Nancy Ingabire Abayo, from Rwanda, is a Ph.D. candidate in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Graduate Certificates in Engineering Education and Geographic Information Systems and Technology (GIST) at North Carolina State University. Her research aims to improve predictions of ground cracks resulting from the liquid behavior of granular soils such as sand after an earthquake. Currently, there is high variability in the predictive models, which can threaten the stability of roadways, buildings, and other civil infrastructure.
Nancy’s passion for women's and children’s education led her to co-found Sci-Touche, one of her greatest accomplishments. Sci-Touche seeks to provide access to practical STEM education to girls in Rwanda and hopes to expand in East Africa. Nancy has spoken at the “Women in Science” segment of Waramutse Rwanda, a national television program, raising awareness about breaking barriers among women in education and the science fields and the importance of practical STEM education.
Nancy has served as a mentor to international and multicultural female students in different capacities at Bucknell University and through Sci-Touche and participated in international reconnaissance efforts following the Nippes 2021 Earthquake in Haiti.
After graduation, Nancy will continue to invest in children’s education through Sci-Touche. Her plan is to become a professor. She hopes to contribute to higher education in STEM fields in East Africa and partner with local agencies to provide Rwandan students with the opportunity to conduct research in the fields of geology, civil engineering, earthquake engineering, and other STEM disciplines.
