Memphis, TN – Lily K. Donaldson of Cordova, Tennessee was crowned Miss United States on Sunday night at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis, Tennessee. She represented the state of New York, where she now attends school as a Ph.D. student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Donaldson is a graduate of Bolton High School in Shelby County, Tennessee. She advocates for the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and arts education for disadvantaged K-12 students through her Memphis-based nonprofit, Art Technically [arttechnically.org].
“The arts teach students creativity and confidence, and STEM teaches students critical thinking and job skills. Both are necessary for a well-rounded education and both are seriously underserved in our most disadvantaged schools…I’m on a mission with Art Technically to ensure that every child has a chance to become the artists and scientists that make our world a happier, healthier, and better place,” Donaldson said during the onstage speaking competition.
Through Art Technically, Donaldson has taught STEM and Arts workshops for K-12 students and teachers during the Tennessee STEAM Festival, the Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit, and at K-12 schools across Tennessee; delivered scientist and artist Barbie dolls and teddy bears to the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, and the Southern TN Medical Center in Franklin County; distributed free STEM and STEAM books to Title 1 schools in every Tennessee congressional district; and delivered Valentine’s Day cards made by students during coding workshops to over 2,000 homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels programs with the Memphis Metropolitan Interfaith Association and Kiwani’s Club of Franklin County.
Donaldson has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from American University and a Master of Science in Lighting from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is currently a second year Ph.D. student at RPI studying Controlled Environment Agriculture within the school of architecture.
“Being an architecture student is really interesting because I get to combine my two passions and design and technology to innovate solutions to real world problems. My research is related to figuring out how to feed the world in the face of climate change and a growing population through indoor farming and novel agricultural technologies. I attended Bolton high school in Shelby County which has a long history with agriculture and is now an agriSTEM school, so returning to the field of agriculture as a Ph.D. student has made me feel even more connected to my hometown and the state of Tennessee,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson has previously worked as a software developer for The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Energy, and the NASA DC Space Grant Consortium. She plans to return to the federal government upon completion of her Ph.D.
“Serving the people of the United States is something I’m really passionate about. In my career, I hope to take that passion back to the federal government as a leader in STEM and technology, and as Miss United States, that passion will guide me and my charity work in children’s education over my next year of service,” she added.
