Madison James

- Provide one-on-one coaching that supports academic and professional communication needs, including speaking in research and design presentations, poster presentations, and interviews - Help write technical memos, research articles, design reports, career documents, and industry-related communications, and communicate visual information in slides, posters, and papers.

- Appointed by the President of the Student Association - Consult for the Executive Committee and Senate, providing technical support during meetings and assisting with Student Association elections - Maintain the Student Association website and liaise with the Information Technology Advisory Board

- Supporting EDES 210 - Prototyping and Fabrication class - Train 50 graduate and undergraduate students in prototyping methods, lead workshops, and host office hours for support - Codify an organizational document for the course structure, streamline the lesson plans, and optimize ordering schedule

- Worked on an intellectual property project to assist a hydroponics company with growing microgreens, making many iterations to the solution using prototyping skills such as woodworking and 3D modeling in SolidWorks - Utilized communication skills to drive meetings with the client and their associates and navigate the different ideas they have for the project - Employed project management by making sure the team was on track to meet our deadlines

- During study abroad in Madrid, worked at Spain’s National Research Council in their Center for Automation and Robotics - 3D modeled fin-ray-style robotic fingers for soft grasping in handling produce - Contributing to ongoing research on adaptive robotic hand systems in agricultural applications - Work was carried out within the framework of the FRUCTHOR-IA Project (S2/1.1/E0170), funded by the INTERREG-SUDOE Programme and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

- Working in the Engineering Technical Center to optimize results - Designing Excel-powered solutions to activate previously untapped data

- Elected to represent the Class of 2027 - Act as a voting member in the Baker College Cabinet - Plan events and activities to keep the class united and increase engagement

Minoring in Engineering Design

Over my high school career, I strived for excellence in everything that I did, whether it was academics, sports, or extracurriculars because I wanted to leave a legacy - one of hard work, determination, and ambition. Starting as a freshman, I began my journey to higher education. Over the years, I challenged myself with honors, AP, and dual-enrolled classes. I ventured down the engineering track that was offered and found the major that I would pursue in college. I joined activities that I was passionate about and took the initiative to start a club when I saw a need at my school. I endeavored to be someone my peers could call on for help, leading me to do things like join Peer Tutoring and run for Student Council. Additionally, I made sure to enrich my time by volunteering with various organizations and participating in summer programs. Looking back at the end of my career, I was successful in leaving my mark on my high school, and am ready to continue my legacy at Rice University.

GPA: 3.83/4.00