🔋 Students from East Mountain High School continued their STEAMography journey by interviewing another inspiring local STEMist: Dr. Laura Merrill, an electrochemical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories.⁠
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Dr. Merrill didn’t always know what career to pursue—but her love of science, math, and chemistry led her to specialize in electrochemistry and work on improving lithium battery technology for a more energy-efficient future.⁠
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⚙️ Students honored her story with a detailed timeline, a custom-designed 3D battery model, and a logo capturing her role in energy storage and innovation.⁠
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💡 Stay tuned as we keep spotlighting the local scientists who inspire our youth—and the creative work students produce to share their journeys.

🔋 Students from East Mountain High School continued their STEAMography journey by interviewing another inspiring local STEMist: Dr. Laura Merrill, an electrochemical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories.⁠
⁠
Dr. Merrill didn’t always know what career to pursue—but her love of science, math, and chemistry led her to specialize in electrochemistry and work on improving lithium battery technology for a more energy-efficient future.⁠
⁠
⚙️ Students honored her story with a detailed timeline, a custom-designed 3D battery model, and a logo capturing her role in energy storage and innovation.⁠
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💡 Stay tuned as we keep spotlighting the local scientists who inspire our youth—and the creative work students produce to share their journeys.

This summer, X Studio is happy to hold Biotech Camp, an immersive hands-on experience that bridges students from 8th-12th with the far-reaching front of biotechnology, alongside real scientists from UNM! 🧬🧪⁠
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From DNA engineering to working with real-world applications such as crop protection, pollution cleanup, and medicine creation, these students are not only learning science; they are practicing science. Campers will learn what it means to be a biotech researcher, asking big questions and acquiring skills that foster curiosity. ⁠
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The camp will run from July 7–11 and again from July 28–August 1.⁠⁠ Use the link in our bio to register!
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🤝Thanks to the partnership between Lakin Labs at UNM and their generous funding support, we are able to showcase this opportunity for youth in our community who want to explore STEM in an exciting and authentic way. ⁠

🎓 Students from East Mountain High School recently took part in Explora’s STEAMography project—an annual experience where teens interview local STEM professionals, then create biographical story cards, historical timelines, and 3D visualizations to share their journeys.⁠
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👩‍🔬 First up: Dr. Jessica Martin—an ecologist working with Albuquerque’s Urban Biology Division to monitor mosquito populations and protect public health.⁠
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From studying biology and ecology to earning a PhD at Stanford and researching disease spread, Dr. Martin’s path shows how science can shape safer communities. Students captured her story through original art, models, and historical research.⁠
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✨ Stay tuned as we share more student-created STEAMographies throughout the weekend!