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The Caltech Y welcomes 12 new Board members for the 2023-2026 term. “The Caltech Y is honored these talented, dedicated campus and area leaders will join us as we enhance the important services and programs we offer the Caltech students and community. Eight of our new Board members are Caltech students. All Caltech Y programs and services are student-driven and led and we are proud that students have many seats at our Board table,” according to Caltech Y Board Chair Cynthia Bengtson. From left to right: Mitch Aiken, Nicholas von Gersdorff, Ann Motrunich, Cindy Bengtson, Athena Castro, Leslie Maxfield, Nate Thomas, Catherine Ko Caltech Y Executive Director Athena Castro added “The depth of knowledge about the Caltech student experience as well as expertise in professional areas of science, communications, and leadership makes this non-profit Board uniquely qualified and we are privileged to bring on these new Board members to further our competencies.” Joining the Board this year are: Mitch Aiken, Associate Director for Educational Outreach, Caltech CTLO Leslie Maxfield, Director, Academic Media Technologies and Communications, Caltech. Ann Motrunich, Lead Writer, Advancement Communications and Community Relations, Caltech Nate Thomas, PhD, Caltech alum and Senior Modeling and Simulation Engineer, Radiant Sulekha Kishore, Caltech Class of 2025 Maddy (Madeline) Christensen, Caltech Class of 2025 Catherine Ko, Caltech Class of 2024 Manisha Kapasiawala, Caltech PhD candidate in Bioengineering Joseph Kim, Caltech Class of 2024 Rupa Kurinchi-Vendhan, Caltech Class of 2024 Jimmy Regan, PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering Luke Zhou, Caltech Class of 2025 Pasadena Now article here: https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/caltech-y-welcomes-new-board-members

Tuesday, April 24th through Saturday, April 29th Coordinated by Caltech International Student Programs (ISP) and the Caltech Y, along with members of the international community at Caltech, World Fest is a celebration of the cultural diversity and experiences in our campus community, featuring daily lunch talks, the "not to be missed" Food Fair and the new Multicultural Fashion Show. International Food Fair Tuesday | April 25th | 4-5:30 PM | Moore Walk and Avery Courtyard For just $5 enjoy a taste of the world! Foods representing over 20 different countries and regions provided by Caltech student clubs, staff and community volunteers will be on hand for you to sample and enjoy. And while you eat you can also partake in performances and talents of other in the international community as well. Come learn about and appreciate some of the amazing international diversity present here at Caltech. In an effort to reduce waste, guests are encouraged to bring reusable plates and water bottles but paper products will be available for those who need. Enter on Moore Walk from Holliston Avenue or just east of Bechtel Residence. Beyond a Vacation: The Past and Present Caribbean Wednesday | April 26th | 12-1 PM | Hameetman Multipurpose Room Lunch Provided | RSVP Requested Beneath images of turquoise beaches and serene getaways, the modern Caribbean hides a complex mixture of colonialist histories and modern progress. As the region seeks to assert its place in the contemporary economy, it is also working to adapt to global interconnectedness, newfound freedom, climate change, economic realignment, diaspora and other challenges. Join Caltech Graduate Student Jordan Benjamin as he recounts his journey across the Caribbean to learn a little bit about his own history and life in the islands today. Malaysia Revealed Thursday | April 27th | 12-1 PM | Hameetman Multipurpose Room Lunch Provided | RSVP Requested Known for its beaches, rainforests, and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European cultural influences, come explore the rich culture, foods, and geography of Malaysia as shared by graduate students Yu Yu Phua and Tony Yap, and undergraduate Sarah Liaw. ASCIT Multicultural Fashion Show Saturday | April 29th | 4:30-7 PM | Beckman Lawn ASCIT is looking for students to showcase their culture by modeling or performing (dance, instruments, singing, etc.) during the Multicultural Fashion Show. Email snigdha@caltech.edu, krajagop@caltech.edu or rding@caltech.edu to indicate interest or ask questions. Contact caltechy@caltech.edu or isp@caltech.edu if you have questions.

Read the Winter Edition of our Newsletter Here.

At its largest event in seven years, the Caltech Y welcomed JPL director and Caltech alumna Laurie Leshin to the Friends Dinner on February 28 at the Athenaeum. The quarterly event offers Caltech Y donors the opportunity to meet student members and learn from some of the top minds in science and engineering. At the dinner, Leshin shared some of JPL’s upcoming missions, which seek to reveal new knowledge about our planet, our galaxy, and the universe. Within the next few years, JPL plans to send spacecraft to Mars to retrieve samples and bring them back to Earth. The lab also plans to conduct a survey of the sky that will study more than 300 million galaxies and launch a new satellite to observe extreme natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides. “Dr. Leshin is so accomplished, yet genuine,” said attendee David Martinez, senior relationship manager at TIAA. “I really felt her passion for space!” As the first woman appointed to lead JPL, Leshin also discussed her career and acknowledged the mentors who supported her. Leshin’s ability to trailblaze in the lab and in the executive office serves as an example for Caltech students and complements the mission of the Caltech Y. “For many of Caltech students, it is not a question of whether they will take on the mantle of leadership, but in what ways and what type of leader will they be,” said Athena Castro, Caltech Y executive director. “The Caltech Y at its core is about providing opportunities for students to develop and practice those leadership skills, to gain perspective that will allow them to be the very best leader they can be, to develop a moral and ethical compass, to influence change, and to make a positive difference in the world.” Over the years, Albert Kyi, a Caltech senior and president of the Caltech Y student executive committee, has seen his fellow students take the lead to organize trips, book speakers, and find new ways to give back to their community. “While our amazing staff play an important role in helping us get events done, it is the students who ultimately shape and drive the Caltech Y,” Kyi said. “As a result, the events and programs we put on help target needs that we the students see in our community.” Several organizations generously supported the event through table sponsorships, including The Aerospace Corporation, Honeybee Robotics, the Keck Institute for Space Studies, Mandala Space Ventures, and OffWorld, Inc. Valet parking was underwritten by Enterprise Financial Holdings. To see more photos from the Caltech Y Winter Friends Dinner with Dr. Laurie Leshin, visit our Flickr Album. The Friends of the Caltech Y are our primary supporters. It is through the generous contributions of our Friends that the Y is able to continue its long-lasting mission of reaching out to the Caltech community with fresh ideas, student programming, and active community service. Friends dinners are unique evenings where the Caltech and Pasadena communities come together to engage with world-renowned scientific, humanitarian, and civic leaders. We invite you to contribute to the success of Caltech Y programs and become a Friend. Please visit our donation page at www.donate.caltechy.org

Every January, the Caltech Y organizes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Week in partnership with the Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CCID) to celebrate his life, explore current events through the lens of his legacy, and follow his example in service to our community. The week is always of special significance as we reflect on Dr. King’s campus visit in 1958 as a part of the Caltech Y Leaders of America Series. The Caltech Y organized community service projects to kick off and close out MLK Week through the Union Station Homeless Services Adopt-A-Meal Program at our local shelter. The Union Station Adult Center provides shelter, meals, and supportive services to over 150 people each year. Our student leaders picked the menu, shopped for food, and guided other students in the Union Station kitchen, where they prepared the meals and served them to residents. It was a fitting way of starting and ending the week by putting Dr. King’s example into action. To draw attention to some of Dr. King’s lesser-known speeches, information and materials were provided at CCID for a group bookmark-making session. Copies of speeches and quotes were displayed around the room, and craft supplies and samples were on hand to allow students to embrace their creative side while learning about the breadth of Dr. King’s wisdom. Students gathered in small groups on one of three available craft shifts. It was a fun and relaxing learning opportunity for all involved. The featured speaker, Heather Malveaux, delivered the keynote entitled “The Justice of STEM: A Critical Conversation on the Intersections of Social Justice and STEM” over Zoom Wednesday, January 18th. Malveaux, Campaign Manager at the African American Policy Forum, is a passionate racial justice advocate and educator. She uses her combined expertise in public health, public service, and legal studies to educate on racial and ethnic health disparities, the political and social standing of Black women in the United States, the Black Lives Matter movement, critical race theory, intersectional feminism, and antiracism. With over eight years of experience as a facilitator of interracial conversations about race, racism, and privilege in a collegiate setting, as well developing diversity, equity, and inclusion training, she had much to share with the eager audience. Once again, MLK Commemoration Week was an important opportunity for the Caltech Y to impact campus life and promote engaged citizenship.

The Rise Program started 2023 with great momentum, thanks to the generous support of the Medtronic Foundation. The two-year grant from the Foundation has allowed the Rise Program to expand its reach and impact, providing students from elementary to college levels with access to crucial STEM education opportunities. The partnership with the Medtronic Foundation has enabled the Rise Program to offer a wider range of programs, including summer programming for elementary school students, online tutoring for college students, and scholarships for higher education. In addition, the funding has improved data collection processes, allowing for a deeper understanding of the program's impact. Hispanic Heritage Month Rise Program Celebrations So far, the Rise Program has enrolled 93 students and 134 tutors and offered free mental health counseling to every participant. The program has also celebrated cultural heritage events, attended a talk by a popular YouTuber and former JPL Engineer, Mark Rober, and revived the Y-Tutor Program to offer online tutoring to college students. The Rise Program has established strong partnerships with community organizations, including Flintridge Center’s Youth of Promise Program, PUSD’s African American Parent Council, College Access Plan (CAP), STEAM:Coders, and STEMulate Learning. These partnerships have enriched the program offerings and strengthened support for students. Between September 2022 and February 2023, the Rise Program provided over 1200 hours of math and science tutoring and mentoring, which has doubled the confidence of students in their math ability (31% to 59%). Rise Students Attended YouTuber and Former JPL Engineer Mark Rober's Talk The Rise Program is dedicated to breaking down barriers to STEM education and empowering students from diverse backgrounds. The program's focus on building strong relationships, improving academic preparedness, and modeling success in STEM has an invaluable impact on students' lives. The Rise Program is grateful for the amazing tutors, students, and donors who make it all possible.

This past summer, thanks to the Caltech Y Studenski Award, I had the opportunity to travel to New York and spend a month studying sewing and garment construction at the Parsons School of Design. The course I took at Parsons was their Sewing and Construction Summer Intensive. The goal of the course was to teach students how to make garments from scratch. Starting with dress forms, one of the first things I got to work on was draping. This was a technique I had attempted and failed at a couple of times before that class, but under Professor Rodriguez’s guidance, I was able to finally make the pattern for a top just by draping fabric on a dress form, pinning and marking it in the correct places, and transferring all those markings onto paper. It was very labor-intensive and took a couple days to get the hang of, but I now have a skill that I will continue to use to make garments. My initial drape on a dress form with markings to indicate what I will transfer to paper. During this time, we also compared the process of draping to drafting. Drafting means you make a pattern directly with paper based only on measurements and known angles of how the body moves. The process is more difficult than draping, but when trying to make a garment for a body that is proportionately different from a dress form, it can sometimes be the only option. After drafting, we moved on to pattern manipulation. In pattern manipulation, you take patterns that you have made by draping or drafting and you alter them to change the style or to make them fit differently. After we understood the basics, we moved on to the final project, where we each got to make our own outfits. In doing this, I got the opportunity to tailor my experience in the class to my personal learning goals. I really like fabric manipulation, so I focused my project on that. I spent about a week making a dress with hand sewn cartridge pleats. I also made a bodysuit from fabric I altered in a process called Shibori, where you tie fabric in your desired pattern, then you boil the fabric, forcing it to hold the shape of your tied pattern. Laying out and cutting the pattern for my bodysuit. Working on this project was incredibly difficult and time-consuming, but I think that this is what made this experience something more than just a class. I formed friendships with my classmates, and I value those relationships immensely. The creative community that we formed pushed me to feel more confident, and it allowed me to have a fun creative outlet. I gained a lot of knowledge from the class, but more importantly, I gained joy from the people I was in the class with. When we were all finally done with our projects, we had an open studio session where people from the community were able to see what we had been working on. Getting to answer questions about my work and seeing people take pictures of the art that I had made was really inspiring. This experience has made me feel I could actually have a future in designing clothes. Also, the experiences I had outside of the classroom were invaluable. Being a Parsons student meant that I was able to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for only 50 cents, an opportunity I took advantage of multiple times a week. The museum was a great place to find inspiration, especially because, at the time, a Costume Institute exhibit for American fashion was going on. I spent days looking at garments and trying to figure out how the designers had made them. The final look on my model. Additionally, I enjoyed living so close to the garment district, the historic district for fashion design in New York City. Anytime I was curious about what buttons I should use or what fabric might fit my designs, I was able to go to stores dedicated to just those things. This built my comfort with the entire fashion design process. The class taught me about the process of making clothes, but my living arrangements gave me the ability to learn to talk to fabric vendors and professional patternmakers. In all, I left this experience more knowledgeable and with a greater skill set in fashion design, but I also left with more confidence in the possible future I could have making clothes, and I really appreciate the Studenski family for giving me that opportunity. The Studenski Memorial Award is a grant established in the memory of Paul Studenski, a Caltech student who was killed in an automobile accident while traveling across the United States in 1974. It is awarded to a Caltech undergraduate who has reached a crossroads in life and would benefit from a period away from the academic community to obtain a better understanding of self and to explore possible directions for the future.

Thanks to the Caltech Y Advocating for Change Together (ACT) Award, I lived in San Francisco and volunteered with the Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) organization. This program focuses on community-based programs to engage children with special needs in exercise. I had previous experience working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and running my own tennis clinic with ACEing Autism in Spring 2022 on the Caltech campus. Through my experience with KEEN, I hoped to gain further insight into two key areas: the unique exercise opportunities that could be provided in a densely populated urban environment and how the pediatric disability space can vary and extend beyond my knowledge of ASD. The first thing I learned was from my personal experience trying to find a way to keep playing tennis while in San Francisco. There are many city resources available for exercise, from large parks to publicly available tennis courts that can be booked online. However, it was incredibly difficult to reserve these courts in the northern areas of San Francisco, which were also the densest parts of the city. I also noticed there are fewer courts where many of the Black and Hispanic residents live. Though I considered running an ACEing Autism tennis clinic with KEEN during my time in San Francisco, I saw that the limited court availability and distance to these courts from underserved populations would restrict the impact and outreach of the clinic. "I had an amazing experience, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to explore an area of activism I will continue to engage with." I engaged fruitfully in the online programming provided by KEEN. Two notable programs were KEEN Zoom-ba and KEEN Teen Thursday. The Zumba class was taught by Coach Shana, who is diagnosed with Down syndrome. She led the class all on her own, with other coaches on standby to help maintain structure and engagement. The class was two-dimensional, with both a dance routine and social engagement of the participants. We started each session with a fun fact icebreaker, where the kids and coaches would share a fun fact about themselves. The directors knew each participant by name, and from my first online session, it was clear that KEEN valued creating a close, tight-knit community. KEEN Teen Thursday was another interesting online program that focused less on exercise but was heavily interactive. In this program, I met different children from those in the Zumba sessions, with disabilities ranging from a general learning disability to cerebral palsy. The coaches played a larger role in these calls to prepare questions and encourage conversation among the kids. Though virtual events have a stigma of being less engaging, Teen Thursdays were able to reach an increased number of teens across the community through its virtual platform, and active facilitation by the coaches kept the kids focused and participating in the conversation. I also had the opportunity to volunteer for in-person KEEN clinics. KEEN has a lot of unique exercise opportunities, and I especially enjoyed the KEEN Paddles event. For this event, Dogpatch Paddles donated both their time and resources for a kayaking and paddle boarding exploration of the Central Basin of the Bay. I worked with Willy, a 20-year-old diagnosed with ASD who had a limited vocabulary and high-support needs. He responded best to direct yes/no questions and was extremely friendly. This was my first time working closely with a young adult diagnosed with ASD who was also high support. I focused on encouraging Willy and explaining tasks such as how to get into and paddle the kayak. We traveled with a group of other volunteers, directed by staff members. After exploring in the water, we came together for a proud circle, where all the kids shared something they were proud of. I learned a lot from my experience working with KEEN. I’m continuing as a program director for the ACEing Autism Pasadena branch and hope to incorporate some of the perspectives I learned to improve the program. I noticed that KEEN had a lot of sponsors and partnerships with private facilities allowing for exciting and unique exercise clinics. Facilitating these relationships allows the organization to thrive and continue supporting kids with special needs. Also, I enjoyed the more conversational elements of the programming, such as the proud circle at the end of the sessions and may incorporate these practices in my future clinics, so the kids have an opportunity to communicate their feelings. Overall, I had an amazing experience, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to explore an area of activism I will continue to engage with. The Caltech Y challenges students to grow into responsible citizens of the world. It is with this mission in mind that the Y created the Advocating Change Together (ACT) Award, providing motivated Caltech students with a unique opportunity to learn about themselves and their place in society by seeking to impact the world through community engagement, activism, and leadership. The ACT Award is generously funded by the Caltech Employees Federal Credit Union.

This past year, thanks to the Patrick Hummel & Harry Gray Travel Fund, I had the opportunity to attend the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP) in Nijmegan, Netherlands. This event is one of the oldest and largest conferences for visual perception — perhaps even psychophysics — bringing together vision researchers from across Europe. Events at ECVP spanned contemporary topics such as applications of Virtual Reality (VR), machine learning, and computational modeling, as well as classical topics such as social perception, memory, and attention. I particularly enjoyed attending events pertaining to VR and talking to researchers pursuing research along similar lines. This summer, I pursued a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) in the Shimojo Lab, and amongst other questions, explored the possibility of expanding visual consciousness using a VR environment. At ECVP, I particularly enjoyed a symposium that focused on the differences between VR and the real world, and whether, and in which context, deductions are transferable between the two environments. One research group even presented their prototype for the “perfect” head-mounted display system that best emulates “real” vision. Additionally, at the demo night, I was able to experience various technologies integrating VR components, such as Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) - tech. For example, I was able to experience a VR simulation by a research group at Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands, aiming to emulate visual perception in low-vision patients using intervascular implants. Another setup manipulated one’s sense of self-location and consequently studies fear perception. This fall, I am continuing to work along similar lines as my SURF and am using VR systems to study visual consciousness and ways to manipulate them. It was exciting to see the breadth of research possible using VR technologies. I had informative conversations with these researchers about the development and deployment of such experiments, further research questions that can be pursued, and the state of the art. ECVP is the first conference I’ve ever attended. I had the opportunity to learn more about fields I’m working on or am interested in working in, about fields I’m not particularly familiar with, and connect with researchers in those fields. I had an extremely positive experience and am incredibly grateful for the generous support I received from the Hummel and Gray families. The Patrick Hummel and Harry Gray Award - established with gifts from Carla and Paul Hummel, Patrick Hummel, and Shirley and Harry Gray, Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and Beckman Institute Founding Director - supports undergraduate travel that promotes professional and leadership development and broadens students' perspectives as responsible citizens of the world.

For fourteen straight years leading up to the pandemic, the Caltech Y took students to Washington DC to give them an opportunity to explore science and national policy with those who are, or have been, at the heart of this intersection. In 2022, after a year of testing the waters with campus programs and driving trips, we were ready to try our hand at group flights and lodgings, leading us to our much-anticipated return to DC for our 15th trip! The 2022 Washington DC Science and Policy Trip gave 21 enthusiastic undergraduate and graduate students an intimate look at US science policy. Over five days during winter break, students met with policy makers, leading administrators, science advisors, and lobbyists to hear a variety of perspectives on the creation and implementation of science policy. In between the informative and challenging discussion sessions, there were opportunities for cultural exploration, sightseeing, and a chance to witness the Senate at work from the Senate Gallery. The group visited the Senate for a discussion and tour of the Capitol with Sean Mullin (PhD ’20) - Legislative Assistant to Senator Diane Feinstein; AAAS for dialogue with Joanne Padron Carney - Government Relations Director, and Valda Vinson – Executive Editor, Science Journals; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for discussion with Ben DeAngelo – Deputy Director, Climate Program; and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for interaction with Kei Koizumi – Principal Deputy Director for Policy, Joel Parriott – Assistant Director for Federal R&D, and Sarah Domnitz – Principal Deputy Executive Director, President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). At Friends Place, home base for the week, the group had interactive sessions with Bill Colglazier (PhD ‘71) – former Science Advisor to Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry and former Executive Officer of the National Academies of Science; Mike Nelson (BS ’81) – Senior Fellow, Technology and International Affairs Program with the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, former Science Advisor to Senator/VP Al Gore, former Staff for the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology, & Space, and former Director of Technology Policy at the FCC; Heather Dean (BS, MS ’00) – Lead Examiner, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Oliver Stephenson (PhD ’22) – AGI/AAAS Congressional Fellow in Senator Edward Markey’s Office; as well as Michael Ledford – President, and Rebecca Adler Miserendino (BS ’06) – Principal, with Lewis Burke Associates (Caltech’s Lobbying Firm). It was a successful return to one of the Caltech Y’s most impactful trips!

A New Cabinet of Officers Leads the Caltech Y Back Onto Campus Each year, members of the Caltech Y Student Executive Committee (ExComm) vote in a Cabinet of Officers. They work together as a Cabinet, take on specific roles individually, and serve as members of the Caltech Y Board of Directors. As board members they serve alongside faculty, staff, and community members, participating in board meetings, on board committees, and in board voting and decision-making. With two classes of students who have not experienced the Y in person and returning students who haven’t been here in almost two years, they will need to lead the ExComm through significant introduction and re-introduction efforts. This year’s ExComm Cabinet members are: President - Kristina Stoyanova (’23) Kristina is a junior studying computer science, with a minor in biology, and is a peer advocate in Fleming House. She loves organizing events for the Caltech community through the Y and working for the Miller Group on developing quantitative theoretical models for protein translocation. Oftentimes, you can find her being part of TACIT, Caltech's gracious community theater, or cooking crepes and other foods with friends. She first met the Y as a pre-frosh on the Y-Hike Pre-Orientation Yosemite Trip and is always excited to help incorporate people's ideas into Y events! Kristina has been an ExComm member since the spring of 2020. Vice President, Operations - Sarah Dunbar (’23) Sarah, a member of Dabney House, is a junior majoring in computer science. She enjoys mentoring above all else, having served as a course instructor, a head TA (and regular TA), as well as a tutor in both the dean's tutoring and in the Caltech Y Rise Program. In her free time, she enjoys running, making art, hanging out with her amazing friends, and playing board games. She started her Caltech Y experience with the Y-Hike Pre-Orientation Yosemite Trip, has very much enjoyed her time with the Y thus far, and hopes to lead and coordinate more events in the future. She was voted onto the ExComm in the spring of 2020. Vice President, External Relations - Sarah Barrett (’23) Sarah, a junior studying mechanical engineering, is in Blacker House. She began attending ExComm meetings because of her interest in social activism and community service, and her interest has since expanded into other areas of Y programming. Sarah has led Explore LA events, been a site leader for Make-A-Difference Day, and was one of the student leaders on the 2019 Washington D.C. Science Policy Trip. She has been an ExComm member since the spring of 2019 and is looking forward to continuing her work with the Y on the board in her second year as Vice President of External Affairs. Vice President, Internal Relations - Albert Kyi (’23) Albert is a junior from New York City, majoring in Chemical Engineering (Environmental). One of his first Y programs was the Washington D.C. Science Policy Trip in 2019, and one of the first Y programs he led was the virtual DC Science Policy Symposium in 2020. Beyond the Y, he serves as co-president of the Caltech Science Olympiad, secretary of AICHE, and as a peer and health advocate in Avery House. He enjoys road biking, volleyball, and badminton in any free moments he gets at Caltech. Albert is excited to bring more people and their experiences into the Caltech Y family and is especially happy to see JJ, the Caltech Y dog. Albert became a voting member of ExComm in the winter of 2021. Member-at-Large: Saehui Hwang (’22) Saehui is a senior studying electrical engineering and is a member of Lloyd House. She is passionate about robotics and enriching student life through the Caltech Y. Saehui has especially enjoyed the India Ki Khoj Trip, tutoring in the Rise Program, and attending Explore LA events. In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors and to travel to other countries. She is looking forward to organizing more programs with the Y and continuing her involvement in community service and exploration. Saehui has been on the ExComm since the spring of 2020. Alexandra Haraszti (’23) Alexandra, a junior studying mechanical engineering, lives in Dabney House. She was introduced to the Caltech Y through the Y-Hike Pre-Orientation Yosemite Trip just prior to freshman year. Alexandra is passionate about combining her hobby of origami with aerospace research at JPL, as well as participating in mentorship and tutoring programs. She is excited to plan Y events and outings to build the Caltech community on-campus and beyond! Alexandra has been on the ExComm since the fall of 2021. Catherine Ko (’24) Catherine, a sophomore, studies chemistry at Caltech and is a part of Avery House and the Arnold Group. In the lab, she works on stabilizing and promoting the evolution of new-to-nature biocatalysts. Beyond her studies, Catherine likes playing piano, taking pictures, drawing/painting, and playing badminton with friends. Additionally, she is an avid member-at-large of the Caltech Y, facilitating the fun Life Skills/Explore LA series and creating promotional content for various social media platforms. She loves bringing people together through the Y. Catherine has been on the ExComm since the winter of 2021.

(1928-2021) Dr. Piko was a former Caltech researcher and partner of Ingrid Gumpel. He was a native of Hungary and moved to the United Sates in 1960, where he joined the biology division at Caltech and met Ingrid. In 1966, he left Caltech to work for the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Sepulveda and worked there until his retirement. Although he never interacted with the Caltech Y while he was on campus, it was a conversation with former board member, Gunilla Hastrup, that led him to the Caltech Y shortly after Ingrid died. After learning more about the Y, Dr. Piko decided to create an endowment fund in memory of Ingrid to support Y programs that benefitted international students and scholars. This decision brought Dr. Piko back into the Caltech sphere as he participated in Y events and engaged with members of the international community. He enjoyed meeting international students and spouses who participated in Y programs but never asked for any special recognition or acknowledgement, simply the satisfaction that his gift was helping international students. As a native of Hungary, he understood the challenges that many international scholars experience as they adjust to a new country. Dr. Piko passed away on February 24th, 2021. Dr. Piko left half of his estate to the Caltech Y’s Ingrid Gumpel Fund to ensure that the fund continues to make a significant impact for years to come. It was always his genuine desire to help students, particularly international students, postdocs, and their spouses. As with the initial establishment of the Ingrid Gumpel Fund, the Caltech Y is so grateful to Dr. Piko and deeply honored to be the beneficiary of his estate to extend the reach of the fund.