Little Science Talks

In the sixth and final episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by Marc Reid, a chemist working on a data-driven understanding of process chemistry, and current UKRI Future Leaders Fellow based at the Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry at Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Alongside his flourishing academic career, Marc sidelines as a psychology researcher.. it all started when he'd finished his PhD and went to start a new job in a lab group he didn't know. His feelings of being an imposter began, and he constantly compared himself to those around him - fearing that his qualifications meant nothing. Since then, he's researched imposter phenomenon, or imposter experiences, particularly those experienced by people based in STEM fields. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his research on imposter phenomenon went semi-viral on social media, which is how Heidi found him. A 20 minute online reflective exercise produced an 'imposter score' - Heidi's was in the low 80s (out of 100), and she's kept an eye on Marc's work ever since. He's now working on a book that will include the results and stories collected from the study, and this episode spans everything from what it's like to feel like an imposter, what imposter phenomenon is and what it is not, and when the lines blur into mental health issues that may be better treated clinically. Imposter experiences are the one common thread that everyone in this season has discussed, and we hope that you agree that Marc's story is the perfect way to round off season 1. Remember, be the one fish.

Find out more about Marc and his work here:

To support the advanced e-book release of Marc book, You Are (Not) a Fraud: https://leanpub.com/notafraud

Website with lots of resources: https://www.dr-marc-reid.com/book

Leadership blog: https://www.dr-marc-reid.com/blog-sign-up

Twitter: https://twitter.com/reid_indeed

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reid__indeed/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC121N1Gll8fFHZRWccQSJJA

Carl Sagan and the Pale Blue Dot: https://youtu.be/GO5FwsblpT8

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco. A blog post with full transcript will be available on the Little Science Co blog in the coming days: littlescienceco.com/blog.

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In the fourth episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by Teresa Crew, a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Bangor in North West Wales. Teresa joins us to talk about her research with working class academics, and how working class academics specifically working in STEM subjects present and experience the academy. Teresa is a proud working class academic herself, and has been told multiple times that people like being taught by her because she's 'normal'. At first, she thought this may be a gender thing, but after speaking to some male working class academics, it became clear that they were getting this type of feedback too - it wasn't a gender thing, it was a class thing. Her research delved further into experiences of working class academics, and unfortunately it wasn't all positive - people being judged based on the car they pulled up to work in, academics judging members of the public because of the number of toys visible in their homes, and more. This focus on deficits was rife, and Teresa steers away from any sort of negativity as she pushes through these experiences to find the golden nuggets - the wonderful contributions that working class academics make to university life. We hope that this episode helps to show people that academia is not just for the tweed-clad middle and upper classes that history would have us believe. Teresa is a powerhouse and an inspiration to all, not just people that identify as working class.

Find out more about Teresa and her work here:

Staff webpage: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/history-philosophy-and-social-sciences/staff/teresa-crew/en#publications

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTeresaCrew

Teresa's book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-58352-1

Book mentioned: Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco. A blog post with full transcript will be available on the Little Science Co blog in the coming days: littlescienceco.com/blog.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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In the fourth episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by John Baird, a Lecturer in entomology and infectious disease at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and he joins us to talk about his meandering path to a STEM career. John grew up in Northern Ireland during the troubles, and it's fair to say that education was not at the top of his agenda - he was ultimately asked to leave school after an incident with a tractor. He went into the air force and ended up getting into trouble there too, ending his time in military prison after a drunken quest to sell a tank to Colonel Gaddafi... Eventually, at the age of 27, he decided it was time to get back on the straight and narrow and head to university, doing an access course before graduating with a BSc and PhD. He moved to the University of Aberdeen and was taken under the wing of Professor Mary Cotter, a much loved and admired member of the teaching staff. John is now a much loved member of Aberdeen's teaching staff himself, being nominated by students for University of Aberdeen Science Lecturer of the Year 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. John's keen on encouraging his students to be creative, and we discuss the course he set up (Anna was a student, and Heidi's lectured on the course previously) with the aim of cultivating imagination, creativity and curiosity within his students - a hugely popular course that's given students a new perspective on the way that they can use their scientific skills.

Find out more about John and his work here:

Staff webpage: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sbs/people/profiles/john.baird#panel_profile

Twitter: hhttps://twitter.com/JohnB_Aberdeen

Talking Heads song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKti7QixnJI&ab_channel=JustSomeVideos

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco. A blog post with full transcript will be available on the Little Science Co blog in the coming days: littlescienceco.com/blog.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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In the third episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by Kiara Whittle. Kiara is a Chemist from Brooklyn, New York, and she joins us to talk about her experiences with STEM growing up. She was surrounded by STEM as a child; both of her Grandmothers were Nurses, one of them a Head Nurse at Harlem Hospital, New York, and her Grandfather worked at a tech company. When it came to science herself, Kiara was surrounded by support from her parents and teachers, but could not see herself in scientific role models - a further reminder that young girls, particularly young Black girls, need to see scientists that look like them.

In her new job at a robotics company, Kiara works to make Scientists' lives easier, streamlining lab processes to ensure that science advances as efficiently as possible. Alongside her day job, she works hard to be the role model she didn't have, taking part in initiatives like Letters To A Pre-Scientist and writing to school-aged children around the world. Kiara also has her own podcast, which aims to show that Scientists are fully rounded people with personalities and social lives, in her own words, "half of us are under 30, we have Afros, we have locs, we have big eyes, big lips. We wear hoop earrings. Like I can wear Jordans and I can wear heels."

Find out more about Kiara and her work here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ki_thechemist/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cognac-chemistry/id1510192226

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cognacandchempod/

Instagram that highlights Black owned brands: https://www.instagram.com/thekidirectory_/?hl=en-gb

Letters to a Pre-Scientist: https://prescientist.org/

Interesting Letters to a Pre-Scientist blog post about being first gen: https://www.prescientist.org/2018/03/21/being-first-gen-what-it-means-what-it-doesnt-and-how-to-help/

Skype a Scientist: https://www.skypeascientist.com/

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco. A blog post with full transcript will be available on the Little Science Co blog in the coming days: littlescienceco.com/blog.

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In the second episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by Diana Githwe. Diana is a PhD Student looking at how bacteria in the human gut microbiome break down sugars, and she joins us to share her STEM career so far, and where she might go next. She explains how her mum wanted her to get a good education, and after moving the family from Kenya to Scotland, Diana hit gold with a fantastic biology teacher that encouraged her to pursue a career in biochemistry. We explore how the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed in the summer of 2020 impacted Diana, and why she specifically chose to work with a Black female therapist to help her navigate the microaggressions and barriers that she will likely face as a Black woman in STEM. Diana discusses the importance of backing yourself, and why it's important to remember that while everyone may have 24 hours in the day, there's no need for you to spend it in the same way that Beyoncé does.

Find out more about Diana and her work here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anabundanceofmelanin/

Blog: https://www.anabundanceofmelanin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianagithwe

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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In the first episode of Little Science Talks Season 1, Heidi Gardner and her co-host Anna Kebke are joined by Sanna Rehman. Sanna is a Trainee Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology, and she joins us to explore if and how her South Asian background and cultural experiences played a role in her decision to study a STEM subject. She explains how her passion for breaking down the barriers that women and girls from South Asian backgrounds stems from her own experiences of struggling to meet expectations, pressures and demands throughout her childhood. Sanna has worked hard to fight against these stereotypes to pursue her own goals, and in this episode she shares her experiences of studying psychology, and why being one brown face in a sea of not so brown faces that work in mental health is something seemingly small that can contribute to chipping away at stigma around mental illness.

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco.

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Join Heidi Gardner, founder of Little Science Co, and her co-host Anna Kebke, a marine biologist about to start work within renewable and environmental advice, as they explore experiences in science and STEM more broadly.

A new episode will release every 2 weeks starting on Thursday 5th August 2021, for 6 weeks.

For more information about Little Science Co head to the website: littlescienceco.com, follow on Instagram: instagram.com/littlescienceco, or follow on Twitter: twitter.com/littlescienceco.

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