Our Team

Karen Bailey (she/her), PhD, is an environmental social scientist committed to equitable and just natural resource management and diversity and inclusion in STEM. She is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder and studies human-environment interactions, sustainable rural livelihoods, and climate adaption among vulnerable communities. She is originally from Los Angeles but has lived and worked in Latin America, southern and east Africa, and Australia. When she’s not working, she’s likely dancing, working on her new podcast, or spending time outdoors.

Samantha Weintraub-Leff (she/her), PhD, was born and raised in Long Island, New York but moved out west in 2003 and hasn’t looked back. She is an ecosystem scientist who works at the National Ecological Observatory Network, helping to monitor plants and soils across a continental network of sites. When she’s not studying carbon and nutrient cycles, Samantha loves to hike, ski, and enjoy the great outdoors of Colorado and beyond. She has been involved with 500 Women Scientists off and on since 2017 and is passionate about making science more inclusive.

Thi Hoang (she/her) is a Ph.D. student at the Physics department at University of Colorado - Boulder. Her love for science was discovered from the young age, yet growing up in Vietnam, she was told that physics was an unfit career for a woman. As she starts her career in research in Boulder, she finds it more important than ever to surround herself with a supportive community for women in STEM, and would love to contribute to building one with 500 Women Scientists in Boulder. Thi’s research explores the interaction of light and “artificial atoms”, quantum structures that behave like an atom, with futuristic application in quantum information and quantum network. In her free time, she produces a Vietnamese podcast, plays music and sings on her guitar, and (tries to) explore new hikes in Boulder.

Margaret Hollingsworth (she/her), Ph.D, is a retired biology professor who fills her time volunteering and playing. Science-based volunteering includes science outreach to local k-12 schools, Skype-a-Scientist, and serving as part of the leadership team for the Boulder pod of 500 Women Scientists. She also volunteers at Jeffco Eats, a foodbank that supports over twenty k-12 schools in Jefferson County, helps with COVID immunization drives and participates in as many get-out-the-vote efforts as she can find. Playing includes biking, hiking, and enjoying the Colorado sunshine.

Meghan Hayden (she/her) is a PhD student in the department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado - Boulder. She studies how climate change and land management influence plant communities and the functions they support, and is interested in socio-ecological systems and adaptive ecosystem management. Originally from Ohio, she is loving the mountains of Colorado and enjoys running, skiing, and reading. She is excited to engage with members of the 500 WS Boulder pod to build an accessible, inclusive, and empowering community of women scientists!