In this episode, I describe my experiences as a participant in the Oxford/AstraZeneca phase III clinical trial for the COVID-19 candidate vaccine, AZD1222. I discuss my motivation for volunteering, the process of enrolling, what it was like at the test site, side effects (not very serious) and issues surrounding blinding (i.e., vaccine vs. placebo) in vaccine trials.

This is a panel discussion on the topic of materials for haptics –  technologies that interface with the sense of touch. We touch (pun  intended) on a lot of topics, from the philosophy of haptics, the need  for interdisciplinary collaboration, and future applications. The  moderators are Darren Lipomi (UC San Diego), Benjamin Tee (National  University of Singapore), and Yigit Menguc (Facebook). Panelists are Ed  Colgate (Northwestern), Tania Moriomoto (UC San Diego), Charles Dhong,  Fabrizio Sergi, and Laure Kayser (all of University of Delaware). Part 1  of 2.

I sat down for an educational and inspiring conversation with Victoria  Fu (UCSD BS in chemical engineering '12, MS in nanoengineering '13). Our  wide-ranging conversation covered her upbringing and education,  trajectory in the chemical and beautycare industries, the stories behind  the founding of Chemist Confessions, and advice for young scientists  and engineers headed out into the world on their own.

As part of the 10-year anniversary celebration of the IDEA Center in the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, I sat down with its current and former Directors, Profs. Olivia Graeve and Carlos Coimbra. We discussed the founding of the center, its role in creating a culture of inclusion, and advice for individuals wishing to create something similar at their institutions. I have the distinct honor of taking over as Director in July of 2021, and thus really enjoyed this discussion!

You can learn more about the IDEA Center here: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/idea/

These are my personal reflections on publishing papers, good practices, and the peer-review process in general. These opinions are my own and do not reflect those of UC San Diego or any organization but me.  When I list my "career ratio" of reviews done to scientific papers published of 5:1, that is since starting my independent career, since almost half of my scientific output was as a student or postdoc, and I am not counting the reviews I did then.

In this conversation, I sat down with the enigmatic Chemjobber, one of  chemistry's most prolific bloggers and commentators. Since 2008, CJ has  amplified job postings to his readers and twitter followers, identified  trends in the chemical job market, and provided commentary on a range of  practical issues of interest to chemists and chemical engineers. He has  nearly 30 thousand followers on Twitter and is the first resource to  whom all it many of us in chemistry or chemistry-adjacent fields turned  when we have found ourselves unemployed or looking for a new position.  Since 2017, he has had a monthly column in Chemical and Engineering  News, the primary trade publication of the American Chemical Society. I  know I share the widely held sentiment that Chemjobber provides an  enormous value to the community and does essentially all of it on his  own time.

I was honored to get to spend an hour chatting with Prof. Tyler Cowen of George Mason University. Tyler is the author of several books on topics ranging from the value of commercial culture to economic stagnation in the US. Tyler is remarkable in his breadth of learning, intense curiosity, and freshness of his ideas. While he does not come from a background in the physical sciences and engineering, I nevertheless think he has a great deal to offer my audience, as I have learned an inestimable amount from his books, podcast episodes, and public appearances. You can learn more about Tyler in the following places

His blog, Marginal Revolution

https://marginalrevolution.com/

Online education resources through Marginal Revolution University

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnkEhPBMZcEO0QGu51fDFDg

His podcast, Conversations with Tyler

https://conversationswithtyler.com/

Here is the transcript of my introduction: Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics and Director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is also the host of the podcast “Conversations with Tyler,” and author of a regular column on Bloomberg, along with engaging in a million other activities in writing, speaking, and investing. I’ve discovered many things through his books and podcast, from how to find good inexpensive ethnic food to why I should perhaps feel less guilty about my consumption of commercial culture. Back when it was safe to travel, I used to download several episodes of his podcast before long flights to academic conferences, and often remembered learning more from Tyler and his guests than I did from the conference. I invited him here today to see what an audience of natural scientists and engineers might learn from an economist. More so, I just think he has interesting thoughts on many of the topics that interest me and the people who are probably listening.

In this episode, I sat down with Prof. Jillian Buriak of the University of Alberta and until recently Editor-in-Chief of Chemistry of Materials. We spoke to each other about her life in chemistry, her journey as an editor, the role of impact factor, inclusion in science, and integrating work and life, especially with children.

In this episode, I chat with Marwa ElDiwiny, who hosts the IEEE Soft  Robotics Podcast, which has paved the way for several podcasts made by  scientists, for scientists. We discuss Marwa's journey from Egypt to France and beyond, the story behind her podcasts, her most interesting  guests, lab culture, being an outsider, and her interests in  communication, visual art, clothing, and food. Enjoy!

In this episode, I chat with my colleague, Prof. Brian Keating, about  his various channels of outreach, including the Into the Impossible  podcast, his YouTube channel, and his book, Losing the Nobel Prize.  There is a lot of great, practical advice here for scientists who would  like to engage with the public, or for people interested in why some  scientists are motivated to put themselves in the public eye.

Here is where to find more content from Prof. Keating:

Book: Losing the Nobel Prize http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA

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