BAE grad student wins Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity and Community

BAE grad student Lauren Jabusch has been elected as a recipient of the Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity and Community for 2014-2015 in the Graduate Student category.  This award recognizes  contributions in enhancing inclusiveness and diversity within the campus community.

Jabusch is in the Biological Systems Engineering Masters and Doctorate program with a minor in Environmental Toxicology. She’s in Dr. Jean VanderGheynst’s lab. Her research emphasis is biofuels from algae, but she also explores high density agricultural systems for her doctorate work. In addition, Jabusch is also involved in the following activities:

• RESOURCE (Renewable Energy Systems Opportunity for Unified Research Collaboration and Education), a National Science Foundation Graduate K-12 program.  She teaches science with an emphasis on renewable energy to 6th graders twice a week at A.M. Winn Elementary in Sacramento.
• MESA (Math Engineering Science Achievement), a UC program that aims to expose 12-18 year olds to math, engineering, and science. She and her colleagues run the only elementary MESA program in the state as a weekly before- or after-school program. They host a math competition (January) and MESA day competition (April) with competitions that range from building water bottle rockets to student-programmed robots to making tongue depressor bridges.
• She is Chair of the board of directors for the California Student Sustainability Coalition, a non-profit organization that aims to change higher education (UC, CSU, and CCC levels) into models of holistic sustainability. The coalition is the largest student sustainability network in California and hosts two conferences a year with ~500 attendees. Through CSSC, Jabusch has taught 250 students over four years in the first student-run course at UC Davis (Education for Sustainable Living Program). Now as the Chair, she manages the staff, keeps the board in line, runs the governance committee, oversees the finances, and hosts the twice-annual retreats.
• STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) for Grrls.  Jabusch volunteered as a team lead last year and has been coordinating with Dr. Tina Jeoh and others to host a day camp for girls at UC Davis.

Chancellor Katehi will be holding a reception to honor the award recipients.  Congratulations Lauren!