Emilia and Rori speak with Dr. Maria Orive from the University of Kansas, who shares her journey as a Cuban American who became a renowned population geneticist. She discusses growing up in a Cuban American community in Olympia, Washington, and her academic journey through Stanford and UC Berkeley, including the challenges she faced. As an associate dean and fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dr. Orive highlights the significance of mentorship, the importance of resilience, and the balance between work and personal life in academia.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Science Wise Season 2

01:36 Growing Up Cuban American in Olympia

03:46 Early Interests and Challenges

07:19 Academic Journey and Influences

13:10 Undergraduate Research Experience

18:09 Graduate School and Mentorship

20:18 Challenging Postdoc Experience

22:33 Struggles with Dissertation Completion

28:33 Transition to Faculty and Career Growth

37:21 Revise and Resubmit: Overcoming Rejection

CREDITS: This episode is produced and edited by Maribel Quezada Smith. Sound Engineering by Keagan Stromberg. Production Coordinator, Marissa Alcantar. A Diferente Creative Production. The hosts are Dr. Emilia Huerta-Sanchez and Dr. Rori Rohlfs. Special thanks to Dr. Maria Orive.