STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia

Episode Summary

1) Shemika didn't even consider college. She thought it was out of reach even though she went to a gifted and talented high school.

2) She deferred and became a braider. She did that and worked throughout her college career. It took her 4 years to find a job in her field. Stay persistent.

3) She wants you to know that it is okay to step outside of your comfort zone and do something different. Stretch yourself. You will thank yourself later.


Shemika White Bio

Shemika Antonette is an ASQ and Six Sigma certified Quality engineer, specializing in process improvement and quality system maintenance with years of experience in the medical device industry. Originally from Brooklyn, NY she moved to Connecticut to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from The University of Hartford. She is receiving her Master of Science in Engineering Management from Western New England University and is continuing to pursuit an MBA.  
  As CEO of Notes of Beauty, Shemika pairs her passion for natural hair and skincare with her knowledge of chemistry and her love of music. As she advances in her career, she continues to mentor aspiring black engineers through her platform, now coined as Engineering My Natural. Her goal is to impact her community by inspiring those who seek a career in STEM and helping them navigate their career paths. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shemika-white

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) She's smart and beautiful. She says that Chemistry chose her and not the other way around.
2) She believes that being in STEM is important that she was inspired by having a chance encounter with a scientist. That meeting changed her life. 
3) That scientist awarded her a scholarship that allowed her to attend her dream college, LSU where she received her degree.
4) She believes that having friends, mentors, sponsors, and a good support system are all needed especially in STEM Careers.
5) She understands that all of us are multifaceted people with more than one singular gift. That we can be STEM professionals AND a dancer, or debutante, or pageant queen. All are possible.
6) She believes that she is changing the face of pageantry and the face of STEM. 

Dr. Treva Brown Bio
Treva Brown was born and raised in North Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  She received her diploma from Baton Rouge Magnet High School. She dreamed of attending Louisiana State University and her physics teacher provided her with advice and information. Treva recalls, “Ms Cao told me about STEM programs at LSU and I began considering them and came across the LA-STEM [Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] Scholars Program, for which I applied, and met Dr Isiah Warner. It was through listening to his story, and some research through the LSU Chemistry website, that I decided to choose Chemistry as my major and have loved it ever since.”

Treva became a LSU tiger in the Department of Chemistry at LSU and took charge of her undergraduate experience. Her journey as an undergraduate was a very fruitful experience. She began research in Professor Jayne Garno’s group. She gained intensive experience in atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning probe lithography to study organic thin films of n-alkanethiols. She analyzed and performed surface chemistry studies of organosilanes via particle lithography and chemical vapor deposition. Treva presented her research and won presentation awards at many conferences across the nation including ACS, SERMACS, NOBCChE, and Triple EX.  As a senior, Treva served as a TA for General Chemistry Laboratory, which was good experience in preparation for graduate school.  Eager to share her passion for STEM, Treva became a counselor in a summer program hosted by the Office of Strategic Initiatives. She served as a role model for the incoming LSU freshmen, entering the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program, helping them to transition into college life. She emphasized the principles of leadership, scholarship, and success by expressing the importance of excellence in mentoring, education, research, and outreach. As she reminisced about her time in the Department, Treva says, “I appreciated the outpouring of encouragement and support from programs such as LA-STEM Research Scholars, LS-LAMP (Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation), IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Development), and HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Professors Program. Without the continued encouragement and support from the professors and staff that worked with these programs, I probably would not be where I am today in the scientific world.”

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevabrownphd

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) She was the "GeekSquad" before there was a Geek Squad.

2) She believes that connection is vitally important especially when we are talking about STEM and how it works in the "real" world.

3) Be the beta tester means be a part of the early adoption of technology. Keep your ears open and find the next best thing going. Be a part of the group that's willing to test it out. Its how we grow.

4) She LOVES Clubhouse. She sees it as a way to delete the geographical barriers to knowledge and growth. 


Neferteri Strickland Bio:

Neferteri Strickland is a cybersecurity technologist and podcast host who serves her community by supporting education initiatives in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, (STEM) education and post PreK-12 career readiness. Neferteri has a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Savannah State University, Master of Professional Studies in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity from The Pennsylvania State University, and industry certifications as a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teachersand
website: https://www.teachersand.com/

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) The thing I love most about Neirda is that you can tell right off the bat that she enjoys what she does. She has a passion for it. Our kids are in great hands here.
2) The STEM vs. STEAM conversations was one of the best that I've had on this subject. I'm still a STEM girl however I can and do appreciate her argument and you will also.
3) STEM should be fun!!

Neirda Lafontant Bio

Haitian-American Neirda Lafontant, 41, uses her background as a civil engineer to pave the way for future innovators in S.T.E.A.M., (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) careers. A dynamic speaker and motivator, Lafontant created the nonprofit FUNducation in 2019 to give kids, especially under-represented kids, an opportunity to build robots, learn about forensics, explore coding, and more. “Many kids don’t know about these careers and could never imagine themselves in a S.T.E.A.M. profession,” she says. “But, especially as a Black woman, I like to tell them, ‘If you can see it, you can be it.’

website: www.funducation.org

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Dr. Adams is an Army brat who moved around a lot in her youth.
2) She has had mentoring of life AND engineering and credits both of those things with her success.
3) She wrote her book because of the experiences that she has had being a chemical engineer and a Black woman.

Dr. Angelique Adams Bio:

I am an engineer with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, strategy, and innovation most recently serving as the Chief Innovation Officer at Aperam, a multi-billion/yr global manufacturer of stainless steel and specialty alloys. I have a Ph.D. from Penn State and an MBA from MIT. You can learn more about my career here.

I went from being laughed at when I told professors I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., to leading hundreds of scientists around the world. I’ve lectured at universities and consulted for leaders in industry, academia, and the nonprofit sector. 

For more than a decade, I’ve been sought out as a career mentor and coach, especially for women and people of color.  And for the same amount of time, I have been frustrated by the lack of role models, resources, and advice for the people I help. So, I decided to create something myself.

The You’re More Than a Diversity Hire book series fills the gap left by HR, well-intentioned mentors, and general career books. I provide the best actionable advice from successful diverse insiders.

I’ve started the series with women in STEM. Leveraging my own 25 years of experience and insights from over 80 women across a broad range of industries, working on four continents, I address pressing topics like how to command respect at work, how to develop a career roadmap, and how to handle haters who judge you for pursuing a career you love.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angeliqueadams/
Website: https://drangeliqueadams.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Angelique-Adams/e/B08TW185V4%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Tiffani Teachy is the truth. She is true to her mission and making sure that girls and underrepresented groups get access to and are exposed to STEM. She means it!!

2) She is an author twice over. You can learn about both her books from her website.

3) Parents do the work to find opportunities to expose kids to STEM.

4) If you have an idea for a book. Write it. Look for help from free-lancers but write it and get it out there.

5) In her second book,  she talks about how she made her way through imposter syndrome and you can also/


Tiffani Teachy Bio
Tiffani Teachey is a Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) advocate, professional speaker, and international bestselling author of the children's book What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z, available in Spanish, French, and Swahili, coloring & activity book, teacher's guide, and women's empowerment books Saving Lives While Fighting for Mine: Stories Empowering Women to Win and Pretty, Paid, and Powerful: 40 Days to Empowering the Woman Within. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a Masters of Science degree in Engineering Management, both from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

​

As an engineer with more than sixteen years of experience, Tiffani has a passion for inspiring the next generation to engage in STEM careers. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Tiffani was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, enjoys traveling and being a youth mentor.

website: https://tiffaniteachey.com/

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Rasheeda is determined to live her life OUT LOUD!!!

2) She is not your stereotypical computer programmer and she plans to never be that person. She has a level of what she calls "go get it-ness" which means she's always striving for something. She's always learning.

3) She believes that you must be strategic in your career plan. 

4) Sometimes you really do have to leave to get what you want. 

5) Remember that you work but you also have to live. Don't let work be the only thing in your life. Have some outlets that bring you joy. 

6) You must be a speaker box for yourself. 

Rasheeda Williams Bio: 
Rasheeda is a successful professional with over 25 years in the  I/T STEM field.  She has 3 sons and enjoys motivating and inspiring young BIPOC boys and girls.  Her desire is to be a face and voice for the STEM field with the hope of changing the narrative as to what techies look like as well as to create awareness around the roles of the numbers in the field.  She is passionate about being a change agent and making a difference in the lives of youth and young adults.  She is currently writing a book to chronicle her experiences as a black female in tech with chapters focusing on knowing your worth, navigating Corporate America, Negotiating salary, and more.

website: www.randomlyrasheeda.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasheedawilliams

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

In this follow-up episode, Dr. Quigley and I discuss social justice as it relates to STEM, Data Science, and AI. How important it is that students are STEM literate but also are literature through conversation, knowing good data (information) from bad data (information). She believes that one key to being STEM literate is developing one skill that you use in your daily life. We all have skills but we haven't classified them as a STEM skill. 

We also talked about the idea that WaKanda could really exist if we were serious about it!! Think about the possibilities of that idea. 

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Dr. Quigley was homeschooled for a bit of time. Her homeschool experience was positive. 

2) She fell in love with science pretty quickly. Chemistry was her favorite. She went to Spelman College for Chemistry but soon found that Physics made more sense to her.

3) She knows and believes that the "hidden" curriculum and the mastering of it is the thing that contributes to the well being of students while in college and in high school.

4) The steps to STEM are really taught in high school or college. They should be.

5)She talks about the engineering process, engineering mindset and how it can be applied across disciplines. 

6) She has been able to apply her science and engineering background to data science and AI and sees the value that all things STEM can bring to social justice movements all over the world. 

Dr. Lauren Quigley Bio: 
Dr. Quigley is a research-driven STEM education specialist with 10+ years of progressive experience leading STEM Education programs in higher education, nonprofit, government, and industry settings. Proven leader with the ability to combine vision, research, policy, and practice in order to design, launch and reorient STEM education initiatives.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-t-b6844126

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Tinisha grew up in a single-parent household where college wasn't the first thought. She decided that she wanted to go and found a way to do that. Computer Science was her ticket.

2) She was used to being the "first and only" in her classes as is the story of many young, minority students in advanced and STEM courses.

3) She believes that having or feeling a sense of belonging is key towards retaining and keeping minority talent in the STEM pipeline. 

4) She and her partners at Primary Talent Partners are working the entire STEM pipeline to ensure that minority students have the access, abilities, opportunities, and support for STEM.

5) She really believes in paying it forward.

Tinisha Bookhart Bio:
Tinisha Bookhart is a Partner of Primary Talent Partners with 20+ years as a leader in Information Technology. Experienced leading dedicated and matrixed cross-functional teams onshore, nearshore, and offshore; data migration, integration, and warehousing technology solutions. 

website: https://www.primarytalentpartners.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinishabookhart

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A