Alysa

Engineering

My big idea is in cardiac tissue engineering, where I am focusing on the properties of the polymer scaffolds that will drive the differentiation of induced stem cells into human heart tissue.

When I was young, I spent all of my time reading about science and technology, looking for bugs in my backyard or doing science experiments in the kitchen. I was the first person in my family to attend college, and I originally graduated with a degree in psychology. After a few years, I realized I wanted to go back to study chemical engineering.

I decided to follow my passion for research because I’m a hands-on person. A friend of mine had gone back to school for engineering and told me about her new job doing fieldwork. I felt jealous, but then I realized there was no reason I couldn’t be an engineer like her. Though I was working as IT support for Microsoft at the time, when my contract ended I decided to return to school to study chemical engineering.

I had health problems that became disabilities by the time I started class—chronic pain that made it difficult for me to concentrate, and, when I got sick, I had to stay in bed for several days. Returning to school with disabilities

was a challenge, but I’ve had so much support that my health problems haven’t held me back. I took prerequisite courses at Bellevue College, where they introduced me to AccessSTEM, a project that continued to provide encouragement and success strategies as I transferred to the University of Washington. While at University of Washington, I was involved in student leadership, did multiple research projects, and completed a year-long internship.

With the encouragement of my professors, I applied for graduate programs, and I decided to attend the University of Texas at Austin. Although it’s been difficult, I am incredibly excited about the chance to contribute to science and technology. After earning my Ph.D., I will continue working in research, possibly becoming a professor.