Kaori Takiguchi is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the Letters and Science department, pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies (BA). She is a 2x recipient of the Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellowship, which funds research that provides innovative solutions for pressing environmental challenges. For the past year, she has been assisting two Ph.D students from the Bren School in Environmental Science and Management regarding research in two studies: one, microplastic interaction with the microbiome, and two, people, plastics, and PFAS. Aspiring a research career, Kaori looks forward to applying her knowledge and skill set in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to pursue interests in agricultural development and landscape ecology. Kaori practices the guitar in her free time, cooks meals with friends, and creates collages with magazines.