HIP Spotlight: Courtney Collins, Project Specialist
Project Specialists play a vital role in supporting project research, logistical and writing support, as well as planning and implementation. Since 2021, Courtney Collins has assisted HIP in various projects involving strategic planning and business efficiency and equity compliance.
I spoke with Courtney, who is working remotely from Ithica, NY, to get a closer look at the day in the life of one of HIP’s youngest staff members.
Q Courtney, it’s so good to reconnect with you and hear about your contributions to our National Science Foundation (NSF) project.
CC Yes, I’m working with their Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR) and Office of Integrated Activity (OIA). My assignments are mostly directed from the OIA and are heavily focused on Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA). We’ve done listening sessions with minority-serving institutions and are helping NSF to create content for an equity-based website.
Q Will the website be in the public domain?
CC This contract is for internal use at their offices. The resources are for NSF internal staff to access. It’s going to be a one-stop shop for resources and data to help the very large agency consolidate information related to equity that they store for their use. It’s a way to streamline access for all NSF employees to access their knowledge base and understand and learn diversity and inclusion to ensure overall equity.
Q It seems like a useful tool to bridge gaps and overcome silos within an organization. Would you agree?
CC It seems to happen at many government agencies, and NSF is addressing it. The project includes other tasks that involve document analysis, research, categorization, and follow-up sessions to make all this happen.
Q It sounds like a lot of moving parts. Is that the case?
CC Yes, it is. It takes a lot of organizing, but I’m good at that — categorizing the information and creating spreadsheets that enable a more user-friendly experience.
Q What are your favorite types of projects to work on?
CC I always enjoy projects that give me the opportunity to learn something new or give me a new set of skills to work with. Beyond that, I enjoy projects that have a research aspect, or a strong writing role for me to fill.
Q Tell us something unique about you that your colleagues may not know.
CC I am pretty tech-savvy. I built the computer I work on myself, and I've been trying to learn programming in my spare time.
Q That’s cool, Courtney. Not many people can say that. I mean, I’m part of Generation X, and as far as how it (computer) works, it’s sometimes elusive; we just know we like it when it works, and we hate it when it doesn’t. Is this something the Z generation is tackling well? Building computers and developing technology?
CC I feel like there is a “dip.” For instance, older people seem less tech savvy, but people younger than me have much more trouble with technology. And I think it is because formal computer training has been written out of the curriculum, assuming that young people are “computer natives.” But there are many things about working on a computer that need to be taught. You can’t just pick them up by using them. What’s buried in the settings is very important to how you use the computer.
Q One more question, since I value your perspective so much as a young adult in the emerging AI era…how is AI impacting your work right now? Do you think AI is vital to our work now?
CC I do have a lot of opinions on that. I think AI, at its current state and because of how it works, doesn’t actually understand what it is writing. As far as I understand it, the way it works is that it puts each single word in an order based on a statistical percentage of the order of words placed together. I would not trust AI to write anything that requires research or fact checking. Now, the uses that I’ve heard for machines in the future sound very promising, but as far as how it’s being used now in the general public and researching or writing, like ChatGPT, I would take it with a grain of salt.
Q I like to ask folks this question to learn how or where they reach for inspiration. How do you stay self-motivated?
CC I try and set small, more digestible goals for myself that can then build into larger goals. If I set a really big goal for myself, I get intimidated. But when I break that up into pieces, I find that I have no trouble at all pushing through it.
Q Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?
CC I like kayaking, going hiking with my dog, Beetle, and playing video games! I have quick access to a lake with a boat launch and a dog park. She’s too big to join me on the kayak, and she’s not that graceful, although she’s super gentle with my new kitten.
Thank you, Courtney, and we appreciate your talent and insight!