Kristy Mualim

Kristy Mualim is a PhD student in the Biology Department at Stanford. Kristy is interested in understanding how plants adapt to changing climates with a specific focus on developing equitable tools and solutions to aid small-holder farmers in the Global South. Her current work is focused on building predictive models to estimate existing global genetic diversity loss in order to inform biodiversity conservation policy, with a specific focus on understanding how land use and climate change will impact the survival of species globally. Kristy is deeply committed to addressing food security and envisions developing climate-resilient crops for the future, emphasizing the importance of indigenous and agricultural crop diversity.

With a general interest in building climate resilient communities through adaptation, her recent projects have included spearheading the Bay Area Heat Mapping Campaign, a citizen science campaign as a part of National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Urban Heat Island Initiative to identify communities most at-risk during extreme heat waves and developing a documentary focussed on highlighting community leaders tackling local conservation issues in the Bay Area. In addition to research, Kristy is passionate about increasing equity and access to STEM fields. She mentors undergraduate and high school students and actively participates in programs such as Book-a-STEMbassador and Stanford Science Pen Pals, which aim to build awareness and exposure to diverse scientific careers.