Science Lives

In this episode, I speak with Janet Chao, an ocularist and anaplastologist with a private practice in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anaplastologists provide custom, non-weight-bearing prostheses for patients who have suffered loss of anatomy due to injury, disease, or congenital origin, and ocularists deal specifically with the fitting and fabrication of artificial eyes. In college, Janet majored in bioengineering and minored in chemistry, but struggled to see where these would take her professionally, and so began to rethink the possibility of including her passion for arts and crafts into her work. This led her to obtain a certificate in science illustration and do a series of internships before enrolling in the Master of Science program in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois, Chicago. After graduating, she completed a 5 year apprenticeship before becoming board certified in both ocularistry and anaplastology, and going into business for herself. We’ll talk about all these experiences and of course find out about what her job is like.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
International Anaplastology Association (IAA)
American Society of Ocularists (ASO)

Please note that although contents of the interview are accurate at the time of the recording, educational pathways in ocularistry and anaplastology are constantly evolving. In fact, formal education opportunities in the field of clinical anaplastology may soon be available, for example at Johns Hopkins University

In this episode, I speak with Melanie Stegman, Assistant Professor at the Center for Advanced Entertainment and Learning Technology at Harrisburg University in Pennsylvania. Melanie was interested in biochemistry from an early age, and worked in biochemistry labs while earning an BA in political science. After college, she started writing a story about Amy the Amylase, intending to make molecular cell biology less scary for everyone. To get the biochemistry right in her stories, Melanie pursued a PhD in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology from the University of Cincinnati.  During her postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College, Melanie found out about an educational video game being made by a think tank in Washington, DC. Melanie then moved to DC, won a grant to study the game, and based on her research, designed and produced a new game called Immune Defense. After 5 years of trying to get a game studio off the ground, Melanie is now a professor of interactive media and science communication. She creates games about chemistry and teaches game development, while still dabbling in indie game development. 

Links to resources mentioned in this episode
Game Engines:

• Unity 3D
• Unreal
• Construct
• Gamemaker
• Scratch

Other links:

• Blender 3D
• Itch.io
• Games for Change
• Science Game Center
• Immune Attack and Immune Defense video games
• International Game Developer Association
• Game Developer Conference

In this episode, I speak with Janae Carrothers, MESA Program Director at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington. MESA stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, and is an academic preparation program that supports pre-college, community college, and university-level students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Janae has a BS in biology education and an MS in zoology, both from Washington State University, Pullman. Growing up “in the woods” in rural Washington, Janae wanted to become a field biologist like Dian Fossey or Jane Goodall. However, once in college, circumstances and personal interest nudged her towards science education, which became her primary focus following her experience as a teaching assistant in graduate school. We’ll hear about these formative events and of course find out about what her job is like.

In this episode, I speak with Gaëlle Batot, Project Manager for ARUP Laboratories, a national clinical diagnostic reference laboratory. Initially planning on going to medical school in her native France, Gaëlle didn't pass the entrance examination and so instead trained to become a laboratory technician. This lead her to graduate school in Grenoble, where she earned a PhD in structural biology, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in the United States. While volunteering for the postdoc associations at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Utah, she discovered that she particularly enjoyed the aspects of her work typically associated with project management, and this led her to learn more about engaging and motivating teams. Additional formal project management training helped prepare her for her current position at ARUP.  We’ll talk about all these experiences and of course find out about what her job is like. 

In this episode, I speak with Mark Beaman, Winemaker for Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma, California. After growing up on a farm in rural Washington, Mark attended Whitman College, where he focused on geology because it combined his love of science, being outdoors, and being physically active. After earning a BA in geology-environmental studies, Mark spent two years in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Needing work after returning home, he took a job as lab technician at a winery in Washington, which led to other jobs in wineries in California and Hawaii. We’ll talk about all these experiences and of course find out what his job is like.

In this episode, I speak with Madison Rice, Medical Illustrator at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Madison was life science major in college, earning a BS in microbiology from Mississippi State University. Building on her long-time interest in art, in her junior year she also began taking art classes to satisfy a minor in visual art. She then completed a two-year master’s program in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois, Chicago before beginning her current job as a medical illustrator. 

In this episode, I speak with Glenn Watson, Medical Science Liaison at LivaNova, a medical device company. Glenn was a Psychology and Neuroscience double major at the University of Delaware, and earned his PhD in neuroscience from Pennsylvania State University. During graduate school, he had an internship in the Technology Transfer Office, and as a postdoc at Duke University had a fellowship in the Office of Licensing and Ventures.  While looking into other non-academic career options, he came across a job posting for a Medical Science Liaison, and knew the position was for him.  We’ll talk about all these experiences, and of course find out what job is like

This episode breaks from the usual format in that I will be interviewing someone who has not yet begun their career as a scientist. My guest today is Jayla King, a senior at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.  When she graduates in the spring, Jayla will be the first person in her family to have earned a four-year degree. In high school, Jayla focused on engineering, including completing college-level coursework, and presumed she would continue studying engineering in college. However, once there, she decided to study biology to ensure her scholarship would cover all four years of school.  In this episode, we’ll talk about her education, what she has learned through various internships, and how she sees her future unfolding. In addition, she’ll tell us about a podcast she co-produces at Hendrix called Scientists for Social Justice, where she and her professor discuss issues of social justice in the higher education system, especially as they relate to the scientific disciplines.  

Scientists for Social Justice website: https://anchor.fm/sfsj
Hendrix College Odyssey Program: https://www.hendrix.edu/odyssey/

In this episode, I speak with Mallory Mintz, Intern Scientist in the National Park Service’s Scientists in Parks program. A first generation college student, Mallory graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geology, and then worked for several years as a research assistant at The Earth Institute at Columbia University. She left that position after the pandemic hit, and moved across the country to the Olympic Peninsula for her current internship. In this episode, we’ll talk about her passion for science, desire to use her education to make an impact in the world, her thoughts on how she sees her career progressing and whether to go to graduate school, and of course find out about her current work with the National Park Service.

In this episode, I speak with Morgan Merriman, Instructional Designer at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences at the National Institutes of Health.  Interested in science at an early age, in high school Morgan became particularly intrigued by research and the scientific method, which led to her studying biology and working in a lab in college. She went to graduate school expecting to earn a PhD in Neurobiology, but ultimately decided that she was more interested in educational processes than research, and left with a master’s degree to become a high school science teacher.  She then transitioned into her current role as an instructional designer.  We’ll talk about all these experiences and of course find out what her job is like.