Ester Zhao ’21 is a software engineer at Amazon, based in the Boston area. While at Smith, she majored in computer science and discovered a deep passion for plants and conservation through Gaby Immerman’s Intro to Horticulture course, which sparked a lasting connection to the botanic garden.
Despite having a job in tech lined up postgrad, Ester chose to return to the botanic garden for a summer internship to get the chance to learn more about the garden. During this internship, she applied her technical skills to integrate the garden’s new accessioning database, IrisBG, with the mobile app Floria. This integration allowed arborists to easily record tree health observations on tablets while working in the Smith arboretum, assisting in the implementation of the campus Tree Risk Management Plan.
She has fond memories of seed collection trips with Manager of Living Collections Elaine Chittenden, and credits her time at the garden as formative in shaping her love of all things green and commitment to conservation. Ester is thrilled to return to the garden community as a member of the Friends Leadership Council and looks forward to supporting its mission through her work on the Governance Committee.
