Richard
Park

Concentration 

Biomedical Engineering, French Studies

Award Year 

2016
Technologies Against Assault
Providence, R.I.

Sexual assault is a heinous crime for which no survivor should have to wait with uncertainty to hear back the results of forensic testing. Technologies Against Assault produces sexual assault kits and forensic lab kits with technology capable of immediately confirming and validating survivor experiences, simultaneously shortening the entire reporting process from months and years to just weeks. We aim to facilitate an environment in which more survivors feel empowered to report their assaults.

Coming into Brown, I knew that I wanted to help people, but I didn't know how. For the longest time, I thought that getting published and a PhD was the best route to helping people through science. Through my activism experience at Brown, I realized that there were more immediate ways that I could employ science to help people, specifically survivors of sexual assault, a group in which I take part.

My partner, Bella, and I recognized that there is a huge need for survivors to be validated from the moment they choose to seek help, whether that be from friends, family, the hospital or police. And through Technologies Against Assault, we hope to accomplish just that.

TeammateBella Okiddy, MS '16