2024-Remy Oktay

Remy Oktay

Major: Engineering Studies

Second Major: Environmental Studies

Minor: Data Science

GPA: 3.94

THESIS TOPIC

Swinging Towards Sustainability: Redesigning Swings to Minimize Tree Damage and Maximize Human Safety, Assessing Their Impact on Students, and Developing Human-Tree Community Connections for Conservation

PERSONAL STATEMENT

With teams of peers, faculty, staff, and alumni I have been working towards a healthier, more sustainable future. I have learned to combine my studies in engineering, the environment, and the arts to build support for and execute diverse projects. Since helping establish the Dyer Center Fellowship in 2021, I have taught students the entrepreneurship skills I learned, with the goal of sparking innovation. The more teams I collaborated with, and projects I worked on, the more connections I established, enabling me to assist peers in formulating proposals, creating clubs, and strengthening collaborations to pursue
their own projects, helping build our diverse community of doers, thinkers, and leaders.

In 2020 I started a series of artwork focused on trees and play, culminating in a collaboration with a friend to install tree swings across campus, sparking joy and encouraging discussion on how outdoor activity can aid mental health. The swings are now a popular topic in common application essays, and other institutions have reached out asking how they too can get swings.

My passion for flying inspired me to create a team that produced the first electric aircraft flyover approved by the Federal Aviation Administration that has engaged Lafayette in the electric aviation arena. I had the opportunity to produce an award-winning documentary about the flight that has increased Lafayette’s visibility nationally and established new industry connections.

I have led teams to create circular economy systems including off-campus residence composting, and graduation cap and gown reuse. Other sustainability projects have included refurbishing broken desks to build a pop up outdoor classroom behind Pardee, and demonstrating renewable energy technologies on campus and at local schools with my retrofitted solar-powered Magic School Bus.

I have learned to ask ‘why’ and ‘why not’, embrace risk, and create teams to effect social and environmental change in pursuit of the Lafayette ideal.

OTHER INFORMATION

Trees bring me joy and turn difficult days around. I climbed trees across the quad to photograph their canopies for a class project. The curiosity of people passing by turned my solo climbs into group climbs. One day someone commented we were too old to climb. This sparked my commitment to produce art that would challenge this norm and create space to find joy among trees. I got more serious about this vision when I learned that time spent outdoors is proven to aid mental health and increase environmental protection behaviors, a win for both humans and the planet.

I started with a film, Canopy Connections, about connecting with strangers through tree climbing. To create an invitation for people to climb on campus, I cast 100 life size plaster feet and worked with friends to set them up ascending a tree in front of the library. Feedback on this installation showed people longed to be around trees. To invite more outdoor play, I collaborated with hundreds of peers over the past two years to design, install, and maintain campus tree swings. From the original concept to new tree anchoring hardware that is soon to be patented, it has been exciting to work with everyone—from the baseball team’s pitcher to the college’s patent attorneys, from physics professors to the risk management team—to ensure the swings’ permanence on campus.

My senior honors thesis merges engineering and the environment, focusing on how the swings impact mental health and how they can create an interactive culture that deeply values trees. Leveraging what I have learned at Lafayette, I will be working full time after graduation to launch a business that brings the joy of tree swings to other college campuses, parks, and green spaces nationwide, expanding the impact of what our community has created.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITY/AWARD

Bergh Summer Scholar Researcher

Selected as a Bergh Summer Scholar to research alternatives to lead-based aviation fuel. Alongside Professor Kristen Sanford, I worked to analyze methods for distributing a soon to be commercially available fuel and leveraging consumer choice and policy to ensure a safe and smooth transition.

Senior Honors Thesis 

Working with Professors Keeler, Nees, T Rossmann and Sanford, I am continuing to investigate how we can make tree swings healthier for trees and safer for users. Current industry practices involve re-drilling holes through branches every few years as the tree grows, which severely damages the structure of the tree. I am building on the research my team and I did this summer as well as test results from this fall to create a swing that never requires re drilling, using hardware that can grow with the tree, and safety features that make them more durable than playground swings, while maintaining the nostalgic look of a traditional backyard tree swing. Coupled with the design, I am working with friends to collect data from across campus using sensors that monitor how frequently the swings are used, as well as focus groups about the impact the swings have had on students. This data will help inform and explore the outcomes of the swings as a socio-technical aide in addressing various wellbeing needs expressed by the community. My work with Professor Keeler involves researching humans’ perception of trees, how swinging can help users come to see trees as a part of their community, and whether this influences their willingness to protect trees moving forward.

Four Semesters of Independent Research- 2 years

Worked on four separate independent research projects with Lafayette professors. The first was during my sophomore year where I conducted a Non Market Valuation of LaFarm to understand how much value it brought to the campus community compared to the size of its annual operating budget. Working with Professor Liu and Professor Gomez in Economics, I learned the procedure for this type of analysis and conducted the study, calculating from over 800 responses to my survey that LaFarm creates just over $400,000 in value a year. I presented my findings at a campus talk as well as a higher education farming conference to share my work as a tool to showcase the value that farms bring to their campus communities. Second, with Professor Swidler I investigated investment trends and opportunities for college endowments to align their money with sustainability goals. Third, I worked with Professor Nkansah-Dwamena investigating unleaded aviation fuels. This continued into my Bergh Summer Scholar research. The fourth and final independent study was with Professor T. Rossmann, Jaden Stone, and Swetha Tadisina, investigating testing procedures and certification processes for new swing components. The three of us shared our findings at the end of semester engineering poster session.

Bergh Summer Accelerator

Awarded a $25,000 grant for my team to develop a new version of the campus tree swings. We interviewed stakeholders, conducted research, and prototyped new parts with the engineering department. Over our 10 week summer accelerator program we worked through dozens of revisions and developed new features for the swings.

Creative and Performing Arts Scholar (CaPA)- 3 years

Selected to join the CaPA program in my sophomore year to develop my interest in sculpture. In addition to the campus tree swings, my work has included a dinner with strangers where I used Yik Yak to recruit and invite people to a free dinner at Oak Steakhouse to destigmatize striking up conversations with strangers and encouraging new connections. Other projects included drone footage soaring through tree canopies, and creating a campus pen workshop to turn tree prunings into pens.

National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Northeast Annual Conference Presenter 2023

Invited to present the work my team and I had done on the swings at Lafayette. I shared the whole story from inspiration to impact in the context of creating space on campus for reducing stress and creating joy.

Princeton Social Entrepreneurship Club Pitch Competition Judge 2023

Invited to serve as one of five judges at the Princeton Social Entrepreneurship Club’s annual pitch competition. We evaluated all the pitches for ventures that would affect positive social change and awarded $15,000 in prize money.

STEM Star

Named one of 10 Lafayette STEM Stars for 2021, selected by faculty and staff for my work building a solar-powered Magic School bus.

Marquis Fellow

Received the Marquis Fellowship merit scholarship in conjunction with my admittance to Lafayette.

CAMPUS SERVICE ACTIVITY/AWARD

Student Government Sustainability Committee- 3 years

Served as a representative on the Sustainability Committee for one year, and as director of the committee for two years. Our team worked on: single use plastic bottle reduction through the renegotiation of the campus beverage contract with Coca-Cola; reimagining our campus composting pilot program; and starting a graduation cap and gown reuse program with the Office of Sustainability to decrease waste and remove cost barriers for caps and gowns. I attended monthly Sustainability Community Meetings to share what our committee was working on and brainstorm new ideas for us to tackle with like minded peers.

Admissions Volunteer- 3 years

Worked over three years as a group leader for the annual Dynamic Assessment Experience, bringing merit scholarship finalists around campus to participate in group activities, interviews and workshops. They are incredibly fun days, and we get to help recruit the next class of Leopards. In addition, I have served on the XLC Planning Committee for one year, spoke at the opening ceremony for XLC to welcome all the families, and served on three admissions panel discussions for prospective families.

Campus Strategic Planning – The Lafayette Campus Committee- ½ year

Working this semester as a student representative on the committee has given me the opportunity to advocate for the future of our campus from a student perspective. Our committee is gathering information and formulating principles that will guide the development of our campus spaces.

Laf Quill Co. Wood Pen Carving Shop- 2 years

After learning how to carve pens with a lathe during my COVID gap year, I saw an opportunity to share my new hobby with the Lafayette community. I noticed that each spring tree prunings were being thrown away. With funds from my CaPA scholarship, I purchased equipment, connected with facilities to find a shop space on campus, built a team, and carved and laser engraved pens for the campus community. I recently passed the reins to a first-year who will be running the shop once I graduate. Making pens from trees that have been growing alongside the Lafayette community for over a century has
been a pleasure.

Kirby Solar Installation Student Representative- 1 year

Served as the student representative on the Kirby Sports Center solar installation committee. I contributed ideas on how we could make the new panels an asset for learning and engage with them through coursework. I learned about project management and implementation as well as the benefits of large scale solar arrays.

Dyer Center Staff- 4 years

Worked with the Dyer Center on their Passionate Pards project which connected students with similar interests. I was then invited by Professor Johnson to serve as a first year teaching assistant for the senior level Social Entrepreneurship course he taught and later worked with him to establish the Dyer Fellowship program. I became the student fellowship leader and have helped run the annual Dyer Center off-site orientation program for incoming first year Dyer fellows for the past three years. I have been working with the growing cohort of fellows for 10 hours per week since the beginning of the program three years ago, mentoring students and teaching entrepreneurship skills, connecting them with campus resources, and supporting their ventures. I have given two campus-wide talks with the Dyer Center on applying innovation and entrepreneurship through hands-on projects.

Pop Up Outdoor Classroom

During the spring of 2023, I refurbished a collection of broken desks, built a blackboard and used them to construct a temporary outdoor classroom behind Pardee. Numerous classes were taught in the new space and it remained open for the whole semester.

Monroe Street Living Learning Community- 3 years

Living in the GreenHouse, our plant/nature/sustainability themed house, for the past three years has been a rewarding experience and given me the opportunity to give back and share with the community. Our monthly programs have focused on everything from teaching about composting to demonstrating renewable energy storage with my solar powered school bus. We have hosted events during XLC, Families Weekend and Earth Fest to connect with the broader community. Other events have included hosting a FAMS film screening inside the bus and a LIMS concert on the quad, both entirely powered by the bus’ solar panels. Each year housemates graduated and new friends joined, and this year we have expanded from one house to two.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Vaccine Clinic Volunteer- ½ year

During my COVID gap year, my family and I joined a team of 50 volunteers to hold vaccine clinics multiple times a week to vaccinate community members. With no medical background, my job was serving all the doctors and nurses to support vaccine distribution. We worked out of an old JCPenney building in our local mall. Over five months, our team vaccinated 15,000 people and I walked 209 miles back and forth delivering vaccines.

Voter Turnout Volunteer- ½ year

During my COVID gap year I worked with various Get Out the Vote campaigns for the 2020 Election Cycle to inform voters of their voting options and encourage participation. I spent over 100 hours on the phone and drove from my house in New York to Easton to work as a Poll Watcher on Voting Day at Paxinosa Elementary School.

ASB Trip to Honduras

During January 2020 winter break, I participated in the ASB Honduras trip – Lead the Scene and Keep it Green. We worked with a women’s empowerment non-profit to provide business and sustainability education with the goal of promoting entrepreneurship in local communities.

POSP Participant

Participated in POSP as an incoming first year student. Working with the Teens in the Community group, we mentored local high school students in what the college application process was like and what we were excited to learn about in college.

Food Recovery Network- 1 year

Participating in the Food Recovery Network Chapter at Lafayette College I communicated with dining hall chefs and arranged pickups of leftover food that my friends and I took down to Safe Harbor where the meals were distributed to the Easton community. We recovered hundreds of pounds of food through our weekly collections. We also ran monthly Weigh the Waste campaigns where we worked with students in the dining halls to understand the impact of wasted food.

Landis Center LafKid Connect Program

Working with the Landis Center Program LafKid Connect, I developed Magic School Bus themed lesson plans to teach Easton Area Middle School students about renewable energy. We ran the event in two separate semesters, one time hosting the students here at Lafayette and one time driving the Magic School Bus over to their school. Engaging with 50+ students each time, the lessons focused on learning about renewable energy, building models and testing out the solar panels I installed on my bus.

ATHLETIC ACTIVITY/AWARD

TREE Fund Bike Ride

Biked 150+ miles in 3 months in support of the 2023 annual summer TREE Fund Ride to raise awareness for tree research.

Rolley Pulley- 3 years

Rolley Pulley is a 3-dimensional game of tug of war, involving balance, core strength and skill. I worked with friends, and the alum who invented the game, to create user videos and generate interest on campus through semesterly events on the quad, in RISC and in Farinon. Installed a temporary Rolley Pulley set in Farinon for students to use at any time.

Intramural Badminton Tournament

Practiced for and placed second in the Fall 2022 badminton tournament run by Rec Services.

Groupfit Zumba Class- 2 years

Danced weekly with the Zumba squad to high energy latin music. Participated in a Zumba-thon fundraiser.

Campus Tree Climbing Tours- 2 years

Led tree climbing tours to get more people up into the trees and exploring canopies. Many first timers or people who hadn’t been tree climbing since childhood participated. Worked with over 70 people in total.

SPECIAL INTEREST/ACTIVITY AWARD

Award Winning Documentary Producer- ½ year

Produced “Silent Skies – The First Electric Plane Flyover”, a documentary to extend the impact and reach of what our community pulled off here on campus with the stadium flyover. The film premiered at San Francisco Climate Week, and won the Bronze Anthem Award for Sustainability, Climate and Environment, and the Gold Anthem Award for Responsible Technology. It has been selected for eight national and international film festivals. The film just began a two year global film screening tour with Wild and Scenic Film Festival, bringing
Lafayette to an international audience.

Electric Aviation- 2 years

Leading a team of 108 Lafayette peers, faculty, staff, alumni, and volunteers was incredibly fun, piloting the plane was easy, but getting the Federal Aviation Administration to say yes was really hard. This project started back in 2020 when I got my pilot’s license and then began looking for ways I could combine it with my passion for environmentalism. I learned about electric aircraft at an airshow and knew I wanted to fly one. I began asking around and soon realized this was a niche category of aviation that very few pilots knew about, let alone the general public. Learning more about the technology, I soon realized demonstrating electric aircraft ahead of widespread adoption would be key for building consumer trust, political support, and sustained investment. I saw that the transition from gas planes to electric planes will be much harder than our current transition from gas cars to electric cars. People are more nervous about aviation and it will take decades of demonstrations and proven reliability to build this comfort. I saw this as an opportunity for Lafayette to lead the way. Stadium flyovers are a common start to many sporting events, but they have never before been done with an electric airplane and this would be a great opportunity to display this aircraft to individuals outside the aviation community. I worked with peers and faculty in the Dyer Center to develop the idea further and then pitched it to President Hurd who was excited to help make it happen. We completed a record breaking trip flying the airplane from its base in Hartford, CT to the stadium in Easton, PA, recharging at enroute airports directly from a fleet of electric F-150 trucks. It took hundreds of hours of work collaborating with alumni to help leverage business connections, demonstrating the technology to FAA inspectors, planning the trip’s logistics, testing new parts for the plane, recruiting F150 truck owners to donate their time, and so much more. This would never have happened if not for the whole Lafayette community and their willingness to jump in and help. The flyover was planned alongside an electric vehicle tailgate and educational demonstrations of the aircraft at the airport prior to takeoff. The flyover was witnessed by game day attendees, thousands more on ESPN+ and created a precedent for the FAA to approve manned electric aircraft demonstrations. Textron Aviation and Ford
amplified the event through their social media channels to further raise awareness.

Isles Inc. Summer Internship

During the summer of 2022, I worked as the electrification intern for Isles – a non-profit economic development corporation in Trenton, NJ that works to create “healthy, sustainable communities and self-reliant families”. I researched and developed an acquisition plan for their electric vehicle fleet to provide free, easy access transportation across the city. I also had the opportunity to conduct energy audits of their buildings and research state rebate programs to apply towards energy efficiency upgrades.

Dumpster Diving – Waste Stream Recovery- 3 years

I have been an avid dumpster diver since I was in elementary school, and have been able to put my love of exploring trash to use by volunteering close to home with Vassar College’s Office of Sustainability during my COVID gap year to help reclaim goods from the waste stream and donate them to local organizations. Putting my magic school bus to use, we hauled thousands of pounds of clothing, toys, decor and kitchen appliances from dorms and houses across Vassar’s campus. Post COVID, I returned to campus and continued my love of dumpster diving during Green Move Out to recover goods that had not made it into the donation PODS.

Filmmaking- 5 years

Over my COVID gap year, I produced two films with a local production company – Canopy Connections about tree climbing and Catskill Fungi, about the wonders of fungi life. I also produced and directed a film for my local food co-op, The Poughkeepsie Farm Project to help with their fundraising campaign. Prior to landing at Lafayette, I spent a year traveling solo through the Galapagos and Guatemala, exchanging work for food and housing while
volunteering filmmaking skills with nonprofits. From marine sanctuaries to illegal logging operations, I learned from local change makers the environmental, social, and economic consequences of different environmental policy approaches. I created films to help these non- profits raise awareness and boost fundraising campaigns to fuel their important work.