[NFB-Science] Introduction from Your New Vice President

Tue Aug 18 00:12:32 UTC 2026

Hello,
My name is Haylee. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in mechanical
engineering in 2025. My bachelor's had an emphasis on fluid and
thermodynamics so I'd be happy to assist others in those areas.
I also took classes in aerodynamic theory, turbine design, jet and rocket
engines, highspeed compressible flows, and all of the prerequisite math and
physics required for an engineering degree. I had to take a CAD class as
part of the ABET requirements for a mechanical engineering degree and would
be happy to talk to others about how I did that in a sort of accessible
manner. I used MATLAB quite extensively throughout school, and am very
familiar with how to navigate the interface, import lab data, create
visually acceptable graphs, etc. I also took a year-long course on
instrumentation and measurement which involved building circuits, using an
oscilloscope and various other instruments, analyzing data, and so many
other things.

Since leaving school, it has been a struggle to find a job as an engineer.
I hope this list can provide some more strategies on finding work for blind
STEM students fresh out of college and a discussion around disclosure. I
personally have struggled with weather or not to disclose my blindness to
the employer before I have the offer letter. I've gone the route of
disclosing after I have my offer letter, but this has recently backfired.

Best,
Haylee

On Mon, Aug 17, 2026 at 2:20 PM avery ingram via NFB-Science <
nfb-science at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Frederick, I'm very grateful on the behalf of the community that you would
> offer these opportunities. If I lived in Illinois instead of Oregon, I
> would love to gain experience in your lab.
>
> John, thank you very much for your support and words of encouragement. I'm
> sorry to hear how absurdly difficult it was for them to approve a device as
> necessary as the Braille display. I'd also like to elaborate about topics I
> could potentially help people with. Here are some courses I've taken:
> Differential equations
> Cellular biology
> Molecular biology lab and lecture
> Genetics
> Calculus-based physics sequence
> Biophysics sequence
> General biology sequence with lab and dissections
> Biochemistry sequence
> General chemistry lab and lecture sequence
> Organic chemistry lab and lecture sequence
> Physical chemistry sequence
> Probably other classes I'm not remembering at the moment, which I know
> isn't helpful, so I apologize. I took these a few years ago, and believe I
> remember them well enough to provide at least some help. I'm hoping to
> improve my skills in R and Python, which are currently at a basic level, so
> that may be something I could help with in the future.
>
> Best,
>
> Avery
>
> On Aug 17, 2026, at 12:45 PM, Frederick R. Prete, Ph.D. via NFB-Science <
> nfb-science at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>  Dear Mr. Staley,
>
> Congratulations on your election as Vice President of the NFB Science
> Division. I wish you every success in your new role.
>
> By way of introduction, I am a Lecturer in Biology at Lake Forest College
> and am currently retiring from a full-time faculty position at Northeastern
> Illinois University. I am also the Founding Director of the Haptics
> Research Lab, which has been hosted at Lake Forest College for the past
> five years.
>
> Our laboratory conducts research on haptic-enhanced mobility aids for
> blind and low-vision individuals, including a haptic-enhanced white cane,
> on which I am now totally reliant, that we are currently developing and
> distributing as a charitable venture within the Chicagoland community
> through organizations including Second Sense and Friedman Place, among
> others.
>
> I am blind myself, so this work has both professional and personal
> significance for me.
>
> I should also mention that, on several occasions, I have offered to
> participate in the planning of NFB STEM programming and to make research
> opportunities in my laboratory available to blind and low-vision students.
> Thus far, those offers have not led to any involvement, but they remain
> open, and I would be very pleased to explore such opportunities with you in
> the future.
>
> I hope I will have an opportunity to meet you and talk with you in the
> near future, and I look forward to seeing the Science Division continue to
> grow under your leadership.
>
> Best regards,
> Frederick Prete, PhD
>
>
> --
> Frederick R. Prete, PhD
> Pres., Haptic Insight LLC (www.hapticinsight.org)
> Lecturer, Dept. Biology, Lake Forest College
> Senior Instructor, Dept Biology, Northeastern Illinois University
> 5500 North St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
> cell: 847.209.3515 (primary)
> NEIU office: 773.442.5724
>
> www.neiu.edu
>
>     On Sunday, August 16, 2026 at 02:27:59 AM CDT, Harry Staley via
> NFB-Science <nfb-science at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> My name is [Your Name], and I am honored to introduce myself as the newly
> elected Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind Science
> Division.
>
> For those of you who may not attend the NFB national convention each year,
> I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and let you know how excited
> I am to be serving in this role. I look forward to getting to know many of
> you and to working with the division's leadership and membership to
> strengthen our community.
>
> One of my goals as Vice President is to help make NFB-Science an active
> and welcoming community for blind students, scientists, engineers,
> technology professionals, researchers, educators, and others interested in
> STEM. I believe there is tremendous value in creating opportunities for us
> to share our experiences, exchange information and resources, mentor one
> another, and encourage blind people who are considering careers in STEM.
>
> I am also excited about helping revitalize this listserv and making it a
> place where members can learn about career and educational opportunities,
> accessible technology, conferences, scholarships, research, and other
> topics of interest to the blind STEM community.
>
> I would love to hear from you as we move forward. If you are a student,
> professional, educator, researcher, or simply someone with an interest in
> STEM, please feel free to introduce yourself to the list and tell us a
> little about your interests and what you would like to see from the Science
> Division.
>
> I am looking forward to working with all of you and helping build an even
> stronger NFB Science Division.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Harry Staley
> 330-718-1876
> staleyh at gmail.com
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrystaley
>
>
>
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