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Sydney Hunt (she/her) is pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. She graduated with distinction from Duke University as a Reginaldo Howard Memorial Scholar, earning bachelor’s degrees in electrical/computer engineering and computer science (concentration in artificial intelligence and machine learning), and a minor in gender, sexuality, and feminist studies.
An aspiring professor, Sydney passionately commits herself to STEM retention and diversity as a founding member of the nonprofit CS Sidekicks, Duke’s S.P.I.R.E. Fellows Living Learning Community, and the Duke Technology Scholars Academic Support Team. She conducted Bass Connections research on the gender gap in STEM and co-hosted “This Engineering Life” Podcast Series with Dr. Rebecca Simmons. In addition, Sydney founded the annual “Don’t Waste Food Points” food drive in 2021, which has since donated over 5,800 meals to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
Hunt is certified in Mental Health First Aid and enjoys dancing, trying new food, and dad jokes. She grew up in Cornwall, New York, as the daughter of a Black military kid and a high school teacher who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador.
Sydney was nominated by the Undergraduate Young Trustee Nominating Committee in 2023 and serves as a member of the Undergraduate Education Committee. She is serving a three-year term on the board, one year as an observer and two years as a voting member.
July 2024