Dustyn Roberts
National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellow, Ph.D. Candidate
Polytechnic Institute of NYU
What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM?
My dad was an engineer and I was always good at math and science, so I chose a college with a strong engineering program. After a year or two I settled into mechanical and biomedical engineering and have really enjoyed it.
What is the coolest project you have worked on and why?
I got to work on part of the Mars Curiosity rover that’s currently on its way to Mars.
Role models/heroes:
Yoky Matsuoka.
Why do you love working in STEM?
The more I learn the more I understand how the world works, and my STEM based education gives met the ability to ask interesting questions and be able to answer them, both through theory and experiments.
Advice for future STEMinists?
Stay curious. Years of calculus can dull the spark in some budding engineers, but keep at it. Also, don’t let the male/female gender ratio get you down. Most men I know have a great deal of respect for women in engineering because they know we had to sometimes go through more to get where we are.
Favorite website or app:
HootSuite for managing social media, Adafruit Industries Circuit Playground for tech.
Twitter: @dustynrobots
Website: www.makingthingsmove.com
