WISterhood

Content warning: This episode discusses racist hate crimes and violence. Listener discretion is advised.

It's been over a month since the horrific racist shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, but we're still reeling. Hate crimes against Asians have been nothing new in the US, but they have escalated and gained more recognition in mainstream media over the past year. Join us in a special panel discussion with three incredible Asian-American women in science: Dr. Tong Zhang, Kayla Carter, and Astrid Kurniawan. We discuss our reactions to the news, the model minority myth, and the power of individual stories and narratives. 

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Content warning: This episode contains discussions, though no depiction, of sexual assault and harassment. Listener discretion is advised. 

Violence against women has been in the news a lot lately, and we know you might be feeling a little worn out - we certainly are! But that anger and frustration can oftentimes originate from a place of hope and a need to be in community. Join us as we discuss the recent sexual assault and harassment lawsuit filed against OHSU, the role of bystanders and those who are complicit, and where we go as individuals and a community, from here. 

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Student loans and childhood trauma: two things that you can never escape. Don't worry, this week's episode isn't completely full of doom and gloom. This is the first installment of a two-part series in which, Elizabeth, Sam, and Natalie do a deep-dive into what makes college so expensive, and what are some ways that we can make it a little less difficult. 

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Engineering can feel a little nebulous to people who aren't engineers! Luckily, Shivali Kadam is a process engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, and she's here this week to break it all down for us. We talk through all the ins and outs of what it means to choose engineering, and ask ourselves: Is there a hobby that women can have that we won't be stereotyped for? What happens when a woman doesn't fit the mold of a scientist that everyone expects? 

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Have you ever wondered whether or not you should be stressing about whether a particular plastic container should be recycled, composted, or thrown away? This week, Elizabeth, Natalie, and Sam sit down to talk to Dana Schot of the Tualitin Riverkeepers to talk about conservation. Tune in to our discussion about the white and greenwashing of environmental activism, her incredible experience learning from role models while studying birds in Hawaii, and whether individual actions like taking shorter showers or going vegan will really make a positive difference for the environment.  

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Should STEM classrooms be split by gender? In this week's episode, Elizabeth shares her wild experiences in STEM education decisionmaking rooms, where these kinds of questions are being asked. On top of that, all three of us break down the challenges of family planning alongside a career, and why we need more representation of women and people of color in science and the media. 

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One main takeaway from this episode: speak now or forever hold your pee! This week, Natalie, Elizabeth, and Sam talk about what it means for activism to be intersectional, why we need it in STEM, and the ways in which white feminism has failed to address the issues that are faced by BIPOC as well as LGBTQ+ folks. 

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Content warning: This episode contains discussions of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. It also contains passing mention, though no depiction, of suicide. Listener discretion is advised. 

Mental health and wellness is an ongoing journey, not a math problem to be solved! This week, we unpack different strategies and interventions that have been helpful, rant about how wellness is too-often marketed as a consumer item for the wealthy, and talk about the critical role that our dogs play in our mental wellbeing. 

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This week, Natalie and Elizabeth bring you our first interview with the one and only, cancer biologist, Women in Science PDX president extraordinaire, Dr. Lilli Klug! Listen as we talk about the struggles of science communication in a jargon-filled field, her advocacy journey, and the people (read: her mom) who helped her become the scientist and person she is today. 

Email us at [email protected] and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

What does it mean to communicate science? Turns out, it's not an easy question to untangle! In this week's episode, Natalie, Sam, and Elizabeth break down the challenges of science communication during COVID, and what it means to communicate science as women and people of color. Oh, and also, sperm whales! Listen to find out what lessons we can learn from our 80-ton, blue, ocean-dwelling friends who've got it way more figured out than we do. 

Email us at [email protected] and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!