Hi, I am Kiana Komeiji, and I’m a rising junior at Hanszen College! I am majoring in Applied Physics and minoring in Energy and Water Sustainability. I’ve been exploring a wide range of potential careers in the fields of quant, sustainable development, and environmental law. Through the Center for Civic Leadership, I recently completed the year-long process of site leading an Alternative Spring Break that focused on sustainability in energy innovation in Texas. Being born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, I have learned to love and appreciate the beauty of the natural world (photos include some of my favorite places at home). I continue to enjoy the great outdoors through my job with the Outdoor Adventure Center at Rice. I also enjoy working with other students through my jobs as a physics grader and a tutor. I also grew up doing competitive dance, and now I enjoy dancing and managing the online media for Rice Dance Theater. To relax in my free time, I enjoy painting, drawing, making jewelry, and crocheting. I’m happy to share my love for crocheting with the Rice community through organizing events as the president of the Crochet Club at Rice.
A lot of my technical background comes from my rigorous math and physics classes, so I am excited to engage with these project-based and design courses. These are some of the first engineering courses that I am taking, so I’m looking forward to learning more about design principles; I hope to bring a different perspective to our discussions and projects. Coming from Honolulu to Houston, it was quite jarring to see how different sustainability was treated from things as small as the use of plastic bags to the presence of the oil and gas industry. Through my work with my Alternative Spring Break (cohort shown in one of the photos), I have learned that there are three types of sustainability that need to be considered in a design—social, economic, and environmental. Through this iSEED program in Mexico, I am eager to see how these three factors are taken into account when engaging with the present water issues. I’m excited to learn more about water and Mexico in the coming weeks!