Hi, I'm Tess! I live in a group house in Berkeley, within walking distance of Lighthaven. I'm currently on a gap year after finishing my PhD at Stanford. That was in civil engineering with a sustainability focus, but I'm pivoting my focus to AI safety. I've been pretty vocal about AI safety on the internet before (x.com/thegartsy), but I have no prior experience with making short form video content. Tbh I also actively avoid consuming it.

PDKU Goals: I'll be framing my PDKU time as an experiment in figuring out what direction of AI safety work I want to pursue. Excited about making both emotionally-resonant and educational content.

Fun facts: I funded my gap year via compensated egg donation, and I met my fiance via Manifold.love (a prediction market dating app). Some things I like: ice cream, hair braids, hiking, hot tub/sauna, chocolate, art, reading, darning holes in knits, national parks. Strengths: Generalist with graphic design, writing, and quantitative skills. Determination. Weaknesses: I find consistency tough without external structure. I'd bet on the kangaroo winning that fight.