4 minute read
Get to know the NDoR: Tara Naber Meet the NBoD
What was your School/Chapter/Major? B.S. in Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University - Epsilon Chapter - Rho Class
Who made t he biggest impact on who you are today? Definitely my family. My parents gave my sisters and I the skills we needed to be independent and I?m very thankful for that. Other values I care a lot about because of them are accountability, responsibility, and honesty/integrity.
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Where are you now (and what are you doing professionally)? I live in Pleasant Hill, IA and I work in Des Moines, IA as an Environmental Engineer in the drinking water program at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. I?ve been at this job for about four years and it's been good overall! I kind of fell into it - my first job out of college was in commercial and industrial water treatment and I was looking to leave that job when a Sister shared the job posting for my current job.
What does your family look like? Me + my husband Michael + dogs Daisy and Shadow + cat Oscar
What's your favorite thing to do with your free time? Book + hot cocoa overflowing with marshmallows + cozy chair by the fireplace. I think of my kitchen as my own personal lab, and I like to experiment with things I've never made before. My two recent favorites are chocolate cookies with Andes mints melted on top and poached pears.
What are you a fan of? Sports-wise: the Minnesota Vikings and ISU Cyclones. Food-wise: potatoes, cookies, ice cream, and soups are my top four food groups.
What is your guilty pleasure? Nancy Drew computer games.
What was the best advice you ever received?
Can you share a favorite ΑΣΚ memory? My favorite memory is getting my Little, Laine. My favorite tradition was going to an early morning breakfast at The Grove Cafe in Ames on Friday of I-week (initiation week).
What led you t o being NDoR? Oh boy. I was not planning on running when I went to 2019 Convention. My thoughts were that if I were to go for an NBoD position, I'd go for NDoR, but I was thinking a few years further down the road! The Board had an interim-NDoR who was not running for the position, so the vacancy needed to be filled for the term that started on January 1, 2020. I was in the middle of my term as Treasurer for the Epsilon Alumnae Chapter, but the rest of that executive board was supportive, so I went for it and was elected.
If you had one piece of advice for a Sister just starting out in ΑΣΚ what would it be?
- for their work in a position, for their kindness, for whatever. That positive feedback is so valuable.
What's your top priority for t he next year? ΑΣΚ-wise, getting through the backlog of membership certificates and IDs, and getting our membership database up to date again.
Where do you see te Organization in 10 years? I see the Organization near 20 Active Chapters. I expect that we'll continue working on the foundation for that growth so we can support that level of activity on a national level. I see stronger professional and personal networks for our alumnae to take advantage of and I hope our culture of sharing opportunities among our members grows!
The Inside Loop
Royal Blue or Silver? Royal Blue
Do you know your Hogwart s House and, if so, what is it ? Ravenclaw
What is your Favorite branch of science? Chemistry
What was your First job? Sales associate at Staples. Spoiled myself on pens and mechanical pencils for life.
Favorit e season? Winter. Hate me, summerloving people. It?s fine. Winter in Iowa has no bugs. Winter is the cozy season.
Who is your Wom an in STEM icon (living or dead)? Emilie du Châtelet
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? In a cozy little house a little further north, within walking distance of a great bakery AND a local ice-cream shop, with enough yard for the dogs, some nearby trails for walking and running, and a good local library. Oh, and the yard needs to have a good spot for a hammock! I don?t care a ton about the exact location.
What might someone be surprised t o know about you? I entered some mead that I brewed into the Iowa State Fair in 2019 and it was judged to be acceptable to share with other people.
What was your m ost m em orable vacat ion? Rome and Pompeii in 2018. Gelato and pasta every day! Cornettos (like croissants) galore!
What is your Favorite book? I can't pick one, so I'm listing three! Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Mastiff - Tamora Pierce; Periodic Tales: A Cultural History of the Elements by Hugh AlderseyWilliams. Currently SUPER enjoying What is Real? by Adam Becker.
When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? My husband made me a PB sandwich for the first time recently, and I couldn't handle how much PB it had. Could not take a bite without dissolving into laughter.
What one superpower would you want ? Teleportation, the kind where I can transport myself and others from point A to point B in no time - mostly because it would give me back time spent on travel to use towards doing the things I'd rather be doing.
If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? PO-TAY-TOES
