OK… but who are you?

I’m Ben! As unoriginal as it sounds, I adore building things. Community, embedded systems, mechanical devices, cars, satellites, relationships, etc. I’m a sophomore at Brown University, where I’m pursuing a degree in computer engineer

I’m deeply concerned about the impact of my work as an engineer. While I’m still figuring out what positive impact in a STEM field looks like, I do know a few things. First, I reject the notion that continued technological advancement is universally positive despite the place of inequity from which innovation usually happens. Working in STEM does not automatically mean I’m contributing to the “advancement” of my community.

Equitable impact requires intentionally designing systems, be them mechanical, electrical, or community-based, for equity. This means being thoughtful about where I spend my time - at the moment, building signs for the Brown ERC cafe is more important to me than building a satellite, and I try to prioritize my time as such. If you have thoughts on any of this, I encourage you to reach out!

I also love dancing(Bachata, Waltz, Swing), gardening, writing, running, and probably other things. If any of these things sounds exciting to you, I would love to set up a walk/tea!