scienceisus

Sheila Schroeder is a filmmaker, activist and filmmaking education. As a professor at the University of Denver, she is also a #ChampionforScience.

“In 2015 I created Project DU F.I.L.M. (Film Initiative Linking Mentors). Project DU F.I.L.M. connects students with faculty, professional alumni and community partners to create, promote and distribute films while creating greater inclusivity in the filmmaking industry. We populate our casts and crews with people from traditionally underrepresented groups and we tell stories often sidelined by mainstream media.

I`m currently working on a comedy webseries telling fiction stories (based on personal experiences) about the challenges women in STEM encounter. The series is called ‘Womanhood: Women in STEM.’

In our series, seven women in STEM and five filmmakers held a writers` retreat in Colorado funded by the University of Denver, to write the episodes that will make up the second season of ‘Womanhood.’ This is a groundbreaking collaboration that will culminate in five films and discussion guides designed to be used in classrooms, boardrooms, labs...anywhere where people are interested in learning more about the experiences of women in STEM. We use comedy as a methodology because it helps break down barriers of resistance and allows a more productive way to tell stories about topics that can be difficult.

The most interesting part of my job is creating meaningful experiences for my students in a way that ensures everyone is treated equally. My biggest challenge is addressing students` fears over working with technologies that can, at times, overwhelm them. Filmmaking is a highly technical field often more associated with art than STEM but I very much feel a kinship with my STEM compatriots who grapple with technologies in various ways themselves.”

#womeninSTEM #film #comedy #inclusivity

scienceisus

New #PeopleofScience profile!

Jennifer Riehl, Ph.D., is a biologist currently supporting convergent wildfire research through community meetings and funding program development.

“If I had one word to describe what my typical day is like, I would say ‘variable.’ Sometimes I am out in the field collecting leaf samples or observing herbivore communities. Other days I am in the lab extracting DNA and RNA from leaf samples. And then sometimes I am on my computer using various programming skills (mostly R and Python) to analyze field and lab-based data to better understand how variation in genetics affects variation in the growth and defense traits of trees. I have also spent time interviewing landowners and federal biologists about land management and endangered species protection.

I was always interested in biology. Specifically, I really liked genetics and I later realized what I actually cared about was population genetics or the way genetics shape traits and how whole populations of organisms adapt to their environments. The parallels to the complexity of how this works to our social structures also fascinates me. Plants hold a special place in my heart because those are the spaces I feel the most at peace, in a forest, in a grassland, or surrounded by houseplants.

College and graduate school were transformational experiences for me because it is where I got to meet people from all over the world and really hone my ability to think scientifically. The space to think deeply about many things has led me to value the overlap and connections in biology as well in the social structures of our world. We are all connected and that realization has to be a part of how we approach questions and issues.”

#womeninSTEM #plantbiology #genetics #research

scienceisus

Given ongoing discussions surrounding #workforce development and the future of the American economy, do you know where your state ranks for #STEMM workforce and STEMM-driven GDP? Look for our state-by-state analysis in our latest economic impact report. At a time when talent shortages are a key challenge for many industries, this report underscores the need for intentional investment in expanding pathways to STEMM careers.

Plenty of high paying STEMM careers that don`t require a traditional four-year degree exist. With an increase in demand for skilled professionals, investments in alternative pathways to STEMM education and workforce development are essential to sustaining the U.S. economic advantage.

https://scienceisus.org/science-at-work/

#PeopleofScience #ChampionsofScience #ScienceatWork #STEM #science #engineering #medicine

scienceisus

Kathy Svoboda is a Regents Professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Dentistry. She was the first person in her family and hometown of Hershey, Nebraska to pursue a graduate education. Learn more about her #STEM journey:

“I moved to Omaha to study at the University of Nebraska from 1971 to 1974. After graduating with a B.S. degree, I worked several laboratory jobs before landing at the Department of Human Genetics in the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) as a technician. While working as a technician, I was encouraged to take graduate courses toward a master’s degree. I graduated from UNMC with a Master of Science degree in 1979 in medical science with a dissertation in human genetics.

UNMC did not offer a Ph.D. in human genetics, but I was recruited to the Anatomy Department in 1980 to work on early eye development and obtained a Ph.D. in 1982. I later joined a laboratory at Harvard Medical School to continue my training as a postdoctoral fellow. This was a wonderful opportunity to expand my education and experience. These post-doctoral fellow years profoundly influenced my research and career choices.

In addition to maintaining a small laboratory, I teach professional and graduate students. I have taught medical, dental, and graduate students a variety of subjects including gross anatomy, histology, embryology, cell biology, and specialty research techniques. The best part of my career has been understanding and teaching new approaches to visualizing proteins and message RNA in whole tissues.

A major influence in my career has been involvement in scientific societies. My advice to all graduate students is to get involved in local, regional and national societies in your discipline as this helps develop a wider support network.”

#PeopleofScience #womeninSTEM #dentistry

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Meet Elliot Richman: a chemist, teacher and journalist. He obtained his doctorate from the University of Rochester and was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University. Elliot also holds a conservatory diploma from Mannes College of Music.

“While my father was an oral surgeon, I had no specific formative experience in STEM. Curiosity and interest inspired me,” he says.

Given the many roles he juggled, “there was no typical day at work. Each had its challenges every singe day; boredom and stasis were not options.”

For those interested in a career in STEM, he had the following advice to impart: “Find out as much as you can from as many people as you can—network as if your life depends upon it (because it does)—and remember that people who love what they are doing are happy to talk about it with anyone who will listen.”

#PeopleofScience #chemistry #STEMjobs

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Terry Ryan Kane is a bee veterinarian based in Michigan. She has worked in a number of science labs and has even briefed the Senate and House Agriculture Committees on the importance of pollination to the nation’s food supply. Learn more about the importance of veterinarians in her #PeopleofScience profile below:

“I am retired from clinical work now, but have pivoted to teaching, writing and lecturing about public health, global climate change, and the importance of pollinations to food security.

Most people don`t realize that different medicines, surgeries and innovations in technologies all get humanely tested by veterinarians in our labs before they ever go to human trials. We are a critical component, and now with the emerging zoonotic diseases like COVID, the diseases transmitted by ticks and mosquitos and the current avian influenza epidemic, veterinarians are on the forefront. They, along with health professionals and environmentalists, are all connected.

Right now in these uncertain times, keep your eyes and ears open. Do what you love and don’t be afraid to change when another door opens!”

#womeninSTEM #veterinarian #globalhealth #agriculture

scienceisus

Rick Smith is the owner and operator of The Pruning Guru, a landscaping company he began in 2002. He received a high school education and obtained his horticulture work experience through hands-on training at a property management firm. As a certified landscape professional in Georgia and Alabama, learn why he is a champion of science below.

“Education comes in many forms, but learning through hands-on experiences and witnessing what is possible through hard work can be an accelerator. Opportunities abound in existing career fields, but we must also lay the groundwork for additional jobs that will come.

Working with plants is all about science. Fertilizer, water, soil health, enzymes and plant protection chemicals help showcase what science means to the plants around us. I’m thankful a landscape industry employer took a chance on me. I could not have become who I am without the help of my peers. Industry leaders of all career fields need to think about how they can provide a hand up to students and provide them with opportunities. Hard work is gratifying, but with strong passion and drive, you can push yourself to new levels.

Georgia’s economy is led by agriculture and many other industries have STEM-related growth opportunities. Many of my employees and others I work with in the landscape industry have found success in the Technical College System and through employer training initiatives. Lawmaker investments in technical colleges and well as recognizing the value of on-the-job training is a great way to open more doors for students and future career professionals.”

#ChampionsofScience #STEMjobs #plantscience