From where does it STEM?

Dr. Amanda Zellmer of Occidental College put together a phenomenal course called Broader Impacts of Biology. Dafna Erana and I led a discussion in the class about racism in medicine and healthcare and brought on Dr. Callistus Ditah who is a surgical resident at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. In 2021, he will be the first Black resident to graduate from the university. In this episode, he talks about his experiences at UW and in America. Enjoy!

In this episode, I was able to interview Jasmin Graham who is a shark scientist studying elasmobranch ecology and evolution. She has a passion for science education and making science more accessible for everyone, especially underrepresented minority students. She is a director of the MarSci-LACE project and one of the CEOs of the Minorities in Shark Science (MISS). Enjoy!

Manuel Marcaida III is an agricultural engineer from Masbate Island in the Philippines. A fellow Filipino scientist, he had encouraging words regarding acceptance and empathy. He even has his own coffee shop in the Philippines! When it's all said and done, he hopes to have a restaurant one day. Hope you enjoy!

Everyone's academic journey is different. Just ask Amanda Finn- an undergraduate at Cal State University, Long Beach. Her passion and love for research is rooted in Kinesiology, and she aspires to be a professor one day. She is a friend from home who I wish I was closer with in high school. I hope y'all enjoy her journey as much as I did!

In this episode, I got to sit down and interview Dr. Christopher Barnes and Dr. Naima Sharaf who are currently postdoctoral researchers at CalTech. They are both structural biologists that just accepted positions at Stanford University. They also have two kids! Community, support, and yes, luck, were a huge part of their success. They believe in the power of mentorship, and I 'd probably give my left arm if I was ever given the chance to work with them. Enjoy!

This past week, I got to sit down and interview Brian Zou (Macalester College) and Evelyn Montenegro (UC Davis) about their journeys in STEM as underrepresented students. Zou and Montenegro are undergraduates who are undoubtedly going to change their communities with their intelligence, grace, and compassion. I am very grateful I met them, and I hope y'all enjoy listening to them as much as I did.