Lindsey Smit
Lane Tech College Prep High School
About
Lindsey Smit has been a Physics and Robotics teacher, and FIRST Robotics Coach, at Lane Tech College Prep High School for the past six years. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from North Park University in 2010 and a Master’s Degree in STEM Leadership from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2015. She is passionate about inspiring young women to develop interest and explore opportunities in technical and non-traditional fields of Science and Technology, where women are generally underrepresented.
Prior to participating in the BEST Program, Lindsey did not have any experience in a formal research lab setting, so she was thrilled to partner with Dr. James Patton and the Arms + Hands Lab of the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab! The BEST Fellowship provided Lindsey with a unique opportunity to gain experience in an area of research which focuses on neuro-rehabilitation and motor learning for survivors of stroke using robotic manipulators and human-machine interactions. While working in the Arms + Hands Lab, Lindsey had the opportunity to shadow a stroke survivor through OT and PT therapy sessions, attend weekly meetings where research scientists share out the progress of their current work, participate in piloting the protocol for an upcoming study, assist in assembling a virtual reality display, and work closely with a low-cost 3D haptics controller which mimics the feedback effects of more advanced robots used in the Arms + Hands Lab. By sharing her experiences, Lindsey hopes to excite students–especially young women–about the diversity of career options within the healthcare and medical fields.