Lara Ozkan is a UROP student in the Conformable Decoders group at the MIT Media Lab and a junior at MIT studying Computer Science and Molecular Biology. Lara was recently selected by the MIT EECS department alongside eight other individuals to attend the 2023 Grace Hopper Celebration in Orlando, Florida (September 26 - 29, 2023). The Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) is the world's largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists inspired by the legacy of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper.

Lara has been a constant advocate for uplifting women in STEM fields and working on women’s health technology with her involvement in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing SERC program, CSAIL, and the MIT Media Lab. In the Conformable Decoders group, Lara was involved in development of a wearable ultrasound device for breast cancer detection. Her participation in GHC 2023 will support this passion and allow her to connect with individuals who share her commitment to advancing the voice and representation of women and non-binary technologists in computing.