PhD Trekkers

Have you heard of BRiDGE?

Tune in to today's podcast to learn how some trailblazing graduate students are taking matters into their own hands, by taking out the stodginess in traditional department seminars and turning them into a tool that works to change department culture and increase the visibility of traditionally underrepresented scientists in STEM.

Historically, scientists invited to give seminars have been cis-gendered older white males. This is due to the cultural norm, that scientists only invite those within their own personal networks to give talks, gating the access to academia and making way for the ol' boys club phenomenon. Additionally, it is still not the norm at many unis to have just students meet with these invited speakers for cordial conversations on not only science, but the broader impacts of the individual's work and on their experiences along their career trajectory.

BRIDGE aims to increase the representation and visibility of early career scientists from underrepresented groups to combat attrition of underrepresented graduate students. BRIDGE will increase the diversity of invited speakers on campus while providing a space for open and constructive conversations between current graduate students and early career researchers on the obstacles faced by underrepresented groups in STEM. In addition to highlighting the contributions of underrepresented scientists, BRIDGE provides invited early career researchers with a platform for sharing their research, and establishing collaborations at a leading research university.

Tune in to our podcast to learn more!

Or visit our website: https://blogs.umass.edu/bridge/

Or email us at [email protected]

Follow the initiative on twitter @umassbridge

Follow the trailblazers on twitter

@TheNadiaFern @foramsraqu @palaeobak @scienceizgolden

Or check out their youtube UMass BRiDGE

Yan shares his story on finding a postdoc position after many applications and several interviews. Listen in for advice on the dos and donts in postdoc applications and interviews. Yan also tells his once-in-a-lifetime story hanging out with the 2018 Chemistry Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold.

Mari and Yan are back! After over having half a year to recuperate from a surgery Mari updates Yan on what its been like being back at home during this time. Mari talks about getting her surgery and how she is struggling staying connected with her lab work while taking this much needed time away and break from the traditional grad school timeline.

Join us as we talk with Dr. Samantha Ying, an Assistant Professor from UC Riverside on her journey through undergrad and take an intimate look at the world of academia and the barriers it poses on members of our society from becoming part of & contributing to our scientific community – specifically, single mothers. Dr. Ying was a Fall 2018 BRIDGE Scholar at UMass Amherst, we would like to acknowledge the funding from BRIDGE that made this podcast interview possible.

Dr. Samantha Ying's Website: https://ucrsoils.weebly.com/

BRIDGE @ UMass: https://blogs.umass.edu/bridge/

If you would like to get in contact Dr. Samantha Ying's email: [email protected]

We are back! Join us as we chat about Yan's experience at his first conference!

This interview was made possible by BRIDGE, a new initiative at UMass focused on increasing the presence of early career underrepresented scientists and providing them with the opportunity to give department seminar talks. To learn more:

https://blogs.umass.edu/bridge/

Join us as we talk with Doctora Rosimar Rios-Berrios originally from the mountains of Puerto Rico (Barranquitas), as she shares with us what she works on at NCAR. Motivated and intrigued by the hurricane weather that affected her home in Puerto Rico, Dra. Rosimar's work is dedicated to answering questions on hurricane intensification while bridging the knowledge gap by sharing this information with her community of Puerto Rico. Hear about her journey in academia and what lead her to starting a platform that would enable her to directly help her community during Hurricane Maria. https://www.facebook.com/rosimarriosberrios/

To learn more about Dra. Rosimar Rios-Berrios:

https://rosimarwx.github.io/

Listen to our interview with Prof. Sandra Petersen who received the 2015 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM). Sandy talks about her research in veterinary science as well as her mentoring work as the director of the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP), a 15-institution alliance focused on increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who earn Ph.D. degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. She also talks about her life from a small town in Nebraska, to being a registered nurse, to becoming a Professor, to her activism and mentorship, and to the Oval Office meeting President Obama!

For more information on her work, please visit:

https://www.vasci.umass.edu/research-faculty/sandra-l-petersen

For more information on the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP), please visit:

http://www.umass.edu/neagep/

Join our stories on navigating through the various challenges of being in long distance relationships in grad school. To all grad students, are you currently in a ldr? How does being in a ldr contribute to your experience in school, research, and life? What are your advice for making a ldr work?

Today we are talking with Rachelle from Western Mass, a Marine Veteran, Soil Scientist, University of Massachusetts Alum, and soon to be Cornell Graduate Student. Join us as she talks to us about her experience training & serving in the Marines in Iraq after high school and then returning to the US for a Bachelors and Masters. Rachelle takes us into her world as a #firstgen #female #veteran going back to school to get her Ph.D. and the challenges in her journey.

Listen to @PhDTrekkers where Yan interviews Professor Floyd Romesberg in the Chemistry Department at the Scripps Research Institute. Floyd talked about his fascinating multidisciplinary research in chemical biology and the unique challenges associated with it. Specifically, Floyd talks about his journey from a high school student with a 1.8 GPA to pursuing graduate degrees in science, from zero knowledge & experience in chemical biology starting his postdoc career to multiple biotech startup companies, and from 15 years of searching for new genetic alphabet to the forefront of artificial & semi-synthetic life. We even talked about his experiences on giving a TedTalk and his perspectives on our current political climate including discussions on the Russian involvement in our 2016 election, Trump, Charlottesville, and political divisiveness.

For more information on Prof. Romesberg's work, please visit:

http://www.scripps.edu/romesberg/

https://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=526459