What is a gique, you might ask? MIT alum Danielle Olson ‘14 is here to tell you.
A gique — a cross between “geek” and “chic” — is a twentysomething whose interdisciplinary interests turn STEM into STEAM. With the belief that cross-disciplinary thinking leads to innovation, a gique might bring together programming and architecture, software development and fashion, engineering and music, or neuroscience and dance.
Olson, who earned her degree in computer science and engineering now works as a Program Manager at the Microsoft New England Research & Development Center, co-founded Gique.me with friend Phil Getzen. Olson started out wanting to become a journalist, but her love of technology was ignited after after participating in the Chantilly Academy’s Girls Exploring Engineering (GE2) Program & FIRST Robotics Club in high school. At MIT, Olson found a way to pursue both.
The Gique.me platform spotlights “giques that are changing the world by following their passions in a unique, geek chic way,” she writes on the website. Gique.me also hosts outreach events — from a demonstration on typography at the Cambridge Science Festival to a session on the art and science of beer on July 11. “We embrace innovation because we believe it is the key to a more hopeful tomorrow,” Olson writes, “We hope to leave an indelible mark on our world by following our passions and embracing change.”
Meet Gique Dario Garcia-Dominguez ’15
Emerson Fellow Pianist and Neuroscientist
Meet Gique Ashli Davis ’12
Dancer, Choreographer and Researcher at the Broad Institute