I enjoy teaching and making terrible jokes, but mostly I want to be a visible role model for young girls (and boys) who are interested in science and engineering. That’s the ultimate goal — inspire the next generation of diverse engineers and pave the way for them to succeed.
CORE Science Institute
In 2016, the Committee for Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (CORE) at SLAC National Lab founded a weeklong summer science camp, with the goal of increasing exposure to science and engineering fields amongst historically underrepresented groups. The program is supported by funding from SLAC as well as dedicated fundraising events, and run completely by volunteers. The first two years brought high school students to the lab, and when I took over as director in 2018 we pivoted to hosting middle school students. The camp went virtual in 2020 and in 2021 due to the pandemic, but we were able to welcome students back to SLAC for the summer 2022 program.
Science in the City
In 2020 amidst the global crisis, the CORE Science Institute partnered with Science in the City and The Social Engineering Project to run the science camp virtually, allowing us to expand the program to include students from all over the country. Building on that success, a similar virtual program was run in 2021.
Robogals
In 2012, I was a founding member of the Caltech chapter of the Robogals club in college, running robotics and engineering workshops for young girls (and boys) in our community. On a volunteer basis, I also taught a yearlong robotics course for 3rd-5th grade girls at a local elementary school for a few years in a row (until I graduated).
Margaux Lopez 