Despite adversity, I have consistently pursued research opportunities, assumed leadership roles, and advocated for women in STEM in the Astronomy department at Steward Observatory throughout my entire undergraduate career. Since my Freshman year, I have worked as the Chief Telescope Operator at Steward, where I am responsible for overseeing nightly operations of the 21” and 16” campus telescopes, and managing a team of 12 operators, largely other undergraduate students. I took this opportunity to interact with the public, including young children, and serve as a female scientist role model. Starting my sophomore year, I have been working on multiple research projects, involving both instrumentation and data analysis, to study the interstellar …show more content…
The trend of being the only woman in the room has appeared many times throughout my research experience. As a woman in STEM, I am striving to change that culture in several ways. I am a student leader for the Tucson Initiative for Minority Engagement in Science and TEchnology Program (TIMESTEP), an effort to help undergraduates learn professional development skills, succeed in academia, and combat persistent stereotypes in the STEM field. In this capacity, I have lead discussions about my own experiences navigating my degree. I have proactively sought out role models to learn more about the challenges women in STEM face by attending many conferences and workshops as an undergraduate. I have participated in the American Physical Society’s CuWiP, the American Astronomical Society conference (for the past 3 years), UA Women in Physics and Women in Optics, and Tucson Women in Astronomy. I have taken an active leadership role in our undergraduate Astronomy Club as a member, Outreach Coordinator, and President. I have expanded the Astronomy Club’s outreach programs to include a larger presence in the community. I partnered with local elementary schools to support their STEM nights by providing telescopes, creating activities aimed at teaching kids about planetary science, astrophysics, and math, and giving them strong female role models in our undergraduate members. I also established resources for more junior undergraduates to be successful in their academic paths, including organizing a regular tutoring program for upper-division astrophysics classes, not offered through university tutoring services. Through these opportunities, I discovered my passion for scientific engagement and social justice in the astronomical community, and I hope to bring to this bridge