Our Team

Professor Reid Bertone-Johnson
Reid is a Senior Lecturer at Smith and gets to call the work he does with the ParKit team research. Once conceived as a large, enclosed utility trailer that could haul tools to vacant lots for neighbors to reclaim space for themselves has morphed evolved into the mobile parklet-making kit the team uses today. Reid especially enjoys guiding students through various processes to Make things that help build community. He loves seeing people use and enjoy the ParKit and all of its components and is particularly pleased when folks who wouldn't normally have a chance to interact meet over a game or shared admiration for bubbles in a temporary shared public space constructed with ParKit components.

Taylor Ang '25
Taylor joined ParKit in her first year as a work-study student. She was interested in becoming a team member because of the opportunity to transform public spaces into more fun, engaging places to be. Taylor mostly works in the CDF (Center for Design and Fabrication) and the woodshop, creating pieces such as folding chairs, a large connect-four game, fence posts, milk crate dividers, and more. Outside of ParKit, she enjoys being a member of the Smith softball team and spending time in the ceramics studio.

Laura Edwards '25
Laura joined the ParKit team as a STRIDE scholar in her first year. She was interested in the project because of its goal to help community members engage and shape their spaces and the opportunity to utilize campus maker spaces. Laura loves the diverse interests that all of the members of the team have and all of the different angles they add to the project. In her time with the project, Laura has helped to add entertainment and art components to the Kit, such as custom stamps and game pieces. In her spare time, she loves running, baking, and lifting.

Fida Bajin '27
Fida joined the Parkit team as a STRIDE scholar in her first year. She’s considering an Architecture major and maybe a History minor. She was drawn to joining Parkit because of her love of design and eagerness to engage with the community’s making spaces. Fida is super excited to be on board such a unique and collaborative project and to contribute her own ideas to Parkit. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, reading, and hiking.

Kaila Frazer '24
Kaila joined the ParKit Project in fall 2022 as a third year student. She loves the community-based design of the ParKit and enjoys engaging with ParKit visitors during deployments. She is interested in what the ParKit can tell us about community park needs and accessibility; during the fall, they helped rethink a survey for ParKit visitors. She also worked on an open-source how-to guide for the ParKit (this project is ongoing). Kaila is currently studying abroad in Costa Rica, but they are excited to return to the ParKit in fall 2023!

Laisha Koon Perez '26
Laisha joined ParKit as an AEMES scholar in her first year. She is undecided but is leaning towards being a Computer Science major and a Econ minor. She was interested in ParKit because it wasn't like other research projects she has encountered before. As she became more involved in ParKit Laisha loved how ParKit was about thinking of stuff for the community to interact with and just have a good time. In her time with the project, Laisha has been part of a team that created the format for the "How To guide" and created the instructables for Connect Four. In her free time, she loves playing basketball, video games, and binge watching shows.

Claire Lynch '24
Claire joined the ParKit team during her second year at Smith. She's a Landscape Studies minor with interests in urban planning, garden design, and sustainability. Claire enjoys working on ParKit because it's an extension of her minor, but she also likes being creative and having fun with the rest of the team. She enjoys working in the Center of Design and Fabrication, building folding chairs, milk crate dividers, and any other project that needs her attention. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, writing, gardening, and walking her dog, Cashew.

Emma Nadeau '26
Emma joined ParKit as a STRIDE scholar in her first year. She chose to join this project because of the opportunity to involve the Northampton and Smith community in being able to access outdoor recreation resources and building equipment and furniture for the kit. So far, Emma has helped construct fence posts to surround the park and has started building a human-powered bubble machine. In her free time, she likes woodcarving, working out, camping, and playing the fiddle.