Christina Ernst
 | This article is an orphan, as no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; try the Find link tool for suggestions. (June 2025) |
| Christina Ernst | |
|---|---|
 Ernst in 2025 | |
| Website | www |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Genre | Engineering |
| Followers | 495 thousand |
Updated: 29 June 2025 | |
Christina Ernst is an American engineer and social media content creator known for her work in "fashioneering," a portmanteau for the integration of fashion and engineering.[1] Ernst has received media coverage for her viral wearable technology projects and her educational initiative She Builds Robots.[2] She was a recurring guest on Season 6 of the CBS WKND television show Mission Unstoppable.[3]
Education
[edit]Ernst attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was the recipient of the Alwan Engineering Scholarship.[4] She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.[5]
At a 2017 college hackathon, she created a Bluetooth-controlled, color-changing dress.[6] Ernst was struck by the enthusiastic response from young women and girls who approached her, expressing a desire to learn to code specifically to create similar projects.[6] Following the event, she received a grant which provided the seed funding for what would become her educational initiative She Builds Robots.[1]
Career
[edit]Maker-in-Residency
[edit]In the fall of 2024, Ernst served as the Maker-in-Residence at the Chicago Public Library Maker Lab, located in Harold Washington Library.[7] During her residency, she taught free public workshops on coding, circuits, and motor control.[8] Her final project for the residency was a motorized dress inspired by Jackson Park’s Garden of the Phoenix, which was put on public display at the library.[6]
Science communication
[edit]In October 2024, Ernst posted a video of one of her engineering projects, a motorized character from the film Ratatouille. The video went viral and was covered in publications such as Popular Science,[2] The CBC,[9][10] Entertainment Weekly,[11] and CNN.[1]
In late 2024 and early 2025, Ernst had a recurring role on Season 6 of Mission Unstoppable, a STEM-focused educational television show on CBS hosted by Miranda Cosgrove.[2][3][12]
In April 2025, Ernst was a keynote speaker for the Women In Tech Sweden conference, where she emphasized the shared themes between textiles and computing.[13][14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Palumbo, Jacqui (2025-05-21). "Feats of fantasy: This software engineer codes self-twirling and illuminating gowns". CNN. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b c Alt, Eric (2024-10-19). "Meet the engineer who crafted a genius animatronic 'Ratatouille' Halloween costume". Popular Science. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b "Mission Unstoppable with Miranda Cosgrove". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "Alwan Engineering Scholarship". ece.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ Communications, Grainger Engineering Office of Marketing and. "Christina Ernst". ece.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ a b c Cerda, Marissa De La (2024-12-09). "Meet the Maker: Christina Ernst". Chicago Public Library Foundation. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Meet the 2024 Makers-in-Residence". www.chipublib.org. 2024-04-12. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Crafting with Code: Write Code to Control a Noisemaker and Motor by Chicago Public Library". My Chi. My Future. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ CBC News: The National (2024-10-16). #TheMoment an engineer built a robot Remy from Ratatouille. Retrieved 2025-06-28 – via YouTube.
- ^ Drost, Philip (2024-10-15). "This engineer built a functioning Remy from Ratatouille". CBC. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Patton Oswalt reacts to spot-on 'Ratatouille' Halloween costume featuring motorized Remy". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Christina Ernst | Producer". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "Christina Ernst". Women In Tech Sweden (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ^ "New Threads: Tech Education through Fashion". Women In Tech Sweden (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-06-28.
| This article needs additional or more specific categories. (June 2025) |