Shalini Guleria's love for science and engineering has existed for years. Her purpose is to share her passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with as many girls and women as possible. Shalini also hopes to make STEM accessible to children from all over the globe through Science Box, a non-profit social enterprise. Shalini studied a BE (Hons) in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, so she knows what she's doing. Shalini has always loved everything that has helped her create and think outside the box. When she was young, she started learning about chemistry and instantly fell in love with it.

Shalini Powered Through Her Engineering Degree

Shalini chose to study Engineering because she loves innovation. She says it was a tough degree program. The challenge of the program appealed to Shalini. The requirements demanded hours of research and study every week. Her senior year was the most difficult. For the final project, Shalini and a group of three other students had to design an industry that could produce biofuel. 

Shalini explains,”The most common starting materials for  biofuel production are Tallo, cellulose from dead plants, corn etc. However, my team and I wanted to do something different. So we decided to extract bioethanol from waste coffee grinds. We did this because of the world’s demand for coffee and how much of the waste just goes to landfills. We thought we could utilise it and make biofuel out of it. This was only done on a lab scale. We had to design an industry basically from scratch to make a lab scale design to large scale design. We were able to do it. At the end of the semester, our team won the chemical and biological engineering design award at the engineering design show at university.”

 In the middle of the semester, the group of four students had dropped to two students. Shalini and one other student had to pull the weight of the group and complete a very difficult project so they could graduate.  

“There were times when I wanted to give up, but I was optimistic, and my family was supportive. I have never been the type of person to give up. I don’t give up no matter how hard life gets.” 

Shalini spent every waking hour focusing on her undergraduate project. It was one of the most difficult challenges she has had to face. However, it was also one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. Her time pursuing a career in STEM is a testament to young girls that working extremely hard is necessary and worthwhile.  

After completing her bachelor’s degree, Shalini chose to pursue a master’s degree in Science (at the University of Waikato). Her master’s degree program focused on Tissue Engineering. She has always been interested in researching breast cancer. 

“You’ve got to have perseverance in Science. You have to understand that you may fail a few times. Learn to enjoy that and see failure as a steppingstone to learn something different and creating something new. I always myself that, ‘something will come out of this.’” 

Shalini has learned to love the rigors associated with pursuing a technical degree, “I’m passionate about it so it doesn’t feel like work.” Her Engineering degree prepared her for the constant hard work in her master’s program. Shalini sees her work in STEM as fascinating, “In Science, it never ends. You answer one question, but another question comes to mind, and the cycle continues.”   In the end, science provides the ideal environment to become a life-long learner. 

How She Wants to Share Her Love for STEM  

Shalini has always wanted to help children pursue their love of science. In 2018, she started a non-profit called Science Box which helps children learn about how fun and accessible science can be. Shalini started this non-profit and funded it by herself in the beginning—which speaks of how passionate she is about science. Science Box has taken Shalini to middle school classrooms in New Zealand where she uses affordable household items to conduct experiments with children. She explains, “I tell kids you should not learn just so you can pass exams, you have to learn because you want answers to your questions.”

Advice to Young Girls Who Want to Pursue a Program in STEM

“Don’t do a degree with a mindset that it’s hard. A lot of girls decide not to pursue STEM degrees because they allow their fear to override their desire.  You will learn and fail a lot, but you will ultimately succeed. You will learn about the incredible things in science. Don’t freak out about what you’ve heard. It’s hard work, but if you’re passionate about it then go for it.”

“If you think Science is something that is your passion, just do it!”

What is She Doing Now?

Shalini moved to Australia to pursue her dream career about six months ago. She is a Ph.D. student at Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia. The prestigious institute only selects one international student every two or three years (depending on funding). “I’m in the cancer single cell genomics lab, based on molecular genetics. We do a lot of molecular work.”

 Shalini’s story brings to light that science is an exciting career field. The Science Box, as the name hints, is Shalini's way of sharing her passion for science with girls and women, ultimately helping them think outside the box.