Bayley Dickinson is an undergraduate sociology student from Hamilton College. Fundamental to her passion for the field is its transdisciplinary nature. One of her favorite courses, Sociology of Health and Illness, showed her the necessity of conceptual integration to viable community solutions. Growing up in a diverse city like Los Angeles, Dickinson has developed a keen interest in understanding how social identities – such as socioeconomic status, race, and gender–shape individuals’ experiences regarding public health and housing issues. Last summer, she interned as a Levitt Summer Community Impact fellow. She collaborated with Utica City Hall to conduct local surveying and data collection to showcase the city's cultural diversity. While at CONVERGE, she is excited to develop a training module focused on understanding homelessness within the context of natural disasters and hazards. By blending engineering and social sciences, this project aims to enhance ethical practices in disaster mitigation for vulnerable communities.
Outside of the classroom, Dickinson is a writing tutor for her school’s Writing Center program and a college consulting coach for local high school students in Utica, New York. She is also the communications chair for the Black Latine Student Union and the visuals manager for the Asian Student Union on campus. In her free time, she enjoys oil painting and watching college basketball.