Inspiring Students from Canada to California with Krishna Narayana
May 2023
Krishna Narayana, a Service Engineer at Amyris, has been volunteering with CRS since October 2022.
After a move to California, and his first few in-person lessons, Krishna shared with CRS his favorite part about science outreach.
What led you to your current role with Amyris?
My path to my current role at Amyris came from a life-long interest in technology and biology. I completed an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering that exposed me to the biotechnology landscape. My first role in industry after graduation was in a GMP Pharmaceutical Lab where I discovered my interest in instrumentation and lab equipment. My biggest professional growth came when I moved to California from Canada to work with Amyris as a Service Engineer in an Automation team.
Meeting ‘grownups’ from industry allows students to put faces to jobs like Scientist or Engineer. They can see that people come from different life, academic and personal backgrounds. Expanding their perception of who can be a scientist/engineer is a big component when it comes to young students choosing a science pathway in life.
How do you think your outreach activities with CRS support greater science education?
Young students have so much curiosity and enthusiasm with respect to the scientific method. They often ask questions to understand why and how things work the way they do. Through science outreach, the inquisitive minds can learn more about the world around them and foster a deeper interest in the STEM field.
Meeting ‘grownups’ from industry allows students to put faces to jobs like Scientist or Engineer. They can see that people come from a different life, academic and personal backgrounds. Expanding their perception of who can be a scientist/engineer is a big component when it comes to young students choosing a science pathway in life.
What is your favorite part about doing science outreach?
My favorite part of the science outreach experience is whenever we have questions from students during the lessons. Sometimes the topic of the question or when fellow students answer their questions is priceless and endearing.