[NFB-Science] Introduction from Your New Vice President

Tue Aug 18 17:42:00 UTC 2026

Hello,
Nathanael, thank you for the advice. I definitely have stories where
blindness has helped me be a better engineer. I'd be interested in the army
core of engineers, and I'll check out the fellows program.

Ty, I don't have experience soldering. The circuits we built were on
breadboards because the class was more focused on signal analysis with the
circuits. Hopefully someone else can be of more assistance.

Best,
Haylee

On Mon, Aug 17, 2026 at 10:40 PM Ty Littlefield <tyler at tysdomain.com> wrote:

> Hey Haylee,
>
> Was curious if I could ask about your experience doing circuitry. I'm into
> a lot of synth/modular gear, and there are times when I can save money per
> module if I can solder myself.
>
> I think I understand how I could do through-hole work, but a lot of the
> modules I want to make are SMT so they're just mounted and you have to fill
> the pads. They also come with stensils for laying down solder paste, but
> beyond this I'm confused. Can I ask how you delt with these schematics, and
> if you had to do this type of work/what adaptations you made for it?
>
> Thanks,
> On 8/17/2026 6:12 PM, Haylee Mota via NFB-Science wrote:
>
> 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> <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
> 330-718-1876staleyh at gmail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/harrystaley
>
>
>
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> --
>
> *Ty Littlefield (he/him/his)*
>
>    - My Website <https://tysdomain.com>|
>    - Linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-lerlittlefield/>|
>    - Github <https://github.com/tlfdev>
>
>