Name, where are you in the world right now?

Alex Garber, and I’m in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Where are you joining us from?

I’m a rising senior at the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland.

Why did you choose to work with Conservation X Labs (CXL) this summer?

I like using cutting-edge technology to make a difference. When it comes to wildfires, they destroy so much. I was in Australia this past semester, and I arrived right as the fires were ending. I saw firsthand some of the damage to the air and land. There is so much that can and should be done to prevent something like this happening in the future.

What will you be working on with us?

I’m researching business development with the Garage team, and I’m looking into using the Sentinel system as a detector for wildfires.

Do you have a favorite species?

My favorite animal growing up was a lion. Or a kangaroo - I got to see a couple of kangaroos at the zoo in Australia.

How are you staying entertained during the pandemic?

I’m watching The West Wing - it’s one of my all-time favorite shows. I also have been watching as many movies as I possibly can. I like watching fictional stories that hint at possibilities for the future - even things that are not necessarily going to come true, like Interstellar. I also read a book where someone travels to the future and sees tornadoes, floods, and all of Florida is completely underwater. Even if they are fictional stories, they are realistic possibilities - and can be influential as a warning.

Outside of your work at CXL, what’s one of the coolest projects you’ve worked on so far?

I’ve been doing research with a postdoc at Maryland who’s working on suppression and mitigation of fires from lithium ion batteries. I researched the effects of using water mist - and we found out that water mist isn’t really successful enough. We’ve done all of the research, and are now writing our findings. It should be submitted for publication this summer!