Zain Smith

Zain is a PhD student, originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., and has earned her bachelor’s degree in cyber-physical systems/computer engineering with a minor in mathematics from Indiana University. During her time as an undergraduate student, she worked with remote sensors that measured light pollution in the Hoosier National Forest. Zain completed her master’s degree in intelligent systems engineering from Indiana University, where she used zebrafish as a model organism to study developmental toxicology under Professor Maria Bondesson. Zain is currently researching 3D printing as a method for scalable coral reef restoration. She received the Scripps Fellowship Award in fall 2025 and recently completed her scientific diver certification.