Laura Kubiatko (she/her/hers)

As an engineer, my job is to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical – taking equations of math and science and applying them to real-world solutions. Ever since I was young, I’ve been drawn to this intersectional approach to problem-solving, often guided by combinations of math, science, art, and advocacy. In high school, I began volunteering with a community environmental organization, Orange County Environmental Justice, where I was first exposed to environmental engineering and learned how science can serve others and benefit the community. 

In one of their projects, through collaboration with a UC Irvine lab, they investigated historic lead pollution and advocated successfully for a community-wide remediation program. Hearing about this project exposed me to a blend of academia, civic engagement, and community collaboration that could enact positive change and inspired me to explore this intersection throughout my education. It is along this pathway that I have and hope to continue to grow as a scientist, mentor, advocate, and community member.

I am currently a PhD candidate in Stanford’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department in Professor Alexandria Boehm’s lab. My research centers on marine environmental DNA (eDNA), the genetic material shed by organisms into the ocean. Currently, I am collaborating with an incredible postdoc in my lab, Meghan Shea, and a community partner, Sunflower Star Laboratory (SSL), supporting their mission to restore critically endangered sunflower stars. We hope to use eDNA as an indirect biomonitoring tool for these stars: giving insight into detecting remaining populations and tracking species reintroduction in an ocean environment. These stars are one of the largest and heaviest known species of sea star in the world. Not only are they physically massive, but they also can play a large role in the health of California kelp forests. Shortly following a marine heat wave in 2013, many sunflower star populations were wiped out by an outbreak of the devastating sea star wasting disease, resulting in a trophic cascade and collapse of many of California’s kelp forest ecosystems. We hope that our advancement of eDNA tools can help organizations like SSL in rebuilding this critical ecosystem and support other initiatives to monitor and improve our coastal communities.

In my time at Stanford, one of my favorite experiences in the doctoral program has been my opportunities to be a teaching assistant. This past year, I’ve TAed two classes, both with Professor Alexandria Boehm: Environmental Health Microbiology Lab and California Coast: Science Policy, and Law, an interdisciplinary course (also co-taught by Professor Deborah Sivas) for students across the engineering and law schools. This class was such a unique experience, as it focused on management of California’s coastal resources from economic, political, and technical angles. As part of this course, I helped organize a field trip to Monterey so the students could participate in an ocean water quality sampling and microplastic monitoring campaign. Having scientific experience isn’t a prerequisite for this class, so it was very rewarding to show students from non-STEM backgrounds the impact and reality of science in shaping policy. 

I have been so grateful to be selected as one of the recipients of Stanford’s Centennial Teaching Assistant Award this year. Teaching is an activity that has truly brought me so much joy and also taught me so much about myself, both as a student and educator. My approach to teaching has always been about meeting students where they are. I’ve learned how different students respond to different forms of instruction; where one student may appreciate a long written paragraph explanation, another student might prefer a diagram or illustration to explain the same concept. This diversity in learning styles is something I’ve prided myself on trying to incorporate into my teaching, commonly sketching diagrams on my iPad to send to students.

Alongside my involvement in the classroom, I like to stay balanced with various extracurricular organizations. Within the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a national organization focusing on uplifting women in engineering fields, this year I was the public policy affinity group co-lead and am currently serving on the national DEI Advisory Council to support students and sections impacted by institutional and legislative changes. In SWE, I’ve helped organize interviews with congresspeople who leverage their engineering or STEM backgrounds in policymaking, and I’ve developed multiple sessions for SWE conferences centered around civic engagement and science policy. 

Being a part of the Stanford engineering community has been such a rewarding experience. I love how strong the collaborative spirit is. Conversations with faculty, fellow students, and community members have all driven and inspired my research journey. I’m so thankful to my professors, mentors, and fellow researchers for all their support, and I’m very excited to continue to pay it forward!