Kristen Gardner - Undergraduate Excellence
Continued from page 16
the 2018 Society for the Advancement of
Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans
in Science, SACNAS, National Diversity in
STEM conference in San Antonio, Texas. As
she describes it, “Going to this conference
was absolutely amazing and what I loved
most was being surrounded by so many di-
verse scientists. At SACNAS, I got to hear
research talks about diabetes, humming-
birds, and the synthesis of small molecule
nucleases for miniature genome editors.”
At the conference, Kristen presented the
palladium chemistry that she has been
working on in the Miller Group and received
an Outstanding Presentation award in inor-
ganic chemistry. Furthermore, she got to
network with graduate students and other
undergraduate researchers from across the US.
Kristen also attended a Graduate School and Career Expo
there, where she was able to gain information about applying,
and about student experiences in various graduate programs.
She even spoke with the president of the American Chemical
Society! But what she loved most about the conference was
“that everyone at the conference was an
advocate for diversity in STEM. We all came
from different backgrounds and cultures
and SACNAS emphasizes culture so much.
There was a Native American Pow-wow.
The first day of the conference was on Na-
tional Coming Out Day, and we celebrated
the LGBTQ community. We got to hear from
the first Hispanic woman in space.”
Kristen was truly inspired by the people she
met at the conference. She hopes to not
only become a research chemist, but also
to have an impact on future scientists and
make the importance of diversity known in
STEM.
“We were reminded that science is HUMAN and that WHO we
are affects the science that we do. That our stories matter. And
this only scratches the surface of the beauty and appreciation
of diversity in sciences. I was given an amazing opportunity to
not only witness amazing science but meet the future diverse
leaders of the STEM field.”
Miles for Wellness
This year over 60 faculty, staff, and Chemistry students participated in the State Employees Miles for Wellness challenge 18: The Trail
of Amusing Museums, as a part of the statewide Move More initiative. It was an eight week challenge that had a delayed start after
Hurricane Florence blew through the area but this did not delay the competitive spirits. This cross collaborative participation allowed
us not only to focus on our physical health but also expand our competitive spirits outside of science. Overall the teams stepped over
30 million steps or 17,000 miles. We celebrate our health and the cameraderie this endeavor brought about.
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