Graduate Student Highlight: Alyssa Bienvenu
Each week, the Department of Chemistry highlights graduate students who are doing great work in our department. In this installment of our highlight series, we are featuring Alyssa Bienvenu, who is a fourth-year student in the Knizia group.
Alyssa studies theoretical chemistry. Her work specifically focuses on geometry optimization and reaction pathway prediction. The Knizia group typically studies small- and medium-sized organic molecules.
Outside of the lab, Alyssa is heavily involved with Graduate Women in Science as a grad school 101 co-chair and as a committee member for the annual Empower Conference. As a grad school 101 co-chair, Alyssa and her co-chair run a series of talks and panels throughout the summer months for REU students about the grad school application process, choosing a program, and work-life balance as a grad student. This year, the co-chairs decided to expand the program to include other universities in a virtual setting, including Ohio State and the University of Washington. As an Empower Conference committee member, Alyssa helps in the planning and execution of our annual networking and professional development conference every spring. The conference hosts a variety of speakers on topics ranging from community to diversity to expecting the unexpected.
Today, we sat down virtually with Alyssa to discuss her life in and outside of the lab. Please enjoy our interview with Alyssa Bienvenu!
Q: How did you get interested in chemistry?
A: I always loved math as a child. I loved that it was concrete—it always yielded the same answer, no matter how many different ways I solved the problem. In high school, I took a chemistry course with a fantastic teacher who introduced me to science in a new way. It had concrete moments, just like math, but it came with an extra layer of creativity and problem solving. I felt most like myself in that setting. I credit my interest in chemistry almost entirely to that high school teacher.
Q: What inspires you as a scientist?
A: I am most inspired by the communication of science, especially to non-scientists. I realized early in my academic career that explaining science to my friends and family made me feel excited about the research I was doing. Not only could I tell other scientists about my work, but I could explain my science to others in a way that brought them to the same place of excitement that I found for science. I think science communication is a huge part of my job as a scientist. If no one else gets to know why I love my science, then I am leaving them out of an exciting journey. I hope to make science communication a core part of my role as a scientist.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of?
A: I am most proud of my time as the logistics director of The Big Event, a large-scale day of service at my undergraduate institution. I coordinated over 2,500 students across over 100 service sites over the course of a single day. We spent months fundraising and preparing for that day of service where we rebuilt playgrounds, cleaned up the roads and sidewalks, and assisted with events throughout the city. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to coordinate, but it was also one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana. It is located close to the Gulf of Mexico in south-central Louisiana. We are known for our Sugar Cane Festival, the World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off, and the Tabasco factory. It is home to many people of Cajun French descent, and a number of the locals are fluent or conversational in Cajun French.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: My favorite hobbies are social dancing and cooking. I learned to dance West Coast Swing in undergrad, and it has become my favorite pastime over the years. I travel around the country competing and learning at large dance events. It is something I am looking forward to resuming once the pandemic is over. As for cooking, I am a true Cajun who loves to cook food from home—crawfish étouffée, gumbo, jambalaya, and every other Cajun food. I love trying new recipes and making my own. When I am not cooking or dancing, I enjoy volunteering at the animal shelter, reading, playing video games, playing soccer, and singing.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have two cats that I adopted from Centre County PAWS named Xenon and Copper. They love sleeping on my desk and keeping me company throughout the workday. Zoom meetings are their absolute favorite. They keep me on my toes, but snuggling them is one of the highlights of my day.
Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
A: I usually spend my day off volunteering at Centre County PAWS as an adoption counselor or hanging out with my partner. He and I enjoy playing video games and cooking together when we have a break from work. When the pandemic is over, we plan to resume traveling for dance events on our days off.
Q: What’s your dream vacation?
A: My dream vacation would be to visit Europe and travel amongst the countries there. I am particularly drawn to the history and museums across France and Italy. I want to visit the small towns and find the exciting nooks hidden around the countryside there.
Thanks to Alyssa for sitting down with us this week! We enjoyed her thoughtful answers. Keep an eye out for more graduate student highlights in the weeks to come!