MJ Taylor

My role involved the following main responsibilities: Managing, hiring, and advising 140+ PhD students throughout their graduate careers; liaising between the Chemistry Department and other offices across multiple campuses; collecting, managing, and analyzing large amounts of student data using advanced spreadsheets; budgeting creatively to host events and build community despite cost-reduction measures; and working with faculty, staff, and students to implement new student labor union policies.

During this co-op, I collaborated with a small team of fellow student researchers, external stakeholders, and faculty at Boston University to create a three-tiered intervention strategy designed to reduce land use conflicts and elevate female indigenous voices in the Garo Hills, Meghalaya, India. Leveraging interdisciplinary skills in policy analysis, economics, and environmental science, my team and I addressed competing concerns from Garo Hills residents, non-profits, and the local government.

Working with the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, I researched environmental and technological news and policies in Shanghai in real time, translating articles from Chinese into bite-sized English newsletter blurbs. These newsletters contained pertinent information on ESTH topics like air pollution, urban agriculture strategies, and the opening of a major science and technology innovation hub, each of which have scientific and geopolitical implications.

At the Nanotechnology Innovation Center, I oversaw the following: Managed dozens of doctoral fellows pursuing nanoscience and biomaterials research; reported timely, insightful programming data for the NIH and BU Provost for Research; reconnected with outreach partners after COVID-19 to connect Fellows with STEM tutoring opportunities; overhauled online presence and communications to grow influence and attract nano faculty; and spearheaded a major website overhaul and managed content as Lead Editor.

As temporary MET International staff, I oversaw the following: Processed international admissions documentation; updated sensitive international agreements and conducted research for institutional partners; advised the international undergraduate student cohort; overhauled content and code for the department website; calculated expense reports for international business trips; organized campus events for hundreds of students; and streamlined resources for incoming students and internal operations.

As an Energy Fellow, I collaborated with two other interns to analyze the role of greenhouse gas emissions from utility providers in municipal sustainability planning. In a 35+ page paper, we discussed the importance of the availability of this data, the difficulties we faced while trying to obtain accurate data for Lexington, MA, and leveraged three case studies to support our argument.

My student team and I created an interactive website in response to the tree canopy disparities in Boston, MA, USA, which were caused by historical discrimination practices and can have significant consequences for public health. The website expanded the project's scope to Eastern Massachusetts, including information on how residents can obtain free or low-cost trees in every municipality, thus reducing the economic barrier between locals and a functional urban canopy.

Specialization in Environmental Policy and Graduate Certificate in Asian Studies

Specializations in National Security & Foreign Policy and Asia