Maru Colbert

Professor, Director, and Designer in Massachusetts

Read my March Post

Hello! I’m Maru, a professor in the sciences and a practitioner in the arts. My teaching and research areas are phytoremediation, micro-scale processes, climate science/ atmospheric modeling, surface chemistry, NOx sensing and pre-engineering education. Postdoctoral and international field studies led me to combine these topics. I teach and lead research teams at universities in the US and abroad (Australia, Canada, the UK, China and Africa).

My STEAM work is related to my profession and passion-providing resources to counter the lack of proficiency in STEM subjects due to inequity in education. My STE(A)M initiatives are in 4 cities in the U.S. and 3 countries in Africa.

Hobbies I enjoy include volleyball, skating, sewing, running, reading and performing. I also practice design for innovation.

I work on several charitable projects and initiatives. Each month I focus on one (or more) of them, sometimes helping them raise funds.

This year's list includes The Boutique 4 Good; The Innocent Convicts; Liberia Labs-Teaching & Research Project; Oxfemwa; The NAACP; Annie Cannons-MIT Solve; BAMIT; Minds Matter Boston; Maranyundo Girls School (Rwanda); NSBE-Region I-Boston [including Ghana]; The Empowerment Series/Social Justice Circle for Engaged Activism; (Charity Marathons) Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society/Dana Farber, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association; Her'tazhe Productions and True Story Theater.

During the Fall of 2020 I was a participant in the TC2 PlayLab's (virtual) Fall Showcase. To view the entire show's social justice selections, click on the YouTube shown below. To see the monologue I performed, featuring a grandmother to granddaughter Facetime session, use the link below (40:38-47:00) at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Vb4UULs HuDM&feature=youtube. My recitation was particularly appropriate when it was done, near Thanksgiving, wherein relatives were "Zooming" and "Facetiming" instead of being together due to the pandemic.

A funding page "The Cause Project" will be up in 2021! To the extent you are are willing and able, please help me lift others. Soon, I will make my "10950" blog site public.

I give back as I move forward with the realization...it's a blessing to BE. Please return monthly for new posts.

It's March 2021.... Women's History Month in a new year...many women will lead as we begin the trek to the "next normal."

STAY SAFE AND WELL!

Testimonials
I knew Professor Colbert as a colleague for over 10 years while I was employed at MIT as the Information Manager with MIT Sea Grant Program and as Communications Officer for The Research Laboratory of Electronics. I witnessed her exemplary work as a graduate working on micro-sensors and then later, in addition to teaching advanced subjects, developing, organizing, leading and evaluating STEM programs alternating summers. My students enjoy her presentations for my bio-science program.
Barbara Passero-MIT (Retired)
Maru's work helps me raise awareness and funds. Her readings set the tone for my film projects. I am excited about the show planned for next Fall. The proceeds will provide resources that help The Innocent Convicts fulfill its organizational mission-working to avoid wrongful convictions. Our collaborations and her continued oratorical, design, planning and production support have added complementary content to my events. I and "The Free 6" applaud her commitment to social justice.
Osagie Okoruwa-Filmmaker, The Innocent Convicts
The 2020 Black History Month Celebration at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church was a standing-room-only joyful celebration of music and dance featuring artist of all ages. The Lead Artistic Producer, Maru Colbert, directed talented artists (who) filled the hall with their exuberance and kept the audience in rapt attention. Her performance was amazing. It has been a good while since I’ve heard such good music. The event was a great success!
Christina Manucy, Teresa Beall-Maryland