Press

“Miss United States, a Ph.D. Student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, has passed off her crown after a busy year.”

“Today is National STEM Day! Jill Szwed chats with this year’s Miss United States on her mission to spread STEM education to the next generation.“

“Lily K. Donaldson just returned to RPI, after winning the national competition in Memphis last weekend. The PhD student is from Tennessee, but she has lived in New York for a few years now. She represented New York state in the pageant, and won.“

“A graduate student from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Lily Donaldson was named Miss United States on Sunday. Donaldson is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in controlled environment agriculture at RPI and is passionate about creating a more equitable society through science and education, according to her website.”

“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.”

“Kurn Hattin Home’s children were treated recently to a special visit by Miss United States Lily K. Donaldson. She conducted a Valentine’s Day card workshop with the younger students, and gave science kits and books to the older students. They all received a personalized autographed photo, signed her lab coat, and some even got to try on her crown.“

“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 over my next year of service.”

“The Morrill Public Library hosted Miss United States, Lily K. Donaldson, for an afternoon storytime on Thursday, June 1. She visited with the families, talked about her career as a scientist, gave autographs and read ‘Rosie Revere, Engineer.’”

“We’re incredibly excited for the Hello World program to come to Memphis thanks to this STEM action grant from Society for Science,” says Art Technically director, Lily K. Donaldson. “This program will give Memphis students an opportunity to explore journalism, STEM, STEAM, and the arts in a fun and welcoming environment.”

Lily K. Donaldson trajo algunas buenas nuevas a nuestra estación de Memphis el domingo pasado, donde discutió su trabajo con la organización sin fines de lucro de West Tennessee ‘Art Technically’, que promueve la educación STEM y Arts en todo Tennessee.

Lily K. Donaldson brought some good news to our Memphis station last Sunday, where she discussed her work with the West Tennessee non-profit organization ‘Art Technically’, which promotes STEM and Arts education throughout Tennessee.

A former Miss Franklin County, Lily K. Donaldson, was crowned Miss United States recently at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis. She represented the state of New York, where she now attends school as a Ph.D. student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Lily K. Donaldson will proudly represent Franklin County at the Miss Tennessee competition in Memphis in June.

She was crowned in October at a Miss America local competition held in Winchester which also crowned Miss Nashville and Miss Music Row.

Donaldson performed Irish step-dance for the talent portion of competition and advocated for the importance of STEM and arts education during her onstage interview.

On May 7, Miss Franklin County hosted the Mad Hatter Tea Party fundraiser for Art Technically in Franklin County. According to the Miss Franklin County Facebook page, the event raised $500 for STEM and Arts Education.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, graduate student Lily Donaldson is the 2021 Miss Tennessee title holder in the Miss United States division. Donaldson earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from American University before joining Rensselaer in August 2020. She then earned her Masters of Science In Lighting. At RPI, she is currently in her second semester working to earn her PhD in the Built Ecologies program. Donaldson spoke with The Polytechnic about the history of American beauty pageants and her role as Miss Tennessee.

In this first episode of Not Your Average Podcast, I sat down with Lily Donaldson, a junior at American University majoring in Computer Science. It was really great to talk about her “AU Meme” sticker venture where she donated all proceeds to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I also really enjoyed learning about Lily’s perspective of being a STEAM student in Washington, DC.