Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Humble Hikes Program
Summer 2021 - Present
The Humble Hikes Program exposes Black youth in Southwest Virginia to outdoor activities and environmental science (learn more here). As a committee member, I organize and lead trips and educational events (e.g., hiking, camping, birding, etc.), and coordinate with community members to ensure the safety, inclusivity, and accessibility of all activities and create a supportive, culturally relevant learning environment for the students.
York's Story Expedition
Spring 2024 - Summer 2024
I partnered with Black educators and environmental stewards, and the National Park Service, to tell the story of York, an enslaved man and vital member of the Corps of Discovery. We explored the legacy and future of Black people outdoors through a canoeing expedition along the Missouri River. This project will conclude with a documentary film and interpretive materials for 150+ National Park Service partner sites. Learn more here.
Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia (MAAV) Community Engagement
Fall 2023 - Spring 2024
MAAV collaborates with community members, partner organization, and Virginia Tech to facilitate the creation of 9 new monuments amplifying untold histories and experiences in Appalachian Virginia and Eastern Siouan lands (learn more here). As the community engagement specialist, I co-planned and co-led listening sessions and outreach events with diverse communities, and contributed to project development and management.
Been Outside Book Project
Fall 2020 - Fall 2023
Dr. Shaz Zamore and I are co-editors of Been Outside, a recently published book about the experiences of Black women, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people in nature. This book is a collection of stories and poems from 22 people representing a variety of career stages and interests. Learn more here.
Black Excellence in STEM Oral History Project
Spring 2021 - Spring 2023
The goal of this project was to preserve stories from Black scientists through recorded interviews and transcripts, which are archived through Virginia Tech Libraries, as well as produce a collection of written narratives. This project is supported by the VT Center For Communicating Science and involves 6 graduate students including myself. Check out the interviews here.
Demystifying Graduate School
Fall 2021
Navigating graduate school can be very difficult if you don’t have people in your life that have been through the process before. This is a barrier for many underrepresented students. There are a lot of aspects of applying to and selecting a graduate program that you will not find on graduate program websites. In order to make graduate school more accessible, I organized a Demystifying Graduate School panel for undergraduates. We discussed a variety of topics, including how to be a competitive applicant, selecting an advisor, funding, the day-to-day life of grad students, and more. You can watch the recording here.
Girls Launch! Project
Summer 2020
Did you know that gender-based stereotypes about intelligence can appear as early as kindergarten? Girls Launch! collaborates with the Giles County School District and VT Center for Communicating Science to provide kids with female scientist role models through monthly classroom visits. However, during the pandemic, the classroom visits were no longer possible. Thanks to a grant from VT Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, 10 female graduate students, including myself, were able to create videos and activity guides for kindergarteners which were distributed to teachers and are available online. Learn more here.
New River Valley Science on Tap Celebrates Black Scientists
Summer 2020
This event was through my local Science on Tap, which hosts monthly events connecting scientists to the community. I organized and participated in a panel discussion with 4 other Black scientists affiliated with Virginia Tech. We discussed our research and experiences as Black scientists, and answered questions from the audience. Watch the event here.
Black Birders Week
Summer 2020
Alongside a large team, I helped organize and implement a weeklong international social media event to increase the visibility of Black birders and make outdoor recreation and STEM more inclusive. This event was covered by major media outlets and organizations such as, PBS, NPR, USA Today, CNN, National Geographic, Sierra Club, Backpacker Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, and more. Further, Black Birders Week inspired many other events celebrating Black scientists and nature enthusiasts (e.g., Black in Marine Science, Black in Environment, etc.). Learn more here.
Climate Justice Subcommittee
Spring 2020
As a result of students advocating to update the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment from 2009, the university decided to create a working group to re-write the outdated plan. Thanks to more advocating from students and faculty, climate justice was incorporated in the new plan, which is one of the first university climate plans to do so. I was one of 15 members on the climate justice subcommittee. Our report outlines ways the university can address and combat the economic, social, and institutional injustices against communities most affected by climate change and climate-change mitigation. Take a look at a summary of our report here (pages 15-17).