Meet Kiran
Kiran, a Pink Space Theory volunteer, is an incoming college freshman at UCLA majoring in neuroscience with a minor in philosophy. Kiran plans to attend medical school.
Kiran has volunteered with Pink Space Theory since June 2020. During his volunteer time, Kiran has hosted two virtual Advanced Algebra workshops. This 2-day workshop targeted students in grades 9 through 12. Algebra teaches fundamental math skills and knowledge needed for future math advancement, whether in high school, college, or real life. The first pilot took place in July 2020. Based on survey data, almost 80% of the attendees reported taking a similar course. The second pilot took place virtually in February for 15+ girls attending Young Women's Preparatory Academy in Houston, Texas.
Through these workshops, students learned basic algebra concepts, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and had a basic physics introduction. In the first session of this workshop, students learned about different types of graphs, methods to solve quadratic equations, and how to solve systems of equations. Students used fun, online models like Demos to help visualize concepts and better understand algebra applications.
Students used their algebra knowledge to learn and relate basic physics concepts, including position, speed, and velocity, during the second session. Students also had the opportunity to work virtually with each other to solve "real-world" application problems about objects in motion.
Kiran's contribution to STEM extends beyond his volunteer time with Pink Space Theory. Kira also serves as a Cancer Research Lab member through which he presents brain cancer research articles to student research groups and studies the protein EMP-2, which plays a role in tumor growth.
Kiran also serves in a variety of leadership roles. He is the Director of Research and Development, for the Fellowship for International Service and Health (FISH) organization. This group provides health resources to a squatter community in Mexico called Maclovio Rojas, such as free health clinics, take blood pressure, and give free English lessons to the kids there. During COVID, however, he has been working remotely to send PPE products to decrease the virus's spread. His role is to reach out to community members to identify the community's needs and receive feedback on our services. In his spare time, he is also a Learning Assistant for a math course at UCLA. His role is to help teach and facilitate discussion sections with other students.
Kiran is a great STEM role model that not only excels in the classroom but also gives back to his community. Thanks, Kiran, for being such a great inspiration to others!!