You do Belong #5 - Triumphs and challenges in international research with Dr. Suhair Sunoqrot5/1/2018
Professor Suhair Sunoqrot joins Sally and Kayla to discuss her experiences running her research lab at Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan and what she wishes international colleagues understood about the research climate in Jordan. Also on this episode, a listener is having a hard time fitting in while researching in another country, and we discuss Suhair's experience finding belonging in research labs in the US and Europe. Suhair successfully balances her nanoparticle and drug delivery research with a heavy teaching load, and we learn her secrets for making it work. Suhair is an outstanding researcher and mentor, and we're honored to have her on Double Shelix!
Resources: * Suhair on LinkedIn * Suhair Sunoqrot Lab at Al Zaytoonah University Thank you to our funders, Penn Bioengineering Department and the Berkeley Student Tech Fund. Thanks to Gustavo Villarreal (@wikirascals) and Kaz Lewis (@kazlewis) for our awesome graphics and photos! Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Send us your stories of (not) belonging in science! [email protected], on doubleshelix.com, and 1-415-895-0850. You do belong in science!!!
A STEM graduate degree can be a gateway to an amazing career, but many undergraduate students are unaware that these opportunities exist or how to navigate the grad school admission process. Guests Christina Fuentes and Shaheen Jeeawoody join Sally and Kayla to discuss strategies for enabling students to learn about and successfully apply to graduate school. Shaheen and Christina are both leaders in Graduate Pathways to STEM, a grad student-run organization that brings students from non-research institutions to Berkeley or Stanford for a 1-day conference to learn about the opportunities a graduate degree presents, what grad school is like, and navigating the admissions process. Conference attendees are paired with peer mentors and have the opportunity to interact with STEM leaders. We also discuss strategies for successful grad school applications, writing strong essays that advocate for yourself, Shaheen and Christina's pathways to graduate school, and the value of peer mentorship - "Peer mentorship kept me in the PhD." If you're considering applying to graduate school, want to improve your writing, or want to understand how your community can be more welcoming to graduate students of all backgrounds, you will LOVE this episode.
Resources: *Bay Area Graduate Pathways to STEM *Christina Fuentes on LinkedIn *Shaheen Jeeawoody on LinkedIn Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill out this form, or call our voicemail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers (free only for a limited time!) - DoubleShelix.com/stickers. Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod
Many students arrive in college under-prepared for success, and professors have the responsibility - and opportunity - to help them gain skills to enable their success and find belonging in STEM. However, few professors are trained to help students develop these skills, so our guest, Sherri Messersmith, incorporates them into her series of developmental math textbooks! On this episode, Sherri shares her journey in math, from besting elementary school bullies on every math test, to high school math teacher, to college math professor, and now author of 15 college math textbooks. We discuss how staying true to your passions outside your main focus area - like writing, cooking, and travel, for Sherri - can make you better at your job, and even open the door to new opportunities - like textbook authorship! Sherri tells us what departments can do to engage with students in introductory courses and how to build students' confidence in difficult material. As Sherri says, life is not linear, so follow your passions, work hard, and be ready if fortune strikes with an amazing opportunity! Sherri is an experienced educator and speaker on the topic of enabling student success, and we are honored to have her on Double Shelix!!
Also on this episode, we hear from a listener who was told by professors that they didn't belong in their grad program because they went to a small liberal arts college, not a big research institution - what?! We discuss how students take these kinds of comments from faculty really harshly, and how faculty can do better. Also, the importance of peer support in making it through trying times when you're singled out or are the "only one." Resources: *Road Trip Nation, the book that inspired Sherri's career leap to textbook authorship: www.roadtripnation.com *Sherri's textbooks: https://amzn.to/2JRcHct *Follow Sally and Kayla on Twitter @sallywinkler and @Kayla_J_Wolf *Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill out this form or call our voicemail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. We're hoping to share a diverse set of experiences from our listeners, but we need your help to make that happen! If you liked this episode, you will love our episode all about imposter syndrome and improving your writing - Episode 3, "Battling Imposter Syndrome // Writing is Part of Science." It's a few episodes back in this feed. Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes! And please, tell your friends about Double Shelix!
The real value of STEM outreach is the positive youth development and mentorship that students receive. Being inspired to pursue a STEM career? That's just a welcome bonus, says our guest, math graduate student and data scientist Noni Williams. Noni joins Kayla and Sally to discuss effective strategies for STEM and professional development outreach to kids and teens and her extensive experience leading initiatives from robotics and digital art festivals to AP Computer Science and slam poetry. Also, our allyship correspondent Jon Muncie checks in for a discussion on how we can all work to distribute the burden of emotional labor equitably in our workplaces and beyond.
We also discuss Noni's experiences being the only woman and/or student from an underrepresented background in her graduate mathematics courses and balancing work as a data scientist at United Way of the Midlands with graduate school. Noni gives advice for others in similar situations. Some of Noni's keys to success including tracking gratitude, finding peer mentors, and defining clear boundaries around her time. Noni brings her *extensive* experience leading STEM outreach initiatives for kids and teens to this episode, and we are honored to speak with her! Upcoming #YouDoBelongInScience episodes will feature your stories! Fill this form or call our voice mail, 415-895-0850, to share your story of (dis)belonging in STEM. We're hoping to share a diverse set of experiences from our listeners, but we you to help make that happen! Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers here. Resources
Check out our upcoming guests here. If you liked this episode, listen to our episode with mentorship expert Julea Vlassakis -"Next Level Mentorship for Mentees and Mentors" Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes! And please, tell your friends about this podcast!
We kick off our You do Belong in Science series with Dr. Tamara Alliston, PhD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCSF. Tamara discusses her journey into science and academia, and how she found belonging through peer mentorship, despite imposter syndrome. As a mentor, Tamara works to help mentees "stay connected to what gives them joy," and we also discuss what brings Tamara joy - musculoskeletal biology and surfing with her family! Tamara stresses the importance of STEM outreach to adult audiences, and shares her practical tips for "making this life work." Finally, we dispel myths about the Pipeline Problem, and Tamara shares some data about funding disparities in orthopedic surgery. We encourage everyone to dig into the data to learn about funding demographics in their own field; for most of us, there's still a long way to go. Bonus: Tamara's qualifying exam advice!
Resources Alliston Lab at UCSF Musculskeletal Biology Gordon Research Conference The importance ofpeer mentorship in graduate school Science Advocacy and Outreach through the CLEAR Project You do Belong in Science * Submit your story of belonging or ask a question - email us [email protected] or call our voicemail 415-895-0850! * Get your Double Shelix and You Do Belong in Science stickers - email us! * Stay tuned for our next episode, out April 11 * Sign up for our mailing list - https://goo.gl/forms/hQm1Tl0UgPLx9rKi1 * Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod. Join the conversation with #YouDoBelongInScience and #YDBIS * Recommended episode - Teaching for Active Learning with LeAnn Dourte (Double Shelix Episode 8) Thank you * University of Pennsylvania, Department of Bioengineering * Berkeley Student Tech Fund * Gustavo Villarreal, @wikirascals on Twitter, for our amazing logo * Kaz Lewis, for our official portraits on our website - follow him on Instagram @kazlewis * You, our listeners, for telling your friends about our podcast and our #YouDoBelongInScience campaign You do belong in science - even if it doesn't always feel that way. Coming Tuesdays this April, Double Shelix will be releasing a special series of episodes on the theme You do Belong in Science featuring experts in science, education, and inclusion in conversation about creating STEM communities where all can feel belonging. Stay tuned here and on Twitter @doubleshelixpod for more info on how you can get involved.
Share your story of belonging We want to feature your stories on the podcast! Call our voice mailbox 415-895-0850, and leave us a message, or record yourself and email it to us - [email protected]. Let the prompts below inspire you, share your story, and we may just feature it on the pod. Prompts: - Is there a time when you felt like you did not belong in science? What happened and how did it make you feel? - What would you say to someone who is experiencing dis-belonging? - What can the scientific community (or your school/department/professors/peers) do to help people experience belonging? Subscribe now on iTunes or Google Play Music to catch the episodes when they launch in April! And check back here for exclusives from our guests and a sneak peek trailer - coming soon! Sending all our love, and remember - you do belong in science! -Sally + Kayla PS - The best remedy for Double Shelix FOMO is to join our mailing list. Hot takes and inside scoops abound! Sign up here:
Going in, graduate students expect they'll have to work hard, but most students are unprepared for the mental anguish that grad school can induce - especially when experiments aren't going well, or when we compare to themselves to others' successes. Penn Bioengineering PhD students Meagan Ita and Michael Magaraci join Sally and Kayla to discuss wellness in graduate school. Meagan and Mike discuss the importance of actively taking charge of your own wellness, and what departments can do to support student wellness. Things also get real with discussions of the value therapy and/or medicine to address depression or anxiety, and we sound off on the harm caused by toxic mentor/mentee relationships. If you've struggled with being well, want to stay well, or want to support others on their journey to wellness, check this out!
Resources: Professor Arjun Raj's blog - truly, a font of knowledge UC Berkeley graduate student wellbeing survey results Fixyourrun.com and Philly Surge Running Meagan's Lab, the Spine Pain Research Lab Mike's Lab, the Chow Lab 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Headspace - a meditation app The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Feedback? We love it - [email protected] Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting our podcast and this episode!! We love their Twitter @pennbioeng and their blog.
Zoe Leavitt, senior consumer product and retail analyst at CB Insights, joins Sally and Kayla to discuss what's hot at the intersection of tech and retail. She truly has her finger on the pulse of the hottest trends - and the data to back that up! We also talk about her experiences working for Bank of China in Shanghai, and communicating technical content to lay audiences - like on Good Morning America! We also calls BS on VCs being "afraid to meet solo with women founders" in the post-#MeToo era and conclude that the future of futurism is female. Zoe's a master communicator, and shares some excellent technical communication tips. You'll love Zoe's insights!!!
Resources: - Follow Zoe on Twitter @zoe_leavitt and on LinkedIn - Find some of Zoe's analysis here, including her work on coffee, Amazon drone warehouses, and more - Zoe on Good Morning America and CNBC Asia - Subscribe to Zoe's newsletter to follow all the hottest trends in consumer goods! and on Twitter - CB insights is on Twitter @CBinsights, and check out their blog - cbinsights.com/research
Dr. Kathleen Norton, obstetrician-gynecologist extraordinaire, joins Kayla and Sally to tell us what grad students need to know about women's health! She dispels contraceptive myths and gets real about HPV vaccines, Pap smears, and mammograms. Dr. Norton (Sally's mom, y'all) also discusses her work in hospitals in Kenya, early-career struggles, timing family and career, and dealing with difficult people in the workplace. There's something for everyone in this episode, even (especially?) if you don't have a vagina!
The fun never ends on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Who should we interview next? Other thoughts? [email protected] Thanks again to University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for supporting the production of this episode!
Julea Vlassakis, mentorship expert and Bioengineering PhD Candidate, joins Kayla and Sally to talk mentoring in academia and beyond. Lean how to establish productive mentor/mentee relationships and cultivate the next generation of scientists - yourself included! Beginning mentees and seasoned mentors alike will learn something new from Julea's wisdom. Discover strategies for breaking out of the cycle of mediocre mentorship, how to deal with underperforming mentees, tips for cultivating a community of mentors within your field, and how to get a mentor to step up for your career goals. Stay tuned to the end for Julea's list of mentor and mentee responsibilities - supported by peer-reviewed literature, of course! Fam, this is next-level mentorship.
Spoiler alert: Mentor/Mentee Responsibility Number Zero is "Establish clear goals and expectations!" Resources: Julea's work in the Herr Lab at UC Berkeley Profile of Julea's research in honor of her winning Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening graduate fellowship "Getting Mentored in Graduate School," recommended book by Johnson and Huwe The fun never ends on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Who should we interview next? Other thoughts? [email protected] Thanks again to University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering for making this episode possible!
Award-winning engineering lecturer Dr. LeAnn Dourte joins Kayla and Sally to discuss active learning in engineering classrooms. LeAnn is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and has pioneered their biomechanics curriculum - students build robo-arms to move PlayDough? Yes please! She shares her tips for setting classroom expectations in undergraduate vs. graduate courses, and doing academic research about engineering education! We also discuss LeAnn's experiences as a new mom in a dual-career family, and her Better Talk Next Time moment - spoiler alert: don't bully your professors to get better grades...
This episode is a collaboration between Double Shelix and the University of Pennsylvania Department of Bioengineering! Thanks to UPenn BioE for funding this episode, and we are honored to share LeAnn's awesome work with you all! If there's someone else at UPenn BioE (or elsewhere!) that you think we should feature, give us a shout! Thanks for listening!! Resources: UPenn BioE Blog (featuring their famed This Week in BioE segments!): https://beblog.seas.upenn.edu/ Research findings from LeAnn's SAIL studies: goo.gl/vjPtAJ LeAnn's biomechatronics students make robotic arms: goo.gl/rZYPPT Penn Bioengineering on Twitter @pennbioeng UPenn Center for Teaching and Learning: https://www.ctl.upenn.edu/ Follow us on Twitter @doubleshelixpod Be sure to subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes, and please leave us a review! Who should we interview next? Let us know - [email protected] ![]()
We're back for Season 2, and this episode is inspired by what our listeners want to hear! Kayla and Sally are huge fans of listener-recommended science crush, the late MIT Prof. Millie Dresselhaus: Queen of Carbon Science, tireless advocate for women in STEM, and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science in Engineering. A recent GE commercial asks, "What if we treated female scientists like they were stars? What if Millie Dresselhaus was as famous as any celebrity?" Kayla and Sally are 100% behind this mission, and plot meet-cutes with the sci-lebrities in their lives. Also, in the first-ever listener-submitted Better Talk Next Time stories, listeners tackle biased perceptions of women in engineering, how to deal when your significant other believes damaging STEM stereotypes, and other *fun* themes. Don't worry, listeners - you do belong in science!
Please rate us on the Apple Podcast app/iTunes store! Stay tuned to the end of the episode for overly detailed step-by-step instructions (methods section) about how to do this. We're keeping it real on Twitter @doubleshelixpod. Follow us to be reassured that you do belong in science. Email us [email protected] - Have you had a sci-lebrity encounter? An experience you hope to Better Talk Next Time? Any sug*guest*ions? We love our listeners, so reach out and say hi! Millie's GE Commercial #goals -
Megan interviews Molly Sheehan, a bioengineering post-doc who is running for US Congress in 2018. Molly grew up in Pennsylvania, studied biology at Haverford College, and received her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is now a post-doc in bioengineering developing new molecular imaging techniques. Today, we talk about what is motivating her to run for Congress, the issues she is most passionate about, and how she is getting her campaign up and running.
Email us - [email protected] Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast More: doubleshelix.com & betapleatedchic.com Help spread the love - review us on iTunes!
How do you balance the fact that your happiness shouldn't be totally dependent on the outcome of your research with the fact that of course it is? Kayla and Sally tackle this listener question, and things get real. Conclusion: getting great results feels great, but if this is your only source of warm fuzzies, you're in trouble. But good friends and experience will get you through (probably). Also, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub is applying major Silicon Valley thinking - and money - to solve real problems. Yay! But is curing all diseases an excessively lofty goal, or is just the kind of attention that science funding needs? We discuss...
Email us - [email protected]. Listener Better Talk Next time stories coming soon, so submit yours anonymously today! Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast More: doubleshelix.com & betapleatedchic.com Help spread the love - review us on iTunes!
Qualifying exams: who doesn't love months of preparation for a 3 hour oral exam that (potentially) covers everything you've ever learned? Sally and Kayla try to find the bright side, and are moderately successful, but quals are still rough you guys. They also argue that departments where passing quals is defined as being in the top X percentile really should reconsider, and set their students up for success! Also in this episode, conferences are exhausting, but Kayla has some strategies for pushing through. Finally, Kayla and Sally discuss soliciting effective feedback on your presentations. Spoiler alert: tell the audience what you want.
Find us and share your thoughts! Twitter - @doubleshelixpod Instagram - @doubleshelixpodcast Email - doubleshelixpodcast AT gmail DOT com Web - doubleshelix.com Subscribe to Double Shelix on iTunes and rate/comment on the podcast to help us reach more listeners! |
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