Women in STEM

Math major Blanca Viña Patiño discusses her journey from the arts to mathematics, describing her feelings about what it is truly like to be a “woman in math,” mainly demonstrating to us the division between men and women in this field.

Sapna Cheryan is an associate professor of social psychology at the University of Washington. Her research is about the role of cultural stereotypes in causing and perpetuating racial and gender disparities in U.S. society. She discusses in detail what her research is about, the results and data she has gathered, and provides her opinion on the future for women in STEM. Though a slightly longer interview than usual, there are great facts to be heard in this podcast about gender and STEM stereotypes.

Karishma and Aishwarya Mandyam are sisters who are both studying CSE at the University of Washington. Their passion and drive to pursue what they call “an art” demonstrates the versatility in CSE. The two share their journey in CSE and encourage women, men, and everyone in between to follow pursuit if it’s what they want to do.

There is so much about food that we have yet to understand and so much value in food science that we don’t know. I am a Nutritional Sciences minor at the UW and I was taught by Dr. Elizabeth Kirk, a lecturer in the Nutritional Sciences department. I believe truly that Nutrition should be considered a STEM field and in this last podcast for the quarter, the two of us discuss Nutrition holistically and also talk about Dr. Kirk‘s journey through this field as a woman.

Zelda Zabinsky, a professor in the Industrial and Engineering Department shared with us her views on how children in early years should be encouraged to pursue STEM, especially mathematics and not be afraid to follow their passion despite what people may have to say.

A recent graduate from the Bio-Engineering Department at the UW, Jerusalem Grace Kifelaw talks about how being a student of color has impacted her journey in the STEM field.

Once a math geek, always a math geek. Professor Luanne Thompson of the Oceanography Department at the UW shares how she came to be in her field, researching the role that the oceans play in climate variability. She discusses her envy for women in STEM today and how times have changed since she began her journey in STEM.

A full-time bio-engineering student juggling volunteer work and a job as a yoga instructor, Kai Ooi gets candid about her journey through her chosen STEM field of bioengineering. She discusses how she prioritized her education over her soccer career back when she was a student at Seattle University.

To shake things up a bit, this podcast is a conversation between Anni Hong, an economics and psychology major and Eric de Winter, an electrical engineering major. The two discuss what women in STEM means to them and the root of the issues regarding women in STEM, and ways in which change can be implemented.

Originally published May 30, 2017.

A full-time genius with an inner princess, Jessica Lundquist shares her story about the obstacles and hardship she faced as a woman in environmental and civil engineering.

Originally published May 16, 2017.