When Taylor Howell began her education as a chemical engineer, she expected to equip herself with the background in mathematics, chemistry, and biology that would enable her to synthesize better materials for the earth. During her years at Georgia Tech, she balanced that development of a technical discipline with fostering a servant curiosity. Thus, she has realized her initial expectations, having become familiar with biorefining technologies, organic synthesis techniques, and principles of polymer science, while also engendering an informed imagination for how to make meaningful contributions to her community. Essentially, Taylor uses her scientific aptitude to address sociological inquiries, and to date, her most prominent questions centralize educational equity.
In volunteering at her elementary school alma mater as well as through her Robogals chapter on campus, Taylor has witnessed firsthand the challenges facing aspiring young students in STEM. The most troubling of these challenges is the blatant disparity in accessibility to enrichment opportunities dependent only upon the zip codes in which these students live. Her collegiate research projects have included analyzing the experiences of African American women in engineering education and most recently, exploring education as a human right in New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. Taylor hopes that through sharing her findings, she can augment her own perspective and ultimately offer solutions that will produce discernible results toward achieving educational enrichment as a standard.
Despite the dire circumstances surrounding the world as it is, Taylor maintains a phlegmatic attitude toward making changes to suit the world as it should be. Driven by a mission rather than an industry, she plans to work full-time for several years focused on designing and implementing sustainable systems. After gaining this industrial experience, she plans to return to graduate school with the goal of fortifying her knowledge about how to holistically ameliorate underserved communities. Beyond a higher degree, she will continue her role as an active member in her community, advocating for the best interest of students.
