BDC 2024 Kick-Off: Alumni Voices Live Q&A

Join us for an exciting online event where you can hear from our esteemed alumni as they share their experiences and insights. This event will give 2024 students the opportunity to ask questions and get an idea of what to expect from participating in Biodesign Challenge from some of our wonderful alumni who have gone through the program, as well as learn about the different pathways alumni have taken post-BDC.

Alumni Voices Live Panelists

Karishma Dotia (SAIC - BDC 2018)

Karishma Dotia is a designer and researcher passionate about working in the social impact space. Currently, she is working as a Design Consultant at Final Mile Consulting in India, where she uses human-centered design approach and a behavioral science lens to tackle some of the most complex problems in the public health space. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) with a Bachelors in Fine Arts where she studied an interdisciplinary curriculum in Art, Design, and Technology. During her time at SAIC, Karishma represented her university at the BioDesign Challenge summit in 2018 with her project ‘Wee Grow’, a systems design in agricultural and environmental domains, and qualified as one of the top 8 finalists. Post her graduation from SAIC, she worked with Gramhal, an agri-tech start up, where she led the design and research practices to develop interventions that could empower farmers in India with tech and data. This experience fueled her passion for designing collaboratively with the users, for them.

Outside of her work, she enjoys practicing pottery, traveling, yoga, and teaching design courses to undergraduate students as a visiting faculty at the Indian School of Design & Innovation (ISDI) Mumbai.

Cuauhtemoc Martinez Marquez (Nest Makerspace - BDC 2020)

Cuauhtemoc Martinez is a first year at UC Davis, studying political science, design, and climate policy, with an unwavering commitment to combating the climate crisis and advancing human rights in developing countries through the fashion sector. Before Davis, Cuauhtemoc worked on several research projects based on sustainable textiles, drought as a stressor, and collective field work. Over time, this work of sustainable research led to a combination of fashion, climate, and human rights. Cuauhtemoc hopes to transform the fashion industry through investigative international environmental law, pushing fashion towards ethicality.

Oscar Schrag (Parsons - BDC 2022)

Oscar Schrag is a research and data-driven designer focused on healthcare products, medical devices, and sustainable/biomaterials. Their work centers on identifying real user needs to create functional and beautiful products. A recent graduate from the Industrial Design (MFA) at The Parsons School of Design they are currently a 3D Printing Engineer at Dopl.

Sabrina Tian (Keio University - BDC 2023)

Sabrina is a designer and researcher currently pursuing an MA/MSc in Global Innovation Design at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. With a background in cognitive science, digital design, and biodesign, her work explores the intricacies of culture amongst microorganisms, human societies, and ecosystems. She aims to create meaningful, sustainable interactions that go beyond boundaries, transforming our understanding of ourselves, each other, and our environment.

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