Hobbies and interests
Sustainability
Gardening
Coding And Computer Science
Reading
Academic
I read books daily
Krystal York
5,485
Bold Points8x
Nominee2x
FinalistKrystal York
5,485
Bold Points8x
Nominee2x
FinalistBio
I am a current Ph.D. student at Western Michigan University studying electrical engineering. I am highly motivated with a passion for research and development in sustainability and cleantech fields. I am always looking for new ways to learn and apply my knowledge to better the planet and the people living on it.
Driven by a growing interest in renewable energy, I joined the solar car team as an undergraduate student. At the time, there was only one other electrical engineer on the team, and he was graduating at the end of the semester. I challenged myself by avidly researching solar power and batteries. In my junior year, I was elected as the electrical lead, where I oversaw the designing and building of the electrical system of our 2016 car. I was subsequently elected to project manager my senior year, where in addition to leading the efforts to update the vehicle, I coordinated all volunteering activities for the team.
By the latter half of my undergraduate studies, I knew I wanted a career in research and development in energy-efficient technologies. To achieve this goal, I decided to continue my academic career by pursuing a master’s degree. I enrolled in the accelerated MSEE program my senior year to begin taking graduate-level courses that would simultaneously count towards my undergraduate and master’s degrees. I reached out to a professor who was conducting research in earth-abundant element materials for solar cells. He offered me a research opportunity through an independent study class, which continued as the basis for my master’s thesis and Ph.D. dissertation.
Education
Western Michigan University
Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)Majors:
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Western Michigan University
Master's degree programMajors:
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Western Michigan University
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Minors:
- Mathematics
Career
Dream career field:
Renewables & Environment
Dream career goals:
Researcher and Engineer
Raspberry Pi Summer Camp Instructor
Western Michigan University2018 – 2018Resident Assistant
Western Michigan University2014 – 20162 yearsTeaching Assistant
Western Michigan University2018 – 20191 yearEnergy Operations and Compliance Intern
Consumers Energy2015 – 2015Electrical Engineering Co-op
Eaton Corporation2016 – 20171 yearResearcher of Semiconducting Devices
Western Michigan University2016 – Present8 yearsProject Coordinator
Western Michigan University's Office for Sustainability2018 – Present6 yearsResearcher
Pennsylvania State University2021 – 2021
Sports
Soccer
Varsity2009 – 20134 years
Cross-Country Running
Varsity2010 – 20133 years
Awards
- States competitor
Research
Environmental Science
Office for Sustainability — Adding sensors to gather data from the composting piles. Building the composting piles. Researching about composting.2018 – PresentMedical technology
Western Michigan University — Implement sensory interfaces to better tell practicing surgeons how they are preforming at laparoscopic surgery2016 – 2017Quantum System Experiments
Western Michigan University — Conducting oil droplet experiments and analyzing data2017 – 2019Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Western Michigan University's Solar Car Team — Electrical Lead and then the Project Lead2015 – 2017Materials Sciences
Pennsylvania State University — Researching two-dimensional materials and analyzing them using various characterization techniques.2021 – 2021Materials Sciences
Western Michigan University — Researching semiconducting materials and analyzing them using various characterization techniques.2016 – Present
Arts
High school band
Music2009 – 2013
Public services
Volunteering
Alternative Winter Break – Western Michigan University — Volunteer helping animals and the environment2014 – 2014Volunteering
Tau Beta Pi — Middle schooler's educator2018 – 2018Volunteering
Western Michigan University — Eco-thon coordinator and participant2014 – 2016Volunteering
Society of Women Engineers — Treasurer and helped coordinate Rent-a-pup2014 – 2016Volunteering
Western Michigan University — Student volunteer for Relay for Life2014 – 2016
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
I believe that one of the best ways to have a substantial, positive impact on the environment is to unite with others in your community to achieve a larger goal. Because of this, I decided to join the Office for Sustainability at my university to find others that want to have a positive impact on the climate and to join impactful projects.
Not only did I join impactful projects, but I also began to feel empowered enough to lead a project myself. I found out that there were no large-scale composting efforts being done at my university. I researched how to compost and how other universities conducted their composting programs. Finally, I submitted a grant proposal that was approved and gave our project enough money to construct a composting system that is now able to divert all of the pre-consumer food waste from our two dining centers.
This proposal has benefited students on campus in several ways. Our final compost product is offered to students who can bring their own container to pick up as much as they would like. The compost is also used to grow food at the Office for Sustainability's garden. All of this food is donated to students through a free food pantry on campus. Furthermore, this composting project is used for educational purposes. We have a partnership with the biology department that has a class test our soil for nutrient content and microorganisms. We also have open volunteer hours for composting to allow students to have hands-on experience.
I continue to lead the open volunteer hours every week. I manage the collection and the processing of the food waste into nutrient-rich compost. I then help distribute the compost to community members. I do this to have a positive impact on the climate and my community.