Abigail Clarke-Sather, 37, Duluth
What do you do? (job, community involvement)
I am an assistant professor in the Mechanical & Industrial Engineering department at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and I work on materials science through textile recycling and engineering design via designing toys for children with extraordinary needs. I co-advise Engineers without Borders' UMD student chapter ( ewbumd.org ), and we are trying to raise $1,700 to gain access to a generous donor's $2,000 pledged match in order to travel to the 2,000-person town of Nyansakia, Kenya, in December to help the town get access to clean water when their stream runs dry throughout the year. I am a member of the Duluth NAACP's Health & Environmental Equity committee and am steering the Morgan Park Food Justice Community Garden project through a small grant.
How do you spend your free time?
My kids and I love skiing and snowboarding at Chester Bowl while my husband helps keep us all safe as a ski patroller. I love running on trails, and I love swimming in Lake Superior — most of all in July when I don't have to wear a wetsuit.
Tell us about an influential person in your life.
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Steve Dentel invited me to advise Engineers without Borders and co-teach a class with him on engineering for sustainable development at the University of Delaware. Mentoring from Steve eventually led me to advise four female engineering students in Engineers without Borders to successfully oversee the drilling of two borehole wells for water supply in the 500-person town of Mphero, Malawi. Steve passed away from his battle with prostate cancer in 2015. I want to carry on Steve's legacy and help engineering students at UMD gain confidence in their skills to engineer good in the world by helping Kenyans in Nyansakia to get the water they need to live.
What keeps you in the Twin Ports?
I was born and raised in Minneapolis and have spent decades living away from Minnesota. Being able to move to Duluth was and still is paradise! My grandparents sat behind each other when they went to the old Central High together, so it's exciting for my family to get to call Duluth home again.
What words of wisdom do you live by?
Perfect is the enemy of done.
