Sarah Chu

Sarah Chu moved to New York City in 2003 to join the New York City Teaching Fellows. Ms. Chu made her home in the Yorkville neighborhood of the Upper East Side for its access to CIS 303, the Bronx school where she taught middle school science. It was a fitting choice, for Yorkville had a rich immigrant history and welcomed families – just like hers – who crossed oceans in search of opportunity in America.

Opportunity and fairness are principles Ms. Chu deeply values. After leaving public education, Ms. Chu continued to pursue her education interests and service to the city as a member of Community Board 8 Manhattan (CB8M) (2006-present) and the Community Education Council of District 2 (2009-2013). On CB8M, Ms. Chu co-chairs the Small Business Committee and is a member of the Landmarks and Zoning committees. She believes that CB8M is a critical forum for everyday people to have a say in what happens to their neighborhoods. Ms. Chu is proud of her work as a member of the Board of Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, a nonprofit organization that serves as a steward of the neighborhood’s architectural legacy, livability, and sense of place.

Since 2008, Ms. Chu has worked for the Innocence Project, an organization that exonerates innocent people wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit. The misapplication of forensic science is a contributor to wrongful convictions, and as the Senior Forensic Policy Advocate, she pursues policy efforts to advance the validity and reliability of forensic science and initiatives to improve quality and transparency in the forensic science system.

Ms. Chu graduated from the University of California, San Diego with bachelors degrees in Biochemistry/Cell Biology and Communication, as well as a Masters in Biology. She also holds a Masters in Epidemiology from Stanford University.