LA High Table with Assemblywoman Luz Rivas: Where Learning STEMs
We invite all Yale, MIT, and Princeton alums to join us for a Los Angeles High Table mixer aimed at showcasing dynamic speakers in an intimate setting that facilitates connection with your fellow alumni.This in-person event features MIT alumnus (‘95) and California Assemblywoman Luz Rivas who will speak about her work to get girls interested in science and engineering and on the future of STEM education in California. Come to hear the Assemblywoman speak and stay to network with fellow alums.
Date: Sunday, July 23rd
Time: 1:00 – 3:30pm PDT
Location: We are lucky to have this event at the Hancock Park home of Sonia Molina (a Yale alum). The exact address will be sent to all registrants the day prior to the event.
Price: $5. We also request you contribute to our potluck. Suggestions below.
Event format: 30 min mingling, 60 min High Table Program featuring Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, 60 min networking and discussion post-talk with potluck refreshments.
Register on MIT website:
About the speaker:
Assemblywoman Luz Rivas’s mission is to to uplift and empower underrepresented communities.
Luz was raised by a single mother in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. She first become interested in technology and engineering when her fifth grade teacher taught her class how to program an Apple IIe computer in Logo and BASIC. At San Fernando High School, she participated in state-run program to help students excel in math and science.
Luz's math teacher encouraged her to apply to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in 1995. She then worked as an Electrical Engineer at Motorola, but realized while doing volunteer work that she was more interested in STEM education. After earning a Master's of Education from Harvard University, she worked at Caltech, Center for Children and Technology, and Iridescent to design programs aimed at women and underrepresented minorities in STEM.
In 2011, Luz founded DIY girls, a San Fernando Valley nonprofit aimed at getting girls interested in science and engineering. What began as a makerspace in a single classroom has since grown to serve over 5,000 girls grades 4-12 across 15 school sites, helping them develop skills as engineers and designers. The majority of the girls are Latina, ages 10-18 and reside in the Northeast San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. DIY Girls positively influences girls by providing tools to build their technical skills and confidence to pursue STEM careers.
Luz entered public service in 2016 with an appointment to the City of Los Angeles' Public Works Commission. In June 2018, she won a special election to the California Assembly, representing the district where she grew up. She was reelected in both 2020 and 2022 and currently serves as the Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and as the Chair of the Select Committee on the Nonprofit Sector.
Potluck suggestions by first letter of your last name:
We ask that you please bring a dish to share for lunch. Suggestions by last name are below:
- A-H – Main Dishes
- I-P - Desserts / Drinks
- Q-Z - Salads / Appetizers
Parking: Street parking is easily available.
Registration: Use the registration button at the top of this page to sign up. Space is limited to 50 participants, so register early and be sure to attend! We especially welcome established alums in fields relevant to the talk and younger alums in all fields.
Questions?
For questions concerning registration for the upcoming High Table event, contact Jon at la.hightable.reg at gmail.com.
For all other inquiries (speaking at or hosting a future High Table event, helping to organize future events, etc.) write to Seth at la.hightable at gmail.com.