SPH-B graduate leaves legacy of STEM education for local youth thanks to faculty support

Growing up with a mother who works in environmental engineering, Houston-based SPH-B graduate Rachel Alford remembers being exposed to science at a very young age. But she knows that not every little girl has the benefit of that experience.

A full-time environmental investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the founder of the Girls, Inc. of Monroe County, Indiana annual Science Fest, Alford is dedicated to promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to young girls—thanks in large part to the continued encouragement and support of her faculty mentor Patricia Silveyra, Ph.D., chair of the SPH-B Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
Alford had experience as a volunteer instructor with Girlstart, a STEM-based community outreach program, during her time as an undergraduate at Baylor College in Waco, Texas.

"When I started graduate school at SPH-B, I wanted something to fill that void because I loved being involved in Girlstart and I got so much out of it," says Alford. "I found Girls, Inc. through a Google search and in October 2021 I emailed them about getting involved."

Alford says at that time, the local chapter was just beginning to reopen after the onslaught of COVID-19, and did not have anyone on staff to develop their STEM programming. Alford launched into action, collaborating with Silveyra whose lab she was working in at the time to begin co-presenting on asthma and lung capacity in the spring of 2022.

As Girls, Inc. began to pick up steam again, Alford worked closely with Director of Operations Olivia Sullivan (then director of programming) on creating a thematically appropriate STEM activity for each week of the summer program that year. For example, if the week’s theme was "high in the sky," the STEM activity would focus on cloud formation or creating "stomp rockets" that girls could send into the air.

"I got to pull from activities I had done in Girlstart—having that experience helped a lot," says Alford. "I wanted to make sure the girls were getting a really good experience out of it, so I did prep work on the background of the science before going in. They would always ask great questions."

Alford began regularly trading out her IU white lab coat for a pink one to teach her Girls, Inc. sessions. During a get-together with Silveyra acknowledging the United Nations’ International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, 2022, an idea sparked in Alford’s mind—what if Girls, Inc. could celebrate this day in a big way the following year?

"I wanted girls to celebrate local women in science to make it more accessible for them," says Alford. "We brainstormed a few ideas and came up with what is now Science Fest."

With the support of Silveyra, Indiana University Bloomington, and the leadership team at Girls, Inc., Alford successfully launched the first Science Fest in February 2023, just a few months before her graduation from SPH-B. Even with just a handful of educational booths, the event proved to be a hit. Although Alford had moved back to Houston and was on the job hunt by the fall of 2023, she continued to play a major role in coordinating the second annual Science Fest from a distance. The February 2024 event expanded to include a food truck, face painting, and even a Kona Ice vendor in addition to the educational booths with the inspirational space theme "Reach for the Stars!"

In November 2024, Alford returned to Indiana to receive the prestigious Girls, Inc. Smart Award for her dedication to founding Science Fest and her role in developing the chapter’s STEM curriculum as the organization rebounded from COVID-19.

But Alford acknowledges none of this would have been possible without Silveyra’s support and direct involvement.

"Dr. Silveyra’s support is everything to me—coming out of undergraduate, I was in this delicate time where I had moved to this whole new place and was trying to figure out who I am, what my interests are, and what to build my life on," says Alford. "She never doubted me for a second, and I began to think if she was investing so much in me, she must be seeing something in me that I wasn’t."

Alford was pleased to return the favor of support by being present to see Silveyra receive her own Smart Award at the Girls, Inc. Ignite Gala held last spring, as well as attending the Spring 2025 Science Fest—now a well-oiled machine, thanks to Alford’s foundational efforts.

Silveyra adds, "It brings me so much joy to support the next generation of scientists through Girls Inc., our Department, and the School of Public Health Bloomington. When we invest in girls and women in science, we help create a world where every girl feels empowered to explore, discover, and thrive in STEM, shaping a better future for us all."

While Alford is unsure what the future will bring, she plans to remain dedicated to supporting Science Fest and the organization’s programming wherever she happens to be.

"I am committed to staying as connected as I can to Girls, Inc. because I think the work they do is so important and valuable and I have seen the impact it has in the community, but also because the members of the team are some of my very best friends," says Alford. "I was fortunate to have a lot of exposure to science as a child and to enjoy it and I want to give that back."

For more stories on SPH-B students, faculty, and staff making a difference locally and worldwide, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.