CEI Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Chris Torres works with chemical engineering assistant professor Julie Rorrer to develop self-sustainable community outreach programs to advance under-represented Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous (BHI) populations, while also researching sustainable chemical catalysis. Rorrer is the founder of the ColorMePhD program, which uses art to foster engagement, participation, and belonging in science and engineering programs for underrepresented and at-risk youth. Alongside Rorrer and CEI’s Education & Workforce Engagement staff, Torres engages BHI communities by leveraging relationships with undergraduate institutions such as Northwest Indian College; and by aligning with the missions of established Seattle-area educational programs like Rainier Scholars, Daybreak Star, and El Centro de la Raza.
Dr. Torres completed his Ph.D. in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023. At Illinois, he was an Alfred P. Sloan Scholar and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, and gained leadership experience in education via St. Elmo Brady Academy (SEBA), which provides project-learning opportunities in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) to students at the Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign.