K R I S T A. L. R. H A R D I E ’01

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication MOSAIC in May, 1999.

CAPTIVATED BY THE WORLD OF SCIENCE

Ever since she was six and used household ingredients to create a chemical reaction that transformed ordinary charcoal into beautiful blue crystals, Krista L.R. Hardie ’01 has been captivated by science. As she progressed through grade school, the prospect of entering the annual science fair every year thrilled her. By the time she turned 11, the Hartford native was learning advanced math and conducting weather-related experiments as a participant in the Aetna Saturday Academy, a weekend academic camp for Hartford students.

At Trinity, Hardie has continued her scientific exploration as an engineering major. She was introduced to the discipline as a high school junior at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford. There she became involved with the United Technologies/Trinity College Engineering Initiative (UTCEI), a joint initiative of Hartford-based United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and Trinity aimed at attracting increasing numbers of women and students of color to the fields of science and engineering. Through UTCEI, Hardie worked with other Hartford-area high school students, Trinity students and faculty, and engineering professionals from UTC. She learned different computer languages, and, among other things, helped to design the first Web page for the program.

Now, as a sophomore at Trinity, Hardie has been active in UTCEI as a team co-leader for an "interest group" whose work focuses on fiber optics and materials, an area of science that she describes as "cutting edge for computer communication." Trinity Assistant Professor of Engineering and UTCEI Program Director Christine C. Broadbridge says, "When I first met Krista when she was a senior in high school, I was impressed with her level of maturity and focus. Krista is a very motivated and determined individual who works diligently to achieve her goals. UTCEI gave her a good taste of college and an introduction to Trinity, where she now is the ultimate UTCEI team participant, playing the role of leader, research specialist, and mentor. She epitomizes what UTCEI seeks to accomplish. She intensified her interest in science through the program, further developed that interest while being exposed to career opportunities in the field, and is now sharing her experience with younger students." Of this experience Hardie simply says, "UTCEI was one of the stepping stones that opened my eyes to the world of science."

Another of those stepping stones has been INROADS, a highly competitive, international, non-profit, educational program that prepares talented minority youth for leadership positions in business and industry. As an INROADS intern, Hardie was paired in 1997 with the Windsor Locks-based Hamilton Standard, a division of UTC, where she has interned and will continue to work and be exposed to different aspects of the business until the summer of 2001. Active in the program throughout the school year and during the summer, she has incorporated what she has learned there into her curriculum for class credit. "With my internship, I’ve gained a good sense of the scope of what’s out there in the real world, which will help me decide and what I want to do in the future," Hardie says.

Hardie has found many benefits to studying engineering in a liberal arts setting. Taking courses in disciplines other than engineering has required her to "read books, write papers, and learn how to think, reason, and debate." By taking courses in other disciplines, she says, she has been able to develop her powers of self-expression – a skill that she believes is often lacking in people who’ve been educated in technical environments. "At Trinity, there are opportunities for independent studies where students can do research and study topics that are of real interest to them," she says. Equally important, Hardie notes, is the emphasis Trinity places on teamwork, especially in the lab. "You can’t buy teamwork skills," she observes. They’re really valuable."

African studies

In addition to her interest in science, Hardie is exploring her cultural heritage through a minor in African-American studies and has become an active member in several campus organizations that promote diversity, including Imani, the black student union, and La Voz Latina, an organization that seeks to increase awareness of Latin American culture, politics, and social issues. In addition, she is the treasurer and community service chair for the Trinity College Black Women’s Organization. And she has pursued a longtime interest in dance by exploring African dance in a course taught by Visiting Lecturer in Theater and Dance Abdoulaye Sylla.

Perhaps because Hardie has received the help and support of several different organizations in her own scientific endeavors, she believes in supporting the efforts and dreams of others. Indicative of that is her involvement in P.R.I.D.E. (Promoting Respect in Diversity for Education), a yearlong Trinity program in which upper class students serve as mentors and role models for multicultural students. President of Trinity’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, she is also helping to tutor students enrolled in the Aetna Saturday Academy.

Only halfway through her college experience, Hardie still has considerable time in which to add to her scientific knowledge. Odds are good that whatever new discoveries she makes, she will share that knowledge with other high school students involved in UTCEI and easily convince them of the wonders that await them in the scientific world.

-Linda S. Pacylowski ‘99