As a scientist and woman in STEM, I believe that disseminating basic science concepts andimportant research from my field is part of my job description. As a human being and member of the globalcommunity, I aim to participate in opportunities that enrich my life and that of those around me.
Current Activities
Every Dog Austin
As a lifelong animal-lover, I can't imagine my life without dogs. After training a therapy dog in high school, I fell in love with the training process and began to see the value of teaching people how to train their dogs well. When I moved to Austin with my six-month-old Lab, Moose, I sought training help and came across Every Dog. They are a non-profit dog training organization in Austin that aims to make dog training accessible to everyone - including shelter dogs!
I now volunteer as an assistant to trainers in classes, and I helped organize and set up the Grand Opening party of a new training facility. Dog training has often been exclusionary and cost-prohibitive to dog owners, so providing resources, free services, and financial aid opens up these opportunities to dog lovers and gives difficult dogs a second chance. Check out their mission here.
Past Projects
Engineers Without Borders
During my five years of undergrad, I was heavily involved with the UW's chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). EWB is a student-led national organization that works with domestic and international communities to fundraise for, design, and implement civil works projects that empower communities to meet their basic needs. From the spring of my freshman year until the end of my junior year, I started and led EWB-USA's first project in Puerto Rico. We raised $165,000 through corporate sponsorships, private donors, and material donations to design and implement a photovoltaic solar array for a shelter in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico that serves children who were removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
Following my stint as Project Manager, I became my chapter's Vice President of Project Managers, acting as a liaison between projects and the executive board, and assisting project leaders for five international projects. For my final year of undergrad, I was the President of the UW chapter, handling the coordination of our five projects, the executive board, our sponsors, our communities, the university, and EWB-USA.
Science Outreach
While I lived in Madison, WI, I worked closely with community outreach groups to mentor high school students in the local community and provide STEM learning opportunities to younger students in the area. I visited local middle schools to help robotics students learn basic coding, created and ran workshops for a monthly children’s science expo, and organized a booth for the Wisconsin Science Festival, a statewide celebration geared towards kindling interest in STEM.
Ever since graduating high school, I have worked with my former environmental science teacher to present my research in her classroom. I have met with many older students in her classes to help them brainstorm ways to join their scientific passions and their academic strengths to find degree programs that set them on track towards their career goals. In my new role at the University of Texas, I hope to find similar opportunities to work within my local community to advance science outreach and work with students during their formative years.