious, entrepreneurial, and ready to build something meaningful. Rady offers engaging, industry-related courses, and being situated in San Diego’s biotech hub provides an incredible opportunity to network. Plus, Rady is one of the best schools for entrepreneurship, and I know the skills I’m gaining here will help me launch my own forensic/biotech company soon. And I feel this was absolutely the right choice.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Marta Serra-Garcia was my favorite. She did an incredible job of making complex topics like derivatives in Managerial Economics not only understandable, but actually engaging and interesting. Her passion for teaching is contagious, and she creates an environment where learning feels both challenging and rewarding. But what truly sets her apart is how she genuinely cares about her students. She takes the time to know us as individuals, making the classroom feel like a place where we belong and thrive. If I could take an entire MBA program taught by her, I’d sign up in a heartbeat.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was Digital Disruption lectured by Professor Thales Teixeira. Through his class, I gained invaluable insights into marketing and entrepreneurship, learning how to identify opportunities for disruption and how to build customer-centric business models in the digital era. The course was intense but incredibly rewarding, especially since I took it during one of my final quarters. It pushed me to apply everything I had learned throughout the program, tying together key concepts in a way that felt both practical and enlightening.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite tradition at Rady is the MBA student mixer events. These events exemplify the school’s culture of flexibility and student-led initiative—Rady not only provides autonomy but also funding support for students to organize their own mixers and social gatherings, whether within a single cohort or across different cohorts. This tradition offers a unique opportunity for students to assume leadership roles while building a strong sense of community. For example, our cohort once hosted a memorable Halloween Party at Dirty Birds, located on the UC San Diego campus. It was organized by the Rady Student Association, which brought together participants from all programs for an evening of fun and networking.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I genuinely enjoyed my MBA journey and made the most of the experience. However, if there’s one thing I would change, it would be to actively seek out and participate in MBA case competitions with my peers, both in-house and at other business schools. Engaging in these competitions would have enriched my experience by broadening my professional network and deepening my understanding of diverse business perspectives.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I haven’t come across any specific myths about Rady, though I did create an expectation of my own. I assumed that living ‘on campus’ would mean being close to the Rady School of Management, but the UC San Diego campus is so big, and the reality is quite different. The graduate housing at UC San Diego is located a 45-minute walk from the Rady School of Management. The good news is that we have free and frequent shuttle buses!

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What I love most about San Diego is that it offers the best of both worlds: a vibrant, dynamic city with the charm and warmth of a close-knit community. The breathtaking sunsets over the Pacific never get old, and Rady is very privileged to have an ocean view from so many parts of the school! Whether it’s the buzzing energy of downtown, the laid-back beach culture, or the innovative biotech and startup scene in La Jolla, there’s always something exciting happening. But beyond the beauty and opportunities, what truly stands out is the welcoming, diverse, and inspiring community that makes San Diego feel like home.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI?At Rady, GenAI is integrated into our curriculum by supplementing teaching assistants and offering personalized assessments, acting as both a ‘skill multiplier’ and ‘skill extender’. This integration helps streamline tasks and generate insights while compelling us to critically evaluate AI outputs—a key insight that enhances our analytical skills. In the ‘Leveraging AI for Urban Innovation’ course, we apply these tools to real-world urban challenges, learning to navigate AI-driven ventures’ technical, regulatory, and community aspects. Overall, my experience is that effective AI integration isn’t just about using advanced tools. It’s about enhancing my analytical capabilities, promoting critical thinking, and being prepared to lead with a nuanced understanding of technology’s role in business.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I deeply admire Jessica (Jess) Hernandez. She’s a force of nature—fearless, whip-smart, and incredibly organized. I’m particularly impressed by her finance background, which she navigates in that often male-dominated world with such confidence and skill. Beyond her professional strengths, Jess is not afraid to speak up when something isn’t right. I’m constantly cheering her on, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by someone as brilliant and inspiring as Jess.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My top two professional goals are the following: 1. Bridge the gap between science and business while creating a positive social impact. 2. Become a mentor in a program for young unprivileged girls who dream of working in STEM or business.

What made Lilian such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“If you would ask, who is an ideal MBA student? The answer would be Lilian Barbosa. Her background, her aspirations, and her character are those of a trailblazing leader.

She has a special gift to leverage her past education and experience in science with the business insights gained from the Rady MBA program, so that she is on the frontier of business and tech. Luckily for us all, her insights will surely be a force that transforms the future of our society for the better. Business and science must be partners to make everyone better off, and Lilian’s secret weapon is how well she can combine them to make an impact. She has masterfully demonstrated this skill throughout the Rady MBA program and I can’t wait to see her growth as she navigates business.

Already a savvy leader, Lilian has shown that leadership is not only based on science and business, but also character and community. Her support and encouragement of others, regardless of their background and identity, has been a driving force for her cohort and everyone who has interacted with her at Rady. Building a community that is thriving, on top of driving business innovation, is extremely challenging, but she’s done that, and more will come!”

Marta Serra-Garcia
Phyllis and Daniel Epstein Chancellor’s Endowed Faculty Fellowship, Associate Professor of Economics and Strategy

 

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