By Sasha Zvenigorodsky Only in its second year of operations on campus, the Women in Data Science (WiDS) chapter at Illinois is thriving. Founded in spring 2024, the organization has grown quickly into a 200-plus member student organization that is helping students across disciplines build community and confidence in their careers. “We really do welcome […]
Author: azveni2@illinois.edu
When Robots Meet Horseradish: A Ph.D. Student’s Mission Toward Sustainable Solutions for Small-Scale Farming
By Sasha Zvenigorodsky Key Takeaways Illinois may be famous for being the land of Lincoln and home of “Da Bears,” but few are familiar with one of its lesser known claims to fame, which lies underground. The commercial cultivation of horseradish in Southern Illinois took root in the 1850s, when German immigrant farmers discovered that the […]
Modeling a Better Future: How Dr. Luis Rodríguez Bridges Biosystems Research and Community Science
By Sasha Zvenigorodsky Key Takeaways Life on Mars may sound like science fiction for some, but for Dr. Luis Rodríguez, it marked the beginning stages of his career in biosystems research. He laughs, remembering his first major project after completing his PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering and Bioresource Engineering at Rutgers University: designing reliable […]