Published Work
I’ve always been curious about how things work, especially when it comes to people and the environment. Therefore, as my interest in sustainability grew, I started wondering: could our everyday habits really be used to measure how sustainable our lifestyles are?
That question led me down a rabbit hole of machine learning, AI, and tons of data. Although I started off by looking through publicly available datasets, I wanted to see what these patterns looked like in my own community. So, I created and sent out a questionnaire to my community to find out for myself!.
One thing I love about research is turning big, complicated ideas into something people can actually relate to. Many environmental issues can often feel distant, but they’re so much closer to home than we realize. Through my project, I hoped to make sustainability a little more tangible while learning something new along the way.
Below is the research paper I worked on with my mentor, Abdulla Kerimov, a Stanford alumni and researcher. Read more explore the methods, findings, and insights behind the project!
Community Research & Exploration
I’ve noticed that sometimes the most interesting research starts with something you walk past every day. Everyday I observe dozens of plastic spoons, cheese stick wrappers, and even lip gloss tubes trashed next to parks, in my school and on the sidewalk. So while I was exploring environmental issues in my community, I became interested in the challenges surrounding waste management and overflowing trash cans.
The opportunity to present this research at the Norman Mineta Bay Area Summer Academy was such a rewarding opportunity, since I also got the experience of learning from others passionate about creating positive change. Click the photo below to learn more!
Additional Projects
These projects, along with others, have taught me the importance of paying attention to the small things around us. Usually, the most meaningful research questions don’t begin in a lab, but instead they start with basic everyday experiences.
These experiences have led me to research a wide range of topics, both environmental and community-focused. During my internship with Mayor Raj Salwan, I had the opportunity to research Fremont’s housing crisis and present a presentation exploring its causes and potential solutions. Housing affordability continues to be a big challenge for many families, and researching this issue helped me better understand how complex these problems can really be. Developing realistic, community-level solutions have helped me think critically about these issues from the perspectives of many.
My interest in sustainability has also led me to explore innovative solutions in unexpected places. One of my favorite projects focused on the use of mycelium (a form of fungi) as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. Before starting this project, I never would have thought that fungi could play a role in creating more environmentally friendly housing. But thoroughly researching this topic opened my eyes to the creative ways science and sustainability can work together to address real-world challenges! (Scroll below to view the full research paper)
One of the most memorable parts of this experience however, was collaborating with a team of students from Afghanistan, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)! Although coordinating across different time zones was a little challenging, working with such a diverse group taught me valuable lessons about communication and teamwork.
Through each project, I’ve come to realize that creating change is often not simple, but it is almost always possible. Whether I’m researching environmental sustainability, housing accessibility, or any other issue affecting my community, I hope to continue using research as a tool for learning and advocacy!