Maya Johal

Maya is a student at the University of British Columbia, passionate about the intersection between science and policy, with an overarching focus on making the world a better place, and shaping a future that she would want to live in. Her technical interests include astronomy, data science, and artificial intelligence, while her policy background anchors her focus on her community and the future. As a first year at UBC, she accomplished a lot, including winning the Canadian Undergraduate Policy Competition for her team's work on data privacy and consumer protection, getting published in UBC’s Journal of International Affairs, and building a science policy podcast and blog, where she hopes students can connect to the field. Though she is based in the beautiful city of Vancouver for university, Maya grew up in the Chicago area and considers that home. Career wise, Maya is excited to learn more about the fields of law, technology, and public policy, and hopes to find a role somewhere in between. Outside of technical interests, she also loves listening to music, exploring cities and connecting with her friends.