When Science Speaks

Scientists and engineers are usually very adept in quantitative endeavors such as math and statistics. Despite having the skills to tackle high-level technical problems, many scientists don't have training in other important areas such as communication. What can people do to recognize and improve these important skills in their own professional life?

Karene Richards is a women's advocate and capital markets quantitative expert with over 15 years of success in the investment banking industry. She has the distinction of building the first Carbon Finance model for the World Bank. Karene also created a mortgage-backed security model that generated over $250 million in income.

Scientists are a fountain of innovation. They are on the leading edge of so many technologies and medical discoveries. It can be surprising to learn that connection and communication is one of the biggest difficulties for them. Karene Richards has both quantitative expertise and top-notch communication skills and hopes to help others in the science and technology fields learn the same.

Karene earned her undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Harvard University. After getting her Bachelor's, Karene went on to get a master's of Financial Mathematics and Statistics at Columbia University.

• [1:01] Introduction to Karene Richards
• [3:49] The formative years of Karene
• [7:45] How her quantitative expertise informs her work as a CEO
• [10:25] How Karene's skills in the management side inform her communication with other engineers
• [12:15] Seeking to understand someone before trying to be understood, and the importance of connection in communication
• [16:10] Innovation follows naturally after inclusion
• [17:20] How Karene thinks communication in science can be improved
• [22:42] What scientists can do to improve their perspective and communication with those outside the sciences
• [27:20] Communication advice for listeners

• LinkedIn
• The Karene Group
• Wonder Women Tech
• Karene's WWT Profile

The daily routines, expectations, and skills needed in the life of a scientist can be very different from that of a CEO or other management position. Many people will only ever operate in only one of those areas. Things like quantitative analysis and high-level math lead to very different needs with regards to the connection between people. So what perspectives can we learn from someone who has lived in both worlds?

Karene has that experience. As she mentions in the episode, the analytical skills from her quantitative past can help her see the "bare bones" of the issues as a CEO. It also helps her to know what questions to ask and get to the real problem. Alternatively, when communicating, she has learned as a CEO to take into consideration how the person being communicated to will feel after the conversation because people tend to remember how they felt about a conversation more than the minute details of what was said.

Communication between people, whether it by colleagues in science or business, is the key to the successful completion of any project. Science can sometimes seem like it is in a bubble, and the personalities which are used to being buried in the work found in labs and theories are not trained to interface with the world. What can we do to improve the communication and connection between scientists and investors or the public?

As Karene says in this week's show, a connection is easier when one tries to understand someone before trying to be understood. What that really says is that it is easier to convey a message or idea to someone else if you can try to understand them as a person first. Look at it from their point of view and try to boil your message down to one sentence.

Learn more about Karene Richards and her successful career in science and business by listening in on this week's episode of When Science Speaks.

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Effective leadership is the driving force behind education, business, and also the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. It is a skill which is hard to describe or pin down, yet you know it when you see it. Why is leadership so important, especially in the fields of science and engineering? And what can people do to develop their skills if they want to become better leaders?

Dr. Crystal Morrison is a scientist, leader, and speaker who believes that stronger leadership skills need to be developed for professionals in the science, engineering, and tech fields. Through her professional experience, her companies, and public speaking, she has made it her personal mission - and her business - to help build strong leaders in these important fields.

Tech and science have traditionally had a difficult time developing people in management positions. After being tired of a lack of leadership development in the fields of STEM, Crystal launched EverRise, LLC, which endeavors to take on this important task. She has also brought her message to the stage with her highly effective TEDx talk.

Dr. Crystal Morrison concurrently earned her PhD and MS in Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry at the University of Missouri-Rola, with a minor in Business Communications.

• [0:59] Mark introduces Dr. Crystal Morrison
• [2:38] Why Crystal and EverRise decided to focus on leadership
• [3:56] Do scientists struggle with leadership roles more than other professions?
• [4:56] The High-Performance Leadership Platform
• [6:50] The shift in mindset that is needed to be a leader
• [8:10] What listeners can do in their daily lives to be better leaders
• [10:10] The best types of training for leaders
• [12:40] The Peer Group Coaching which Crystal is developing
• [14:40] The ability to interface with people is the biggest factor to success in any career

• EverRise, LLC
• Dr. Crystal Morrison TEDx Talk

For those who have chosen professions and education in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields, having an analytical mind is a large asset to have. Highly quantitative subjects like math and science have distinct problems and (hopefully) solutions. Having that analytical mind is helpful for crafting quantitative solutions, but it isn't always ideal for the more nuanced needs of a leadership role. So what can professionals do to improve leadership skills?

That is what Crystal has made her passion, and why she started EverRise, LLC. So, what are some tips which Crystal has for those who wish to develop more management skills? As she mentions in her interview this week, Dr. Morrision suggests a high level of communication is necessary to project authority. This might require a shift in mentality.

Leadership does not happen in a vacuum. It is the result of people coming together and "interfacing", as Dr. Morrisson called it in this week's episode. It is through that interaction that people learn the skills necessary to guide their peers in mutual endeavors. Learning to communicate a vision, and helping people see and buy into that vision is what makes a leader.

That is best accomplished through positive interaction. Most people don't respond well when they are treated poorly or feel unappreciated. Providing a positive influence will help you build a connection with the people around you in the short term, as well as a reputation that will help you create that same connection with new people in the long term.

Learn more about Dr. Crystal Morrison and her work building tomorrow's leaders by tuning in to the full conversation with Mark, on this week's episode of When Science Speaks.

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The idea of public speaking can leave many people feeling anxious and afraid. So, for those who need to give a speech or presentation for their academic or business career, what are some ways to overcome the nerves? What techniques can they use to calm their anxiety?

Bri McWhorter is a successful actress and teacher who specializes in public speaking, interview techniques, and interpersonal communications, as well as the skills needed to give an effective presentation. She uses her training as an actor to show others how to overcome stage anxiety and communicate their message.

The experience of being trained as an actor led Bri to create Activate to Captivate, where she is CEO to this day. The company teaches communication from the point of view of an actor. Through communication workshops and private coaching, Bri and her company endeavor to help clients in academia, corporations, and nonprofits to improve their public speaking, interpersonal communication, and interview techniques.

Bri McWhorter earned her Bachelor's Degree in Theater and Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. After her undergraduate degree, she went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting at UC Irvine.

• [1:04] Introduction to Bri McWhorter
• [2:19] Why Bri decided to become an actor
• [3:13] Finding her other passion of helping people using her acting background
• [6:29] How being trained as an actor helps Bri teach people to communicate
• [8:40] Getting over stage fright
• [12:15] Bri's work with Scientists at UC Irvine
• [16:05] What makes Bri proud in her communication work
• [19:39] A piece of advice from Bri to improve communication skills

• Activate to Captivate
• Bri McWhorter on LinkedIn
• BriMcWhorter.com

The fear of speaking in public is a very common one. It can be difficult to speak in front of a group of people you don't know. It can be even more frightening to do it in front of your peers. Bri calls the physical shock which a speaker can go through a "presenter shell" because the speaker does not feel like themselves. Tension builds up in their body, and it affects the voice. When someone hears that wavering in their voice, it increases the nerves, and creates a negative feedback loop.

Fortunately for her clients, Bri has developed techniques to alleviate those conditions. So what are some ways in which a speaker can prepare to speak and calm down their nerves? For example, warm-up techniques are taught which are similar to those used by professional athletes. They don't just run onto the court or field without a routine to get their body ready and their nerves calmed. The best thing to do to calm the body, according to Bri, is to breathe. When someone is nervous, the first thing they do is hold their breath. So learning to breathe in moments of anxiety can make a huge difference.

As Bri mentions in during this interview, actors are trained to know how to use their body and their voice to add life to what they are communicating. Most people only rely on the message they are trying to convey while speaking in public or in front of a crowd. The body is a useful tool for effectively communicating with a personal audience, and the formal training of an actor naturally embodies that.

Actors learn to see things from another's perspective, and that is what public speaking is all about. The entire point is for another person to receive your message, so knowing how to embody that is incredibly helpful. What does a typical audience member think? What do they know already about the subject at hand? What could possibly be confusing for them about the subject? Understanding their perspective, and that the act of public speaking is a group experience, goes a long way towards successfully conveying a message. Actors know this, and that makes them natural teachers of effective communication.

Learn more about Bri McWhorter and her successful life as an actor and teacher of communication by listening to the full conversation with Mark on this week's episode of When Science Speaks.

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
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Since the industrial revolution, we have been contaminating our water, air, and land at alarming rates. We also are faced with an epidemic of homelessness. Who can we turn to for these alarming issues which we face? Is there anyone who has tackled these problems successfully? Mark's guest this week has taken on both of these problems.

Dr. Lilia Abron is a trailblazing entrepreneur. She has the distinction of being the first African-American woman in the country to earn a PhD in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Abron is also the first African-American to launch a consulting firm which focuses on environmental issues. She was an early pioneer in the idea that sustainability initiatives can improve the condition of impoverished areas around the world.

Lilia has created an incredibly successful career in business and community involvement. She is the Founder and CEO of PEER Consultants, PC, an environmental consulting firm out of Washington, DC, but which has offices in 10 cities. She has also served as a board member with the Baptist Home for Children, as well as President of Jack and Jill of American, Inc. in Washington DC.

Dr. Lilia Abron completed her Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry at LeMoyne-Owen College. After earning her Master's Degree in Sanitary Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, she worked as an environmental chemist before going on to complete her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Iowa.

• [1:05] Mark introduces his guest, Dr. Lilia Abron
• [3:28] What drew Dr. Abron to engineering
• [8:02] Lilia's time working as an environmental chemist before going back to get her PhD
• [11:20] Dr. Abron originally wanted to go into academia
• [14:40] Starting PEER Consulting and the difficulties Lilia faced
• [18:38] Working on cleaning up Boston Harbor
• [24:00] Sanitary engineering is the same thing as environmental engineering
• [25:23] Lilia's experiences working in South Africa
• [29:30] The transformation of the housing program in South Africa
• [39:14] Dr. Abron's advice for those starting a small business

• PEER Consultants, P.C.
• Dr. Lilia Abron on LinkedIn
• About Dr. Lilia Abron

Industrial processes used routinely everyday - many dating undertaking since the industrial revolution have taken their toll on the Earth. With all of the mounting issues with the environment today, who are the professionals who work to solve these problems? Environmental engineers work to protect the people from environmental issues and improve general environmental quality. They endeavor, in part, to ensure that we have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

With her academic and professional background in engineering and environmental chemistry, Dr. Abron was an ideal candidate for the cleanup of Boston Harbor, as mentioned in today's episode. Her Master's degree was in Sanitary Engineering, a field which has since become Environmental Engineering. This rebranding is due to the increasing awareness of environmental issues, and the need to take a more proactive approach to the health of our environment.

Passive solar housing is a design process where the entire house is structured and oriented in such a way as to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the most efficient way possible. The layout provides a way to store and use heat in the winter, but reject it in the summer. An interesting thing about passive solar housing is that it does all this without the use of electrical or mechanical devices.

Being an engineer, Lilia knew about this idea. As she mentions in the interview, South Africa was implementing a program to house their homeless. The initiative, which set aside 5 percent of their government's budget to build housing for the millions of homeless which the nation had, was a noble one. She looked at the design for their houses and realized that for the same cost they could be built more efficiently.

To know more about the life and work of Dr. Lilia Abron and her trailblazing work in science and South Africa, make sure to listen to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
• https://bayerstrategic.com/
• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic
• On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bayer-Strategic-Consulting-206102993131329
• On YouTube: http://bit.ly/BSConTV
• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdanielbayer/
• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayerstrategic/
• On Medium: https://medium.com/@markbayer17

Subscribe to When Science Speaks on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher

Since the industrial revolution, we have been contaminating our water, air, and land at alarming rates. We also are faced with an epidemic of homelessness. Who can we turn to for these alarming issues which we face? Is there anyone who has tackled these problems successfully? Mark’s guest this week has taken on both of these problems. 

Dr. Lilia Abron is a trailblazing entrepreneur. She has the distinction of being the first African-American woman in the country to earn a PhD in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Abron is also the first African-American to launch a consulting firm which focuses on environmental issues. She was an early pioneer in the idea that sustainability initiatives can improve the condition of impoverished areas around the world.

Lilia has created an incredibly successful career in business and community involvement. She is the Founder and CEO of PEER Consultants, PC, an environmental consulting firm out of Washington, DC, but which has offices in 10 cities. She has also served as a board member with the Baptist Home for Children, as well as President of Jack and Jill of American, Inc. in Washington DC. 

Dr. Lilia Abron completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry at LeMoyne-Owen College. After earning her Master’s Degree in Sanitary Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, she worked as an environmental chemist before going on to complete her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Iowa.

• [1:05] Mark introduces his guest, Dr. Lilia Abron
• [3:28] What drew Dr. Abron to engineering
• [8:02] Lilia’s time working as an environmental chemist before going back to get her PhD
• [11:20] Dr. Abron originally wanted to go into academia
• [14:40] Starting PEER Consulting and the difficulties Lilia faced
• [18:38] Working on cleaning up Boston Harbor
• [24:00] Sanitary engineering is the same thing as environmental engineering
• [25:23] Lilia’s experiences working in South Africa
• [29:30] The transformation of the housing program in South Africa
• [39:14] Dr. Abron’s advice for those starting a small business

• PEER Consultants, P.C.
• Dr. Lilia Abron on LinkedIn
• About Dr. Lilia Abron

Industrial processes used routinely everyday - many dating undertaking since the industrial revolution have taken their toll on the Earth. With all of the mounting issues with the environment today, who are the professionals who work to solve these problems? Environmental engineers work to protect the people from environmental issues and improve general environmental quality. They endeavor, in part, to ensure that we have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe.

With her academic and professional background in engineering and environmental chemistry, Dr. Abron was an ideal candidate for the cleanup of Boston Harbor, as mentioned in today’s episode. Her Master's degree was in Sanitary Engineering, a field which has since become Environmental Engineering. This rebranding is due to the increasing awareness of environmental issues, and the need to take a more proactive approach to the health of our environment. 

Passive solar housing is a design process where the entire house is structured and oriented in such a way as to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the most efficient way possible. The layout provides a way to store and use heat in the winter, but reject it in the summer. An interesting thing about passive solar housing is that it does all this without the use of electrical or mechanical devices. 

Being an engineer, Lilia knew about this idea. As she mentions in the interview, South Africa was implementing a program to house their homeless. The initiative, which set aside 5 percent of their government’s budget to build housing for the millions of homeless which the nation had, was a noble one. She looked at the design for their houses and realized that for the same cost they could be built more efficiently. 

To know more about the life and work of Dr. Lilia Abron and her trailblazing work in science and South Africa, make sure to listen to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
• https://bayerstrategic.com/
• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic
• On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bayer-Strategic-Consulting-206102993131329
• On YouTube: http://bit.ly/BSConTV
• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdanielbayer/
• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayerstrategic/
• On Medium: https://medium.com/@markbayer17

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Navigating the world of graduate school or postdoctoral studies can be an immense challenge. Those inherent difficulties are even greater when the student is working and studying in a culture different from the one he or she grew up in. For those who are studying in the United States and originally from abroad, who do they turn to for guidance and mentorship? Where can they go to learn the skills to be leaders in their respective fields and in the world?

Dr. Sudha Krishnamurthy has overcome both challenges and enjoys helping and mentoring those who are traversing the roads she has already traveled. She is a clinician-scientist with over seven years of experience doing research in cancer biology. She has expertise and experience in 3D cell culture, fluorescence microscopy, cancer stem cell biology, in-vivo pharmacology, anti-angiogenic agents and animal models. She enjoys working with teams and has strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Sudha has so far had an incredibly diverse professional career helping graduate students and postdocs by sharing her rich experience doing the same. She is the Director of the Office of Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Affairs at Gladstone Institutes and is an International Officer for the National Postdoctoral Association.

Dr. Krishnamurthy earned a Bachelor's degree in Dental Surgery, Dentistry at Ragas Dental College in India. She went on to earn a PhD in Cancer Biology and Oral Health Sciences at the University of Michigan, where she was a graduate student researcher before going on to be a full Research Scientist. She went on to be a postdoctoral fellow at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

• [1:05] Mark introduces his guest, Dr. Sudha Krishnamurthy
• [2:09] How Sudha moved to San Francisco
• [3:24] Mentorship and how Sudha approaches helping students
• [5:28] Why graduate students should see themselves as leaders
• [7:45] The move towards a more holistic training program for postdocs
• [11:22] Support and focus for international students
• [15:02] Emerging trends in academia
• [17:02] Communication between disciplines and the growth of interdisciplinary studies

• Dr. Sudha Krishnamurthy on LinkedIn
• Dr. Sudha Krishnamurthy (@sudhakrish2) - Twitter
• About Dr. Krishnamurthy

Great leaders inspire us to do better, go further, push harder. They can bring out the best in us, and are integral to the success of business, academia, and even the world at large. While the traits of great leadership can be natural and innate, it is usually the mentorship from another great leader which helps people to develop and grow into great leaders themselves. The students of today are the leaders and mentors of tomorrow, and they should be given the tools they need to fulfill those roles as best as they can.

This is something Dr. Krishnamurthy references by discussing the programs and even courses she has been involved with which give an individualized process which helps students and postdocs discover what they enjoy doing, as well as what the possible courses their professional lives can take with their degree. The goal is to help students see what it means to be a mentor and a leader.

Our world is becoming smaller every day. Technology has given us connections across the world as there has never been seen in human history. Getting an education abroad is easier than ever. While immediate access to other countries has increased, there is another side which comes with it. The challenges for international students are great because cultures can be very different when someone travels to another part of the world.

Dr. Krishnamurthy has great experience as an international student, as she has gotten degrees in India as well as the United States. She is very passionate about the global reality of science and academia. As she points out, half of all the postdoc students in the United States are international students. There is an inherent need for mentorship and community for those students coming from abroad.

To know more about the important work of Dr. Sudha Krishnamurthy, and her great perspective on trust and language, make sure to listen to her full conversation with Mark on this episode of When Science Speaks.

• http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com
• https://bayerstrategic.com/
• On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic
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