This week, we will be joined by Krystal Vasquez (@CaffeinatedKrys) (she/her).   Krystal is a PhD candidate in Atmospheric Chemistry at Caltech. Due to a genetic condition, Krystal's health took a turn for the worst during her 3rd year of grad school. The stark difference between her experiences before and after identifying as disabled led Krystal to advocate for increased accessibility in academia (especially within the STEM disciplines) and the inclusion of disabled voices in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

As a part of these efforts, Krystal runs the blog "Chronically Invisible" which works to highlight all the disabled scientists you never learned about in your textbooks. She also co-founded the Caltech Disability Coalition, which is the university’s first disability-related organization.

A full-text transcript of this episode is available via google doc.

Join us each Saturday at 3 pm EDT/12 pm PDT for the Youtube live stream!  The podcast will be posted each Tuesday! Grad Chat focuses on maintaining mental health and balance in grad school. Want to be a guest or know somebody we should be talking to? Fill out our google form!

A casual discussion between a current and a recent graduate student about all things mental and personal health. Not medical or professional advice.

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