Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship

The ground beneath my feet trembled violently as I clung to a doorframe, watching in horror as buildings crumbled around me. This was the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, a moment that would forever change my life and career path. As the dust settled and the true extent of the devastation became clear, I found my purpose: to address geotechnical challenges and build safer, more resilient infrastructure. Today, my fascination with machine learning (ML) technology stems from its transformative potential in civil engineering, especially in geotechnical applications. ML enables us to handle complex datasets, allowing for more efficient solutions to problems that were once laborious. For instance, landslide susceptibility mapping, which traditionally relied on deterministic models, can now be conducted using advanced algorithms like Random Forest and Support Vector Machines, significantly improving the accuracy of predictions. At the Geo-Infra Research Institute, I worked on a project developing a machine learning framework for slope stability prediction. We leveraged supervised learning techniques, including Decision Trees and Neural Networks, to assess the stability of slopes by integrating various geotechnical parameters such as soil properties, slope angles, and rainfall data. This work demonstrated how machine learning models could outperform traditional methods by identifying patterns and relationships in data that were previously overlooked. Currently, as a graduate research assistant at Jackson State University, I am further honing my skills in applying ML algorithms to geotechnical challenges. These techniques offer a more nuanced understanding of complex systems like soil classification, slope stability and liquefaction, helping mitigate risks from natural disasters. Machine learning has the potential to revolutionize civil engineering by offering more efficient, data-driven solutions to critical problems. By leveraging such technologies, I aim to contribute to a safer world where women in technology lead the way in tackling geotechnical and infrastructural challenges, ultimately improving communities and saving lives. As I reflect on that fateful day in Nepal, I'm inspired by how far we've come and excited about the future. The fusion of ML and geotechnical engineering isn't just a technological advancement; it's a beacon of hope for building more resilient societies. It's this potential for positive global impact that continues to drive my work, reminding me that with every line of code and every model we train, we're one step closer to a world where earthquakes like the one I experienced become less devastating.

Femtech, or female technology, is a rapidly growing field that uses technology to improve women's health and wellness. It encompasses a wide range of products, services, and tools aimed at addressing various aspects of women's health, from menstruation and fertility to sexual wellness and menopause. Femtech is so inspiring, because it empowers women with information and gives them ownership of their health. Period-tracking apps, for instance, help women understand their cycles and identify potential health issues. Traditionally, women's health concerns haven't always received the attention they deserve. Femtech is filling these gaps by developing innovative solutions for conditions specific to women's bodies. That's why I'm creating an app based on menstrual cycles that help menstruators connect to their bodies and their hormones. My app, It's Not Just a Phase, is there to help people cycle-sync to improve their lives. Whether that be through doing the correct exercises, sleeping better, eating the right foods according to their hormones, and many more ways. The ever-growing field of femtech has inspired me to keep on building my app and having a positive impact on women everywhere. Other ways femtech has made the world a better place is by also tackling taboos surrounding women's health issues, opening up conversations and normalizing experiences. With more apps and technological resources on the market, there will be more discussions and exposure on issues in female health. This can be especially helpful for sexual health or menstrual issues that impact people every day. Femtech products like tele health consultations with gynecologists or wearable health trackers make healthcare more accessible and convenient for women. Femtech is still a young field, but it holds immense promise for the future. By putting women's health at the forefront and leveraging technology, femtech can create a positive impact on millions of lives.

I am really inspired how sequencing technology has made the world a better place. Frederick Sanger developed a traditional method of sequencing in 1977 that was very accurate but very slow. The automation of Sanger Sequencing led to the impressive Human Genome Project, completed ahead of schedule. The human genome was originally thought to be only 500 human genes, but the first draft of the HGP in 2001 provided a surprising estimation that the number of human genes was lower than expected. When scientists realized that only covered 1% of the human genome, they projected it would take 100 years to complete. Using a combination of Shotgun Sequencing and Hierarchical Sequencing, scientists from all over the world contributed to the revolutionary discovery and cataloging of a "parts list" of more human genes, leading to the emergence of proteomics and transforming our understanding of evolution. I find sequencing inspiring because of my experience as a PGT-A Lab Technician [PGT-A: Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (ploidy = chromosome abundance)]. I worked at a genetic testing company at CooperGenomics once I graduated Ramapo College with a B.S. in Biochemistry in 2019. There, we received samples of biopsied embryos from embryologists whose patients had reproductive health issues. These samples would come to our lab, where we would intake and freeze them, then perform amplification in order to increase the genetic material. Once confirming successful amplification, we would use a Nextera Library Preparation kit to fragment, molecularly tag, and amplify many samples in a high-throughput nature (96 or 192 samples at a time). Samples would be further process by "cleaning" away any impurities via size-selection beads and later would be normalized via ion-selection beads. Normalization was for statistical purposes (very important) to ensure the sample amounts were equal to each other so the sequencing machine wouldn't favor reading one over the other. Finally, the samples would be denatured to become single-stranded and, altogether, pooled and fed into the NextSeq machine. The DNA would flow across a flow cell and the flow cell's lawn, coated with oligos, would collect these strands and begin bridge amplification, sequencing, and identifying nucleotides with fluorescent technology. After 14 hours, the NextSeq produces a file of reads that describe the abundance of each chromosome, thus diagnosing embryos as euploid (normal) or aneuploid (abnormal). This sequencing technology is mind-blowing and I'm learning more about it in my Master's program!

One technological advancement that has truly inspired my outlook on the upcoming future is focused on the structures of aviation. Whether it be the ability to travel to the moon, or the opportunity to fly across the world in the matter of hours, aviation has been a major driving force in my educational pursuits. To further specify, the technological advancements and productions of aircrafts that are suitable for human travel make up a type of technology that I believe will change the world for the better. While we as humans think of aircrafts solely for the need to go on vacations, or to see family in another state, there are a plethora of opportunities that these aerospace designed products have to offer. This type of technology helps with supporting medical emergencies, providing unique resources from one-of-a-kind locations, and enabling quick responses when tragedy or disasters strike. Additionally, without this technological advancement, many of us would be closed off from the opportunities to not only indulge in new experiences, but to also understand others’ perspectives. With the ability to see parts of the world we only get to imagine or see on social media, we are able to open our eyes and realize the circumstances that others live in, both the good and the bad. Putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes enables us to see the world in a whole new light and decipher ways to make parts of it better one step at a time. Every time I look up in the sky and see either a Boeing 737, or even a Cessna 172, I am inspired to do whatever it takes to help each and every person get a chance to see the world in a different light. As a type 1 diabetic who was told they couldn’t become a commercial pilot, I have made it my mission to still make a career out of the field of aviation. I plan to contribute to making the world a better place by attaining my third-class pilot’s license and a Master’s degree in aerospace engineering. I will then use my expertise towards producing fuel-efficient and cost effective aircrafts to fulfill the objective of promoting perspectives. In turn, I hope to prove how aviation can encourage those to see the world and feel compelled to make the world an even better place.

When I think of an environmentally friendly future, I think of green technology. Green technology has inspired me towards working to become an engineer. With technology such as solar panels or wind turbines, our society is able to reduce our carbon foot print and preserve the beautiful nature around us. I want to work for a future world with lush environments, fresh air, and crystal water; green technology is one way we can achieve this. Wind power is now leading renewable energy production in the European Union, and the amount of energy the category is producing is increasing every year. In fact, according to USGS, the average wind turbine in the United States generates enough energy to power 460 homes. Every year the U.S. builds approximately three thousand turbines, demonstrating the magnitude of their impact. The idea that we can move away from harmful, non-renewable energy in the future is inspiring; this potential makes me excited to enter the STEM workforce. While the genius behind the wind turbine is outstanding, the potential to improve this technology is just as inspiring. Wind turbines - although able to generate an abundance of power in little time - can have a harmful affect on the animal population. Animals especially impacted are birds of flight; affects range from loss of habitat, noise pollution, all the way to direct collision. I strongly believe there are many ways to address this issue. Because we know that wind turbines impact flying species such as birds and bats, we can study their migration patterns in attempt to build turbines outside of their average seasonal migration. This regional planning would directly help avoid loss of habitat and direct collision; however, if habitat loss is necessary for the growing drive of wind energy, we can relocate this animals to a similar environment or sanctuary. In all of these ways, innovation is the driving factor for environmental and technological change. Innovation is necessary for improvement. Innovative, green technology, in many ways, is my driving hope for the future of our Earth. Green technology is the compelling concept that lead me to the STEM field, and it is the idea that will appeal to many in the future. It is a growing industry that will economically drive science as time progresses. Our surrounding environment needs our help, and I genuinely believe green technology is the answer.

Unfortunately, I believe technology can be a double-edged sword. Though I agree that technological advances provide multiple benefits within our modern world and will reduce the stress of overpopulation, I believe we often fail to realize the impact these advances have on our future environment. While we create a smart grid to tackle our energy crisis, our data centers create an energy crisis. We create sensor networks, wearables, biometrics, RFID, etc., to monitor and collect data continuously. Though we can use the data to predict threats, medical illnesses, and integrity violations, our world is increasingly built on 5-star reviews, likes, comments, shares, re-tweets, and social media influencers. Therefore, we face increasing controversy over technological advances in predictive analytics regarding its usage for threat hunting versus profit. I am a doctoral student and recently had the third chapter of my dissertation approved by my mentor. In the upcoming quarter, I will be seeking IRB approval to carry out my research study. My research topic concerns predictive analytics for insider threat monitoring and user acceptance. Insider threat incidents are a real-world problem for businesses that predictive analytics can solve, and it is a problem that I am currently researching. The results of my study may help to make a difference for the body of scholarly knowledge and practitioners. With that said, I want to make a significant impact in my lifetime. In fact, my dissertation adviser often has to tell me to scale back and not go overboard. Though I understand I am trying to graduate and not burn out right now, I am compelled to make a large difference in the world! While I do greatly believe that technology makes a difference, I also see the impact of technology to drive the bottom line at the expense of privacy and security. For example, bionic legs are amazing for combat vets. However, do the benefits of creating WiFi-enabled bionic legs outweigh the risks of cyber-attacks? We live in a world where we are interconnecting devices rapidly and monitoring everyone. We create targeted advertising and content filters using predictive analytics. The problem is that we not only allow Americans to live in filter bubbles, but we are creating massive division and weakening our cybersecurity. I absolutely want to make the world a better place, and I think the question for me is "how?" I recently started a blog for multiple reasons, but one of those reasons was to educate people on real-world problems, including technology-related. As a doctoral student, I read hundreds of research articles. Often they are terribly boring. When the news gets a hold of a research article, it seems to have a completely different spin! I want to be a researcher and educator who can relate to others. Through blogging and educating, I want to challenge people to think critically and outside their filter bubble. I also want to get involved in local politics so that technology and cybersecurity education can be integrated into our school systems. By educating others on topics in cybersecurity and technology, I hope to make the world a better place.

From Alexas to self-driving cars, the future is defined by the technology we design. But who gets to build that future? Currently, 83% of tech executives are white — a blatant lack of diversity that limits innovation in a sector that heavily shapes our society. While I can't stop the rapid rate of technological advancement, I can build a career ensuring that the tools we design are inclusive of diverse perspectives, accessible to marginalized populations, and eliminating systemic barriers. That is why I see pursuing a Master's in interaction design at Carnegie Mellon University as a crucial next step in my career. Prior to CMU, I spent five years working for the nonprofit Boston PIC where I was the Design Specialist & Executive Team Manager. I gained experience in education policy, nonprofit management, and public-private stakeholder engagement. In my last project, I led the implementation of UX methodologies to develop and launch an online application. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Linguistics with a minor in French from Boston University. Throughout my academic and professional experience, I have realized that regardless of language, culture, or race, people all over the world are finding a way to connect. Exposure to diverse cultures inevitably develops a sense of openness and acceptance and the possibilities of a better future are limitless when a generation is armed with a global perspective — a philosophy I believe that more and more companies are starting to embody. Since attending CMU, I have been laying the foundation for a human-centered design practice that combines research, strategy, and technical skill. My coursework covers topics such as design thinking, interaction design, service design, and rapid prototyping. My projects include designing a mobile application to help individuals choose birth control and designing a service for adult learners. Additionally, I have been working with a professor to research and analyze the design of nontraditional learning experiences As a designer, I will operate on the basis of a growth mindset where failure is not a setback but an opportunity to learn and improve. This is evident in how I collaborate with my teammates. They have described my collaboration style as external processing (working through problems together on the whiteboard) and asking the right questions that allow us to move the project forward. Ambiguity does not scare me. In fact, it motivates me to find clarity in the madness and turn those insights into tangible design decisions. I am not afraid to have a perspective on design. My practice is informed by my experience growing up as a low-income immigrant and woman. One thing I do not think design is doing enough of is considering how emerging technologies will impact our society and culture. As companies start to rely heavily on machine learning, I wonder how employers will play a role in these societal shifts. I am exposing myself to emerging technologies and developing an interdisciplinary design practice at CMU, but I am eager for the chance to work with a company that values a highly collaborative and human-centered design process to address our largest social and economic problems. I see design as a vehicle for me to help shape the future in a way that looks, sounds, and feels more diverse and more equitable.