ALEXANDRA JABBARPOUR
Alex's Research and Projects
Alex's projects include scientific and policy research as well as community organizing, environmental organizing, and leadership.
Internship, Fundraising, and Design
Frogtown Green: Project Lilypad and Give to the Max
-
Ran Frogtown Greens first Give to the Max campaign which raised over $1,800. Created infographics and marketing material for Facebook and Instagram on Frogtown Green and the Urban Heat Island Effect. Managed social media pages and designed email.
-
Designed educational stations for Lilypad community garden. Worked with the director of the organization and the science technician at Macalester College for curation consulting. Researched outdoor education materials for 7 sustainability steps to formulate options for future creation and designed 3 topics through the design process.
-
Tabled at local composting and participated in tree-planting events within the neighborhood.
Research
Legacies of Redlining in the Twin Cities through Water Quality and Harmful Algal Blooms
-
Collected and analyzed water samples in small bodies of water within the Twin Cities to understand the impacts of redlining on regional water quality. Conducted urban fieldwork, chose site locations, and kayaked in lakes and ponds in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Analyzed water samples in the St. Kate’s lab and the University of Minnesota Ecology lab.
-
Used ArcGIS and Rstudio software for map creation and data analysis.
-
Communicated research, presenting at a Macalester Envirothursday lecture panel event, at Macalester Summer Research Showcase, and at the University of Chicago’s Biology and Psychology Midstates Consortium.
Research and Teamwork
Dear River, Army Corps of Engineers Disposition Study
-
Researched the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Disposition Study process on the Locks and Dams on the upper Mississippi River. Examined how the Corps engages diverse publics in considering what “value” locks and dams provide in the upper basin.
-
Designed and collected public opinion surveys along the Mississippi River, connecting with the local community, and interviewed government employees and community members.
-
Conducted data analysis on survey responses.
Project Design
Dear River,
Postcard Project
-
Led the "Dear River, Postcard Project" as a way to engage the public in creative and accessible ways to imagine the future of the upper Mississippi locks and dams. The postcard stations are located in libraries around the Twin Cities.
-
Organized meetings with David Bailey, Scientific Instrument Technician at Macalester College, to bring the final design to life.
Dear River, Army Corps of Engineers
Leadership and Team Building
Quadball Club Sport: Founder, Coach, and Captain
-
Organized competitions three times per year with Carleton College, practices twice a week, fundraisers which rose over $700, budgeting of over $2,000, and over 15 current team members.
-
Managed social media with over 200 followers and a reach of over 650 accounts. Designed team logo and infographics for events. Sends out bi-weekly engaging and fun emails as an incentive for team members to join practice.
-
Wrote “Statement of Support of Trans and Nonbinary Students and Team Inclusion” and headed name change from Quidditch to Quadball in the Fall of 2022.
Event Organizing and Team Leadership
VAYCC: Stories from the Frontlines, Say No to the Mountain Valley Pipeline
-
Managed a research team for a youth-led grassroots organization (Virginia Youth Climate Cooperative) with more than 120 members to monitor Virginia transportation, fossil fuel, power plant, and energy infrastructure in Virginia and create informational videos, documents, and events
-
Organized VAYCC’s “Stories from the Frontline: Say no to the Mountain Valley Pipeline” virtual event on Dec. 6th, 2020. Conducted outreach, bringing three anti-pipeline activists as webinar speakers: Dr. Emily Satterwhite, Director of Appalachian Studies and the Pathways minor in Appalachian Cultures and Environments at Virginia Tech; Rob Leonard, Director of Safety and Education for F&S Building Innovations, Director of Build Smart Institute; Pat Leonard.
-
Researched and organized Pipeline status research project covering the Atlantic coast pipeline, the Mountain Valley pipeline, and Header Injustice Project; power plant ramification research project covering different types of power plant infrastructure as well as their harms to the public; phone bank preparation for pipeline lobbying efforts.
Graphic above designed by another volunteer.​
Dear River, Army Corps of Engineers
Sustainability Consulting and Teamwork
Reusable Container System
-
Developed three different systems to replace compostable takeout containers at Macalester College with reusable containers while accounting for program price, environmental costs, physical and economic accessibility, social justice factors, Covid-19 worker, and student safety.
-
Communicated with Bon-Appetit to work in partnership with our initiative and in tangent to the Sustainability Office of Macalester College
-
Presented weekly findings, system designs, and questions to Alumni experts and faculty mentors specified to their expertise.
-
Formulated an excel spreadsheet and google document to structure recommendations with critical cost-benefit analysis.
Photo from Macalester Sustianability ​
​
Public Speaking and Community Organizing
Rights of Nature: Rights of the Mississippi River
-
Moderated, participated in a radio interview, and helped organize a panel with members: Robert Blake, Owner of Solar Bear, Native Activist; Michael Chaney, Executive Director: Project Sweetie Pie; Merrily Mazza, Colorado Community Rights Network, Fmr. City Councilor: Lafayette, CO; Michelle Shaw, Line 3 Activist & Rights of Mississippi Team-Rep.
-
Guest on Native Roots Radio to publicize the event: Teach-In: Rights for Mississippi River and rights of Nature; KFAI 90.3FM; KRSM 98.9FM; WFNU 94.1; St. Paul, MN.
Dear River, Army Corps of Engineers
Event Organizing
Girls to STEM-MD Symposium
-
Planned and organized the public event to support, motivate and inspire young women into the STEM-MD fields with five speakers. Initiated collaboration with STEM-MD Women Leaders; obtained funding and sponsorship; organized engagement with schools and community for the event in Roanoke, Virginia
-
Speakers included:
-
Karen Taminger, Senior Materials Research Engineer at NASA Langley Research Center in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch. Jefferson Center, Shaftman Performance Hall, Roanoke, Virginia; Dean Cynda Johnson, founding dean of Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Dr. Julianne Chung, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and the Computational Modeling and Data Analytics Division, Academy of Integrated Science, Virginia Tech; Dr. Stephanie DeLuca, Research Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute; Dr. Xiaoting Jia, Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech.
-