Conversations with women in STEAM where we learn a bit about what they do, and who they are. We're a diverse group of people (in so many ways) with unique personal and professional journeys. And I want you to meet some of us.
Perth, Australia
Not everyone has that pivotal moment where they realise what they want to do with their life, and that's okay. The important thing is to be open to ideas and opportunities even if they may take you a different direction.Rumee Singh is the CEO and co-founder of Rahat and a Tech Entrepreneur. Join us as Rumee shares the full-circle journey that brought her home, and building solutions that make an impact in her community.About Rumee Singh Rumee Singh, CEO of a UNICEF Innovation Fund portfolio startup, leads Rahat, a financial access platform addressing climate impact and fostering inclusion for the most vulnerable. Rumee started her entrepreneurial journey after moving back to Nepal in 2018. With over 20 years of global leadership, Rumee Singh is celebrated among Nepal's leading women in tech; a 2023 MIT Solver and is featured in the Women for Change 2024 global campaign.Rumee's work through Rahat has positively impacted 20,000+ beneficiaries. As a GSMA Innovation Fund grantee, her team is currently working to streamline efforts for timely humanitarian responses for vulnerable households in flood-prone regions. Rumee also founded a non-profit addressing the stress of blood management in Nepal, and her initiative has saved over 23,000 lives.Show Notes (link)[00:01:03] Following the familial STEM path.[00:03:12] The concern that it felt 'wrong' to not know your direction in life.[00:03:57] The pivot to journalism and communications.[00:05:12] The journey home and connecting with community.[00:07:14] So, what now? Deciding what comes next.[00:07:51] A reminder of what has always been important to her.[00:08:44] Hamro Lifebank and the digital transformation of blood management.[00:14:11] Rumsan, and leveraging technology for social impact.[00:15:15] Exploring blockchain as a tool.[00:15:40] Rahat, to support transparency in tracking humanitarian aid and reaching the underbanked.[00:17:08] The challenges of pioneering with new technology and the value of industry support.[00:18:30] Anticipatory Action (AA) in disaster response.[00:19:33] Direct financial access support and building community resilience.[00:20:06] Supporting digital and financial literacy in underserved populations to reduce the digital divide.[00:21:18] Technology is just a tool. The end-user doesn't and shouldn't have to know how their problem is solved.[00:23:08] Technological leapfrogging and the challenges with all forms of literacy.[00:24:26] You will always need people in the field, but tech can shoulder some of the load.[00:27:27] The challenge of balancing expanding support opportunities and scope creep.[00:31:36] Societal and humanitarian issues are multifaceted.[00:33:52] The challenges of making impact sustainable.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935"...
Humans are fascinating. We have this incredible capacity for creativity, resilience, and invention, and have been keen to dabble in technologies that improve our lives since we first started using tools. So, where is technology going to lead us in terms of what makes us human?Joanna Beveridge is a producer, writer, and director with a background in nuclear medicine. Join us as we speak about attitudes towards trust and failure between STEMM and the creative industries, representation and stealth politics in film and television, and finding a balance with AI tools and the creative process.About Joanna Beveridge Joanna Beveridge is a producer, writer, and director based in Western Sydney. She has a double degree in Nuclear Medicine and Digital Media, and has worked as a Creative Producer/Editor for companies such as Network Ten, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. and ITV Studios.In 2020, Jo was selected for Screen NSW's Emerging Producer Placement and Screen Producers Australia ‘Ones to Watch'. She's produced two Screen Australia funded romcom digital series -- NO ORDINARY LOVE and SHIPPERS. She created the award-winning web series SYDNEY SLEUTHERS. She produced the Screen NSW Screenability funded short film MAGNETIC, which premiered at Sydney Film Festival. And Jo wrote and directed the award-winning short film THE TAKEDOWN OF MELANIE SPROTTLE.Show Notes (link)[00:01:24] Joanna's path to nuclear medicine coming from a STEMM family[00:02:52] The almost movie-plot level reason for pivoting (despite actually being good at nuclear medicine)[00:05:15] Finding her space and learning by doing[00:09:03] Trust in STEM vs the creative industries[00:11:21] The incongruity of entry-level positions that require experience with few opportunities for training[00:12:59] The career pipeline problem[00:15:11] The importance of and barriers to networking[00:16:48] The value of proofs of concept - someone has to be first[00:17:26] Bringing back the eight-hour day in the film industry[00:19:34] 'AI in the TV and movie creation value chain'[00:20:29] Segue: What is art? Why is art?[00:24:08] The history and popularity of Schitt's Creek[00:24:54] Stealth politics and audience psychology[00:27:57] The PR of science and STEM in the media[00:30:17] We love tropes (also, I said CSI when I meant NCIS)[00:31:52] The Scully Effect and how the media shows us that we have the capacity for change[00:34:56] What is the nature of the work we are asking AI to replace?[00:38:54] What is scut work and what contributes to making you better at your craft?[00:44:54] Moving the needle for representation and the power of narrative[00:48:55] Our favourite sci-fis[00:53:05] What advice would you give someone who'd like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele...
For many of my guests, the careers and fields that we're in now didn't exist or were just newly conceived when we were at university. So those indirect paths I often speak about were just a matter of course for us. Bec Nguyen is the director of Upbeat Digital and a specialist in UX in digital health.Join us as we speak about her winding path to User Experience Design and design thinking as it grew as a space, building compassionate tech, and advocating for diverse voices no matter what industry you're in.About Bec Nguyen Bec Nguyen is the Founder and Director of Upbeat Digital, a Perth, Western Australian-based consultancy business specialising in digital project and product management; UX/UX design and community engagement in social impact issues using an innovative, human-centred approach. As an advocate for women of colour, Bec leads an inclusive work approach to ensure community members who are under-represented, including disadvantaged and ethnic minorities, have a voice in the process.Upbeat Digital has collaborated with state and national organisations within Australia to support the translation of evidence-based resources to the wider community through digital solutions, such The Wilderness Society, Nature Play WA, CSIRO and Telethon Kids Institute.In recent years, Bec has been a recipient of a number awards, recognising and acknowledging her contribution to improving the health and wellbeing of the community, and impact in the technology and innovation for which she is honoured and continues to strive at an exceptional level to work and volunteer her time to give back to the community and help improve the health and well-being of the community.Show Notes (link)[00:00:59] The path from commerce and information systems and falling out, then in, of like with tech.[00:04:03] Entering the health space and building apps with Telethon Kids Institute.[00:05:47] Being introduced to UX design thinking and building Image Up.[00:11:09] Formalising that experience-based learning.[00:11:48] Discovering that there really is a place in tech for everyone.[00:12:30] Taking the your user research to prototype.[00:13:42] Striking out on her own and expanding into the social impact space.[00:14:13] The evolution of systems analysis and requirements gathering as a human-centred process.[00:15:39] The evolving landscape of our roles and responsibilities.[00:18:29] Integrating UX and healthcare.[00:19:11] Working with kids with cystic fibrosis.[00:27:27] Being able to demonstrate the scientific method behind your work.[00:29:37] Putting more focus on social impact with Upbeat Digital.[00:30:31] Representation in tech and supporting less heard voices.[00:34:12] Encouraging diversity in your organisations.[00:38:20] What advice would you give someone who'd like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by
We've spoken about indirect career paths, but Professor Gretchen Benedix calls hers the pinball method, starting on a course that could change direction when she strikes something that she'd like to delve more into. This method has served Gretchen well and has given her opportunities to work with Dr Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, chase fireballs over the desert, hunt meteorites in Antarctica, and even get an asteroid named after her.Join us as we speak with Gretchen about her journey to astrogeology, discovering how the solar system evolved, and the Desert Fireball Network.About Professor Gretchen Benedix Gretchen Benedix is a Professor (and former Australian Research Council Future Fellow) in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University. She is also a member of the Space Science and Technology Centre, the largest research group dedicated to Planetary Science in the southern hemisphere.She is a fierce STEM and Women in Science advocate and takes her responsibility as a role model very seriously. She uses her work to inspire young people and pass along her passion for understanding our Solar System.Gretchen's research interests lie in the study of meteorites to understand and unravel the evolution of the Solar System. She and her team are currently interested in using machine learning techniques to extend our ability to interact with big datasets, specifically looking at the numbers of craters on other planetary surfaces.Gretchen wants to understand how the Earth fits into the history of the Solar System.… And also, she love rocks…Gretchen has a broad educational background in Geology, Engineering, and Physics, which lets her pull together multidisciplinary ideas to unravel the mysteries of the rocks.She also loves science communication and has had the opportunity to work at two world-class museums as a planetary scientist, cosmic mineralogist, and astro-geologist, where Gretchen had the pleasure of sharing what she does --- It's just one of the many aspects of her job that she loves - to be able to get other people, especially young folks, excited about studying our solar system and our place in it.Show Notes (link)[00:01:38] How one gets an asteroid named after them.[00:04:56] Gretchen's journey began in psychology.[00:06:52] The transition from psychology to physics was not smooth sailing.[00:08:29] The slow drift into space and getting hooked on rocks.[00:11:35] The beauty of geology.[00:16:19] Being flexible gives you the space to be open to opportunities.[00:18:34] Looking to space because you can't look inside the Earth.[00:22:41] Comparative planetology and looking at our system in context.[00:26:49] Context and time scales.[00:28:59] The engineering in space travel.[00:32:48] The Desert Fireball Network. [00:36:42] Location, location, location.[00:38:31] Tying it back to their origins and the solar system.[00:40:35] Meteorite families.[00:43:47] Surprising learnings so far.[00:46:47] The two-body problem.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram |
A common misconception about veterinary sciences is that it's all about puppies and kittens, but that's not always the case. Like other care providers, vets can have it tough in the service of the community and there is a lot of active work being done to ensure the vet industry, its people, the community, and not just the animals, can thrive.Join us as we speak with Dr Lydia Pethick, veterinarian, motivational speaker, and television presenter about working in policy and biosecurity as a vet, the state of mental health and wellbeing in the veterinary industry, and the actionable things we can do to positively impact our mindset and prevent burnout.Note: This episode contains a content warning. Please see the show notes below for more information.About Dr Lydia Pethick Dr Lydia Pethick is a policy veterinarian at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in Western Australia where she works in the area of Biosecurity and Sustainability, to grow and protect WA's agriculture and food sector.She is passionate about increasing wellbeing, resilience, collaboration, and camaraderie within the Veterinary profession, raising awareness of mental health struggles in the wider community, and journeying from a place of judgement to joy. She uses her veterinary, permaculture, and wellness training to holistically, creatively, and practically integrate animal husbandry, therapeutic horticulture, and regenerative practices to build resilience within self, family, our communities and beyond.Lydia is a speaker at national and international conferences, where she shares her passion about the exciting work in the veterinary industry to improve the health and lives of animals and humans, and is also a TV presenter on Garden Gurus.Show Notes (link)[00:01:27] Lydia's journey to veterinary science.[00:02:12] Biosecurity through veterinary science.[00:03:10] What biosecurity policy entails.[00:05:56] Mental health and well-being in the vet space (Content warning: mentions of suicide, emotional blackmail)[00:08:41] The initiatives to raise awareness and support vets and their communities.[00:11:24] Bringing in broader professional skills and support at the university level for future vets.[00:13:20] Support at the industry board level in this capacity across multiple sectors.[00:15:10] SMART, and strategies for managing individual well-being.[00:15:44] 'S' is for self-acceptance, state of mind, and self-care.[00:18:26] 'M' is for mood boosters like morning sun, movement, and music.[00:22:23] 'A' is for awareness.[00:23:38] 'R' is for relationships.[00:24:25] 'T' is for treasure hunting.[00:26:16] Take things a little at a time to improve yourself or your situation.[00:27:31] Lydia's own experiences with burnout and a desire for change.[00:28:44] The stigma and loneliness of personal struggles and wanting people to know they're not alone.[00:30:31] Horticultural therapy in Lydia's life and work.[00:34:55] Finding coaches for your own direction finding.[00:35:51] What advice would you give someone who would like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook |
A common thread between the arts and the sciences is storytelling. In both scenarios you're building worlds, and creating an understanding of the mechanisms that make the system work (or not work), and the relationships within that bubble.Eleonora Moratto is the Biology Ballerina. She is a freelance professional ballet dancer, and is currently completing her PhD in plant pathogen interactions. Join us as we speak about Eleonora's work exploring electrical fields and plant immune systems, and her journey as a sciartist.About Eleonora Moratto Eleonora Moratto is The Biology Ballerina. She is completing her PhD in plant pathogen interactions at Imperial College, London. She is a freelance professional ballet dancer currently working with the Ballet Dream Arts company and is involved in SciArt projects, women in STEAM activities, long hair modelling, and historical reenactment.Show Notes (link)[00:01:08] Eleonora's path to biology.[00:03:30] Researching plant pathogen interactions, specifically Phytophthora palmivora.[00:05:22] Looking for novel solutions that prevent the spread.[00:07:33] Exploring electric fields around plants and pathogens.[00:11:47] Looking to her future in academia and biological interactions.[00:13:52] The wider applications of research in interactions and electrical fields.[00:15:17] The Biology Ballerina.[00:17:02] A SciArtist's dream.[00:19:00] The balance of the arts and sciences for Eleonora.[00:22:41] Freelancing as a ballerina.[00:25:15] SciArts in the wild.[00:28:37] Encourage the polymaths and multihyphenates.[00:30:25] Passion is interesting.[00:31:45] What advice would you give someone who'd like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?[00:34:05] Find out more about Eleonora and her work.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
Sustainability is more than just the environment. If you look at the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it's also about accessibility, equity, and inclusion in multiple areas of society, and covers things like the economy, infrastructure, community, and yes, climate and the environment. But they're the kinds of goals that bring everybody up so that no one is left behind.Join us in our conversation with Dr Sandy Chong, founding member of the Sustainable Development Goals Forum in WA, former president of the United Nations Association of WA, and member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network. We speak about the impact of digital inclusion and how the UN Sustainable Development Goals benefit us all, and are for now, not later.About Dr Sandy Chong A Harvard Alumna and Principal of Verity Consulting, Dr Sandy Chong is an award-winning Executive of the Year, Asia's Top Sustainability Women of the Year, and Singapore Management Consultant of the Year. The former President of the United Nations Association and the Founding Chair of the UN SDGs Business Forums in Western Australia, Sandy has chaired international forums that promote digital and energy transition. These include the inaugural Web3 for Sustainability Conference, the Intercity Hydrogen delegation between Singapore and Australia, and the upcoming AI & Data Science of Business Conference in Singapore. She was recently invited to speak on Digital Inclusion and the Impact of AI in International Trade convened by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Geneva. With over 20 years' experience leading multidisciplinary projects, advising trade agencies and industry councils, Sandy currently serves on public-listed board and is the Chair of the ASEAN Business Alliance. Earning a Ph.D. in Digital Commerce in 2003 and appointed Adjunct Professor of Curtin University, Sandy has published peer-reviewed journals on international business, innovation adoption and sustainability since 2005.Show Notes (link)[00:01:09] Sandy's journey from marketing and management information systems.[00:02:50] The cycles of growth in technology.[00:04:06] The anthropological view of technology in society.[00:05:58] Technological transformation and change management.[00:08:19] Starting clients on the path to digital adoption.[00:13:34] Bringing about cultural change within an organisation.[00:15:35] Play to the strengths of your people, and help them thrive.[00:18:30] The risks behind digital adoption accelerating past digital literacy.[00:20:38] Closing the gap on digital literacy of new technologies.[00:24:48] The ethics of technology and how we use it.[00:26:42] Building (and keeping) trust.[00:28:53] Transparency and authenticity in your leadership.[00:32:37] Sandy's work with the UN Association of Australia and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).[00:34:22] Change can only be made when ideas leave the activism space.[00:38:46] Australia's ranking for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.[00:41:01] The pragmatic reasons for taking action.[00:43:08] How private enterprise and communities measure their performance with the SDGs.[00:47:13] What advice would you give someone who'd like to do what you do and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook |
What is your personal worth? From an internal perspective, it's about having confidence in your sense of self and your values. But let's expand on that. Your worth can also be viewed in the connections you have made in your personal or professional communities, be it the kids' soccer parent who knows a job you'd be great for, or the ex-coworker whose passion project is your passion, too. It's also of course your financial position and what you can do to change it. Because growth in all these areas gives you more space to grow as well.Join us as we speak with Sirisha Kuchimanchi, entrepreneur, speaker, and former engineering and manufacturing executive, about navigating her career through economic downturns, and how the different aspects of your personal worth give you more options.About Dr Sirisha Kuchimanchi Dr Sirisha Kuchimanchi is the Founder of "Sahita", a Global Community for South Asian Women for Career & Financial Empowerment. She is an active investor supporting Women funded businesses.Her aim is to promote gender equity by empowering more women to take control of their careers and finances. Sirisha is a Former Engineering & Manufacturing Executive with over 17 years of experience at Texas Instruments (Fortune 200) a Semiconductor Design and Manufacturing Company. She co-chaired the Technology & Manufacturing Women's ERG which supported over 500 women across 3 continents and 8 countries.Sirisha hosts the podcast "Women, Career & Life", ranked at the top 30% on Spotify, where she provides practical ideas and resources for women to further their career & life goals. She also hosts a weekly Live Radio Talk Show "Life Beats with Sirisha" on 104.1 FM which has a reach of over half a million listeners from the South Asian Community. She strives to create a platform for diverse voices and perspectives to be heard, so listeners can succeed both personally and professionally while building a stronger community.Sirisha is on the elected Board of Governors of The Podcast Academy which supports podcast makers and globally advances the cultural merit of the medium. Sirisha successfully traversed her return to work after getting laid off less than a year after entering the corporate world. A few years later, Sirisha made a conscious decision to be a stay-at-home mum during which time Sirisha earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.Show Notes (link)[00:01:05] Sirisha's beginnings in physics.[00:02:43] The transition to material science and engineering.[00:04:24] The value of being able to explore the industry while pursuing higher studies.[00:05:34] We all leave social breadcrumbs and create networks through our interactions.[00:07:13] The experience of layoffs.[00:09:40] The contrast of working as a contractor vs a permanent employee.[00:10:33] Sirisha's second career break and the decision to return to school.[00:14:25] Sometimes the market makes the decision for you.[00:15:25] Financial literacy and preparation gives you choices and flexibility.[00:16:37] Looking after our financial futures because work shouldn't dictate our lives.[00:21:04] The stigma attached to speaking about money or death matters.[00:23:31] Risk management and your priorities.[00:25:44] Everyone is a potential candidate for an information interview.[00:28:23] The grass is always greener. But you don't know unless you try.[00:30:36] Your background and culture in a work context as an asset or liability.[00:34:06] Ask for what you want, but you have to know what you want first.[00:35:29] Considerations as a woman or POC in leadership.[00:37:29]
Architecture has always struck me as a multidisciplinary field. It draws knowledge from all areas of STEMM into creating the spaces in which we live and work. But that's not always how this profession is perceived and this reflects in the way the industry has and needs to evolve.Evelyn Lee is Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, and Founder of Practice of Architecture. Join us as we speak about the Evelyn's journey through architecture and tech, the future of architecture, and systems thinking in physical and organisational environments.About Evelyn Lee Evelyn Lee, FAIA, is the first-ever Global Head of Workplace Strategy and Innovation at Slack Technologies, Founder of the Practice of Architecture, and Co-Host of the Podcast, Practice Disrupted. Lee integrates her business and architecture background with a qualitative and quantitative focus to build better experiences for the organisation's employees, clients, and guests.She is widely published, wrote a monthly column for Contract magazine for over three years, and is now a frequent contributor to Architect Magazine. Evelyn has received numerous industry awards, including 2016 40 Under 40 award for Building Design + Construction and the 2014 AIA National Young Architects Award. She recently served as the first-ever female Treasurer to the AIA National Board in 2020-2021.Show Notes (link)[00:01:07] What drew Evelyn to architecture?[00:03:46] How Evelyn envisaged a career in architecture.[00:06:24] What does the average career in architecture look like?[00:09:40] Attrition in the architecture industry.[00:12:07] The need for business education as part of architecture programs.[00:15:37] The culture of the industry. Having to earn your way before you are welcome.[00:17:23] The sense of prestige of the profession vs the tangible value that architects offer.[00:19:07] What can we change that will provide more value to the industry?[00:21:48] The innovations in the architecture space.[00:23:57] Evolving the role of firms and the client experience.[00:26:08] Evelyn's architecture journey and the desire to stay involved with the architecture industry.[00:28:25] The Practice of Architecture.[00:32:01] Evelyn's journey to tech.[00:33:47] Applied workplace strategy and operation processes.[00:36:52] A change in space requires cultural change management as well.[00:38:10] Architects are systems thinkers.[00:40:08] Evelyn's future in architecture and systems thinking.[00:43:52] What advice would you give someone who'd like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook |
It's not about the destination, it's about the journey. But for today's guest, it's about both. Laura Langdon is a developer advocate who has the pleasure of combining her explorations and experience in theatre, computer science, mathematics, education, and data science into a role that rolls all of that into one perfect package. Join us as we speak of about Laura's experience in education, and the beauty of the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate things.About Laura Langdon Laura Langdon is a Developer Advocate at Suborbital Software Systems, where she manages documentation and participates in outreach activities, especially around the intersections data science, Python, and extensibility. Previously a math lecturer at CSU East Bay, Laura is devoted to issues in pedagogy, neurodivergence, and social responsibility in tech. In her free time, she enjoys recreational research, optimising all the things, and not trying to think of a third thing with which to end this sentence.Show Notes (link)[00:00:53] Laura opting out of high school and going through community college instead.[00:04:33] Why college was a better fit for Laura.[00:07:04] The path of human experience.[00:11:48] Coming to settle her explorations with mathematics.[00:14:00] Laura's epiphany with mathematics.[00:17:35] Practical considerations when it comes to choosing your path.[00:22:59] The beauty of pure mathematics that we miss out on at school.[00:23:31] Sometimes material is hard. But sometimes it's hard because people have different modes of learning.[00:25:25] Resources can be crutches. What do you want to get out of this?[00:26:31] Speak to course advisors and coordinators. There may be options you weren't aware of.[00:29:25] Why homeschooling.[00:32:20] The Montessori method[00:36:12] AI, Reinforcement Learning, and DeepMind.[00:38:20] Finding her way to technical writing.[00:43:48] Ethics, algorithms, and society.[00:47:39] A day in the life of developer relations.[00:49:01] Bringing all those accumulated skills together.[00:51:15] What advice would you give someone who wants to do what you do? And what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
We could all do with a little bit more compassion in our lives, and April Wensel is making sure that we can bring it to our work as well. April Wensel is the founder of Compassionate Coding, helping companies and tech professionals communicate more and effectively so that we can be better at what we do better to each other and better to ourselves.Join us as we speak about April's journey through technology, finding purpose with compassionate coding, and putting the humanity back into technology. I'm Michele Ong, and this is STEAM Powered.About April Wensel April Wensel is an international keynote speaker and the founder of Compassionate Coding, a conscious business that provides communication skills training to technology professionals. Prior to starting Compassionate Coding, she spent a decade as a software engineer and technical leader at various startups in Silicon Valley, building products in such fields as healthcare, gaming, education, and user research. Away from the keyboard, she enjoys gleaning fruit, running ultramarathons, and experimenting with vegan recipes.Show Notes (link)[00:01:09] Studying Computer Science at a liberal arts college.[00:02:54] Where April saw her future in computing.[00:03:46] The path to Compassionate Coding.[00:08:54] Teaching emotional intelligence to tech.[00:10:35] Relating to the need to develop emotional intelligence from her own experiences.[00:13:28] When you faced with a culture that has to change.[00:15:41] Reflecting on how April's liberal arts background informs her work now.[00:17:12] April's observations in the course of her work.[00:18:42] The two sides of compassion.[00:19:44] Feedback as a compassionate skill.[00:21:28] April's reflections on her own journey with emotion intelligence.[00:23:03] April's personal journey approaching burnout and the impetus for change towards compassion.[00:25:02] The rate of burnout in these fields and how compassion can help.[00:27:36] The shift towards compassion in other technical fields.[00:30:20] Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?[00:31:56] What advice would you like to give someone who'd like to do what you do, and what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
Geographic information systems. There, I've lost a few of you already, but you're missing out because GIS is more than about where things are, but why they're there, and quite a few of those reasons are around why people do people things. Helen McKenzie is a cartographer, data visualiser, and geospatial advocate who is passionate about finding meaning in complex data and making information beautiful.We speak about Helen's love of maps and how we can use geospatial analysis to elegantly give us more meaning to the way we live in the world around us and keep our societies ticking away.About Helen McKenzie Helen McKenzie is a Geospatial Advocate which means her job is to get people excited about all things geospatial! She has been working in the geospatial industry for around 10 years and has recently made the move from consultancy to technical marketing, whether that's through running live workshops or writing blogs about using GIS to choose the best venue for the Eurovision Song Contest.Show Notes (link)[00:01:32] How Helen found her way to geography and GIS.[00:05:04] Helen's dissertation combining Jane Austen and GIS.[00:08:57] What does work in geospatial sciences look like?[00:12:04] The depth of detail in understanding our communities.[00:15:19] Michele talks about warm data again because warm data is cool.[00:17:06] GIS is about engagement with the data and making those connections.[00:21:00] Becoming a geospatial advocate.[00:27:20] Understanding from geospatial data and its value to businesses.[00:29:25] The cost and factors involved in opening a new store branch.[00:32:29] Michele has too many bubble tea shops nearby. Her local area could have benefitted from some geospatial data.[00:34:14] What does a geospatial advocate do?[00:39:55] Finding your audience.[00:41:46] What Helen doesn't like about her work.[00:42:48] The challenges of public speaking.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
You have to pivot or reinvent yourself to stay relevant. This idea gets bandied about a lot these days but there are going to be times in your life and in business where it has to happen.Lan Tran is a powerhouse in sales and marketing is no stranger to this concept. She has seen the decline of the paper business directory with the advent of Google ads, the challenges of returning to work after raising a family, and the devastating impact of crypto on a local metaverse game studio.We speak about approaching reinvention with humility, and Lan's observations about innovation and entrepreneurship in tech and Western Australia.About Lan Tran Lan Tran's career commenced in sales with Yellow Pages. She found her calling and thrived in facilitating businesses, corporates and government agencies around Australia to brand, market, and advertise themselves. Her time at Yellow Pages set her up with a strong foundation in Account Management, PR and Stakeholder Management. As the top 2% Sales Executive of the 900+ sales team across Australia, Lan was integral to her company's annual strategic sales and marketing planning with senior leadership. Lan has worked across Australia and Asia leading sales teams and brings with her a wealth of contacts and proven strategies that lift an organisation to the next level.Sales and marketing is a craft and an art form that continue to lead her into different businesses over the years that suited her lifestyle, which has included living and working overseas, a stint in recruitment, and a couple of years home-schooling her child prodigy.As a skilled communicator that builds genuine and lasting relationships with ease, Lan joined Ninja Software and was responsible for quadrupling the revenue through strategic lead generation and securing industry partnerships. In the last 12 months, with Ninja's pivot into a Web3 game studio, Lan quickly became the evangelist for metaverse possibilities and connections.She is known in the tech industry as an absolute powerhouse in all aspects of sales, relationship building and marketing.Unfortunately, due to a series of unfortunate circumstances (crypto winter and FTX crash) the company she was with went into administration a week before last Christmas. This is a raw conversation with Lan about what it means to be a woman in tech, and how she navigates through changes.Lan has since been appointed as Chief Sales Officer at EXTAG.Show Notes (link)[00:01:40] Lan's beginnings with communication studies.[00:02:12] Finding her way to sales.[00:03:24] Yellow Pages vs Google Ads: Embracing new technology.[00:08:46] Before: the dangers of moving too slowly; Now: the risk of moving too quickly.[00:10:44] Reinvention leads to progress. [00:12:01] Reinvention requires humility.[00:13:01] Reinvention after returning to the workforce after raising a child.[00:15:34] Meeting Ninja Software.[00:17:50] The attraction of a metaverse project.[00:19:27] The frustration with the hype around NFT and wanting a product with real utility.[00:20:36] The challenges of getting funding in tech in Western Australia. [00:21:32] Pivoting the entire business model of a company.[00:24:07] The opportunity to cultivate a pipeline for new industries locally.[00:27:13] We need to bang the drum for innovators out there to encourage growth in these sectors.[00:31:38] Don't let 'tall poppy syndrome' stop you.[00:35:29] The greatest loss is that of the potential to build a local communiy of talent and a pipeline for this industry.[00:37:16] Bonus Question: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?[00:39:01] Bonus Question:...
Ever thought about asking a member of Parliament how to become Prime Minister? Moira Clay, a leading research strategist, asked that very question, and she's now cultivated a career helping leaders in health and medical research make an impact in both research and the community.Join us as we speak with Moira about her journey in medical research, and developing a holistic and comprehensive approach to cancer treatment.About Professor Moira Clay Professor Moira Clay is one of Australia's foremost experts in research strategy. She is a transformational leader and a highly experienced facilitator, with an extensive knowledge of the changing research agenda. She has a reputation for professionalism and integrity and is known for her collaborative and inclusive approach. Moira has extensive senior executive experience in research institutes in Victoria, NSW and WA - including 6 months as Acting Director of the Telethon Kids Institute. She was President of two peak bodies – the Australian Society for Medical Research (2003) and Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) (2013), leading significant public, political and scientific advocacy initiatives. In 2018, she was nominated as a Fellow of ARMS, acknowledging her enduring and substantial contributions to research management, and her active philanthropic involvement was profiled in a TEDx Fremantle talk. In 2011, she completed the Eureka Institute International Certificate in Translational Medicine. She is currently the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Menzies Institute.Moira founded Moira Clay Consulting in 2013, propelled by her drive to help Australian health and medical research leaders achieve transformative health benefits for the community. MCC has built a strong reputation for adding value to health and medical research organisations (including medical research institute's; hospitals, funding bodies; universities; peak bodies and major initiatives) across Australia.Show Notes (link)[00:00:45] Moira's beginnings in biochemistry.[00:01:51] Developing the foundations for the work Moira does now during her PhD.[00:03:21] Exploring the world through postdoctoral research.[00:04:17] Moira's career crisis that led her to think bigger.[00:05:40] How does one become Prime Minister?[00:08:32] We ultimately want to make things better.[00:10:28] Co-design, and how medical research strategy can make an impact.[00:16:49] A stretched workforce needs greater collaboration.[00:19:29] The shift to cancer research.[00:22:25] Starting a consultancy.[00:23:23] The Pirate Ship Foundation.[00:24:16] West Australian Comprehensive Cancer Centre: The need for comprehensive cancer care.[00:30:45] Honeybee Venom Research by Dr Pilar Blancafort and Dr Ciara Duffy.[00:32:09] West Australian Comprehensive Cancer Centre.[00:33:56] Exercise for reduction of cancer risk and treatment efficacy.[00:38:18] What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |
Science communication comes in all mediums, from film-making to journalism, even Dungeons and Dragons, and Shamini Bundell does it all.Shamini is an award-winning filmmaker, a writer, and a journalist, working on the Nature YouTube channel, podcast, and magazine online. She is also one of the members of RPGeeks, combining Dungeons and Dragons with science.Join us as we speak about Shamini's journey through science and science media production, her introduction to Dungeons and Dragons, and applying her broad skillset to both science communication and creative arts.About Shamini Bundell Shamini is a science-film maker and video journalist for the journal Nature. She studied Zoology at undergrad followed by a Science Media Production MSc and then worked in TV for several years before ending up at Nature. In her spare time she combines science communication with Dungeons & Dragons as part of the 'RPGeeks' including running live shows at evens like New Scientist Live and Natural History Museum Lates.Show Notes (link)[00:01:17] Delving into the natural sciences.[00:02:24] The transition into science media production and science communication.[00:04:37] Shamini's long history with filmmaking.[00:07:00] Science filmmaking for Nature.[00:07:24] The creative process for science filmmaking.[00:10:01] The making of Sandcastle film.[00:12:49] Project managing the filmmaking process.[00:13:48] How do you decide where to stop when making a video?[00:18:12] On discovering Dungeons & Dragons.[00:19:24] So, pantomime.[00:20:09] Drunken bus stop D&D.[00:22:37] The origins of RPGeeks.[00:24:55] Magic is just the science we haven't justified yet.[00:25:36] Segue: That world building thing.[00:27:31] On being a Dungeon Master / Game Master.[00:29:32] Making the science work.[00:31:42] The morally grey areas of science and magic.[00:34:08] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?[00:35:08] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?[00:40:07] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted and produced by Michele Ong.Music is "Gypsy Jazz in Paris 1935" by Brett Van Donsel.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
Have you ever looked at a business beyond their visual branding and thought about who they are and what they stand for, and who the owners are and what they stand for? Branding is more than just an aesthetic. It's about connection.Join us as we speak with Ari Krzyzek, CEO and Head of Strategy of Chykalophia about Ari's journey to creating her own brand agency, the potential of FemTech to change the narrative around women's health, and why knowing your 'why' can help you to succeed.About Ari Krzyzek CEO and Head of Strategy at Chykalophia (read: see-ka-lo-fia), Ari Krzyzek helps FemTech, DTC, and women-led brands transform their website into a platform that unlocks business opportunities. She is co-author of one of the Top 3 Best Sellers book in web design, Made to Sell: Creating Websites that Convert. She serves as a branding, UX consultant, and professional peer in support of fellow female entrepreneurs through the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world, 1871 Chicago, and Chicago's global healthcare startup incubator, MATTER. She's the co-host of Halo Femtech Podcast, a podcast that honors disruptive innovators and change-makers advancing women's health.Furthermore, she helps women in tech and design break into the industry and succeeds in it by mentoring them for personal branding, career advancement, and entrepreneurship through Interaction Design Foundation, Chicago Innovation and ADP list.Show Notes (link)[00:00:57] Ari's journey to visual communication design.[00:03:00] The gap between design and business strategy.[00:06:29] The superficial way in which we view branding.[00:07:25] On your mission and culture.[00:09:05] Ari's motivations for starting her agency.[00:10:09] Business identity vs individual identity.[00:13:13] Starting a business is a journey of self-discovery.[00:14:11] Everyone should have a personal philosophy.[00:15:46] What is your 'why'?[00:16:59] Giving back because of the support she received.[00:18:25] There's so much available to help you to succeed.[00:20:13] How to find your niche.[00:21:42] The focus on tech and FemTech.[00:24:05] Trends in FemTech beyond medical.[00:24:49] Awkward Essentials - Dripstick (Content Warning: Sexual health, may be TMI for some).[00:25:33] The burgeoning space of FemTech in lifestyle and wellness.[00:26:33] Solutions for quality of life as well as sustainability, because women's bodies and our needs are always changing.[00:27:55] The point of connection.[00:30:23] The significance of building connection in FemTech.[00:32:09] The challenges of marketing FemTech begin with education (or a lack thereof).[00:34:50] The potential scope of FemTech's role in public education.[00:37:45] Women can thrive in tech.[00:39:47] How to position yourself as the solution.[00:42:10] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?[00:43:36] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?[00:44:43] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite |
Bias and discrimination are everywhere. It's something we as a society are generally trying to improve. But when it comes to solutions, there is nuance in terms of cultural and social context, personal perceptions, and privilege that can complicate matters.Join us as we speak with Raksha Kumar, an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker with a focus on land, forest, and human rights issues. We speak about Raksha's investigative work into the layered and complex issues of caste and sexism in India's tech industry, and elsewhere too.About Raksha Kumar Raksha Kumar is an award-winning journalist, with a focus on land and forest rights. Her work highlights human rights abuses by the State, thereby holding the powerful to account. Since 2011, she has reported from twelve countries across the world and a hundred districts in India for The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, among others. Additionally, Kumar studied media freedoms in India in great detail and wrote reports for the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, and PEN International.Raksha graduated from the Journalism School, Columbia University, and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Rights Law. She is also a documentary filmmaker and a Chevening Fellow and has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for Leadership Development.Show Notes (link)(00:02:11) Raksha's focus on human rights in journalism.(00:02:39) People are interesting, and each person matters.(00:05:03) The impetus for writing about sexism in India's tech industry.(00:05:11) Writing about caste in India.(00:05:47) India's caste system.(00:06:33) A court case in the US raising outside awareness to caste discrimination.(00:07:08) Equality Labs.(00:07:35) The case was covered in India, but there was no discourse around caste in the Indian tech industry.(00:09:22) When discrimination was raised in the investigation, gender kept coming up.(00:10:24) Everyone talks about gender discrimination in tech. What makes India different?(00:12:40) "Tech came with a promise of a flatter world."(00:13:12) The privilege of being blind to discrimination.(00:14:09) The implicit threat to remain silent for fear of repercussion.(00:15:14) The varied reasons for remaining silent, and the individual interpretations of discrimination.(00:16:52) Privilege and discrimination are not mutually exclusive.(00:18:19) Awareness of our individual privileges and the affect of our intersectionality.(00:20:50) Observations: There hasn't been any research in caste discrimination in the Indian tech sector, and the more you delve into gender discrimination the more layers there are to investigate.(00:23:56) The drivers behind a high percentage of women in tech in India.(00:25:03) An open economy and upward mobility.(00:28:45) The subconscious awareness of your career 'expiry' as a woman.(00:29:41) The two-body problem in a different context.(00:30:57) The issues aren't unique to tech, but the way they manifest can be.(00:32:40) Intense, and potentially exploitative, work environments.(00:32:51) Wrong paper, I meant: Becker, SO., Fernandes, A., Weichselbaumer, D., 'Discrimination in hiring based on potential and realized fertility: Evidence from a large-scale field experiment', Labour Economics, vol 59, 2019, pp 139-152.(00:34:10) What makes some of these issues uniquely tech.(00:37:22) Women's visibility.(00:38:56) The support structure around women and careers.(00:41:06) The need for bi-directional support.(00:43:04) Do you know how much work it takes to make something look...
If you can't decide between two career paths, try exploring both. Krithika Chandramouli found biomedical engineering to be a sweet spot between health sciences and technology and was able to explore both pursuits before she found her way to software engineering. Join us as we speak about Krithika's path to software engineering, contributing back to the community through her work and mentorship, and going from a love-hate relationship with running to completing a half-marathon.About Krithika Chandramouli Krithika Chandramouli is a Software Engineer at Meta. She comes with over 8 years of experience working in a range of industries like video streaming services, fintech, and social media. She is an expert on JS and full stack engineering, and is a technical and thought leader. She thrives when she is working on solving complex people problems that lead to innovation in products. She mentors young professionals, especially women, in the areas of career development in the tech industry. Outside work, Krithika is a runner, rows crew, practices Vipassana for mindfulness, a Veena player and an aspiring writer!Show Notes (link)(00:00:56) Biomedical engineering is the sweet spot between health sciences and technology when deciding whether to pursue med or tech.(00:03:30) The opportunity to study a broad range of subjects.(00:04:33) Bioengineering and nano drug delivery.(00:06:28) Being drawn to wearable medical technology.(00:09:05) Krithika's path to computer science through wearables.(00:09:50) Crowdsourced labelling and gamification of medical images.(00:11:38) Observations of the human element of crowdsourcing data.(00:14:10) A desire to use her skills to give back to the community.(00:16:16) Building tools to help build communities at Meta.(00:18:58) Buy Nothing groups and the importance of community in times of crisis.(00:21:26) Krithika's passion for mentoring and career development. Wanting to pay it forward.(00:22:43) Finding mentors.(00:26:59) Nerdy Girl Success.(00:27:43) Becoming a mentor or advisor in organisations like Nerdy Girl Success.(00:31:34) Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?(00:31:38) Running and marathons.(00:34:39) With a love/hate relationship with running, why a half-marathon?(00:38:02) Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?(00:38:14) "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini and reflections on who and where we are in this world.(00:40:53) Kumar, R. (2022, Nov 1). The enduring sexism of India's tech industry. Rest of World.(00:42:58) Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?(00:43:03) Advice for Life: Be bold.(00:45:08) Reflect on your own qualities, skills, and objectives, and be intentional about it.(00:49:56) Finding out more about Krithika.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonHosted...
Compassion in healthcare is about operating with respect in more ways than one. We've spoken previously about the cultural side of medicine and the program Operating With Respect, but today I speak with Leah Elson about developing technology and procedures that can create psychologically and physiologically better patient outcomes, and also about getting people excited about science again.About Leah Elson Leah Elson is an academically-published clinical development scientist, public science communicator, and non-fiction author. Her research career in human medicine has included the fields of orthopedics, oncology, and neuroscience.Show Notes (link)(00:01:06) Sportscasting in college.(00:02:24) Adventures in pre-med.(00:03:01) Leah's early interest in surgery, but realising she could do more upstream.(00:04:43) Research is playing the long game.(00:05:44) Leah's current work with peripheral nerve repair and its compassionate applications.(00:08:43) Taking a more holistic view of patient outcomes.(00:10:28) Allowing researchers to actually see the impact of their work.(00:11:18) STEMM can be a social equaliser because you're working towards the same goal of humanity.(00:12:30) How Leah determines the direction of her research focus.(00:14:59) The beauty of research rabbitholes. The best discoveries are accidental.(00:15:51) The importance of maintaining connections and networks. You never know where you'll find convergence across fields.(00:18:15) Hyperspecialisation and the globaliser that was COVID.(00:20:45) The future is in unpacking genetics.(00:24:58) The science that divides advances us.(00:26:01) The impact of market (and climate) forces and the reminder that humans are creative and resilient.(00:29:27) '60 Seconds of Science' and the importance of supporting the voices that inform.(00:32:35) Science doesn't have an alignment, it's what we do with it.(00:35:01) Science is fluid and has so much scope.(00:36:43) Fake science and the narrative around it is evocative.(00:38:13) Science fiction into science fact.(00:39:05) Writing 'There Are (No) Stupid Questions … in Science'.(00:42:05) Making people excited about science again.(00:45:39) The accessible nature of a book like this.(00:47:10) Being selective about what community questions to answer.(00:48:11) Randall Munroe (xkcd).(00:49:35) Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?(00:50:18) Powerlifting is complementary to Leah's optimal workflow.(00:51:35) Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?(00:52:51) Michele's favourite childhood book.(00:54:10) 'Where's Waldo?'(00:55:18) Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?(00:58:54) Finding out more about Leah and their work.Listen to our conversation about Operating With Repect with Assoc Prof Rhea Liang.Connect with STEAM PoweredWebsite | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram |
Dr Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz is an Assistant Professor in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department at the University of California, Riverside. She joined the University in 2018 after receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Before joining UC Riverside, she was a Provost postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where she developed procedures for synthesising heterogeneous catalysts using atomic layer deposition. She has also worked previously as a Forensic scientist for the Philadelphia police department and as a Refinery chemist at Sunoco Chemicals in Philadelphia after receiving a B.S. in Chemistry from Temple University.Her research group develops sustainable catalytic processes using an interdisciplinary toolset from environmental, materials and chemical engineering for sustainable applications. In our conversation, we talk about science entrepreneurship and circular solutions that put waste to good use.Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kandis-leslie-abdul-aziz[00:00:51] Leslie's introduction to chemistry.[00:01:46] Where Leslie saw her future with chemistry.[00:02:55] Working in forensics.[00:04:07] The novelty and then the tedium of working with drugs.[00:05:20] Developing protocols for new drugs.[00:06:33] Inventing a sensor for drug detection.[00:10:13] The challenges of bringing new technology to market.[00:12:14] Alternate paths to science entrepreneurship.[00:13:47] The path to The Sustainable Lab.[00:16:05] The transition to an engineering role in chemistry.[00:19:47] The types of problems The Sustainable Lab means to solve.[00:20:04] Replacing fossil fuels with renewables or waste.[00:21:58] The applications for converting CO2 and methane into biofuels and other materials.[00:24:28] Applying chemistry, materials science, and chemical engineering to the optimisation of chemical processes.[00:25:39] Repurposing agricultural and plastic waste.[00:26:18] Investigating alternative approaches to recycling and the return to science entrepreneurship.[00:28:56] Working on the methane problem from all ends: Dr Parwinder Kaur's past work on clovers.[00:29:54] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work?[00:30:53] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you?[00:31:43] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore?[00:33:59] The experience of transitioning back into research after working in industry.[00:36:20] Learning to become a science entrepreneur.[00:40:34] Finding out more about Leslie and The Sustainable Lab. Connect with STEAM Powered:Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | PatreonThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacyPodsights - https://podsights.com/privacy
Shirley Yu is the CEO and Founder of Choosii, the community app for everyone that loves to collect (including herself and her friends - crazy plant collectors). Prior to launching Choosii, she discovered her creative side in high school, studied computer science at Rutgers, and then started an award-winning creative production studio where she created environmental portraiture and conceptual still life works for clients that include New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Barclays and Toyota. In our conversation, we talk about Shirley's journey from computer science to entrepreneurism, her creative process, and building communities with our collections. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/shirley-yu [00:01:17] Shirley's beginnings in computer science. [00:01:29] Shirley's family is heavily STEMM leaning. [00:02:55] With a creative background, computer science seemed like a good balance between technical and creativity. [00:04:15] Algorithms to 3D print sculptures. The intersection of creativity and technology. There's an intentionality and logic to the universe. [00:05:37] Shirley's pursuit of photography. [00:05:52] The creative problem solving of photography and bringing a vision to life. [00:07:45] Seeking a creative outlet and discovering the scope of photography. [00:10:27] Renting a studio to develop her skills in parallel with school. [00:11:38] Being nominated for awards and having commissions and realising that photography would be a viable career path.[00:13:51] Steve Giralt and being motivated to be in that world where she could innovate creatively. [00:15:20] Graduating from computer science and building her studio. [00:15:53] Developing client work, but also personal projects to explore what you're capable of creatively. [00:17:07] Being passively creative and pulling from both her technical and creative experiences. [00:19:32] Creating Choosii for collectors inspired by her own experience. [00:20:57] Creating experiences from interactions. [00:25:48] The experience doesn't end with the transaction. [00:30:39] The emotional satisfaction of knowing something you care about has gone to someone who will care about it as well. [00:34:42] Shirley made Choosii for people like her. [00:36:36] On Shirley's COVID experience and reflecting on care packages and contact. [00:42:15] The evolution of shopping habits and the trend toward supporting local businesses and responsible capitalism. [00:46:52] Creating networks from which to buy also gives provenance and builds trust. [00:47:28] Shirley's breadth of experience and interactions inform the wholistic view of how she creates. [00:50:05] Shirley's process in portraiture and capturing her subject and their environment. [00:58:42] All of Shirley's experiences and people she has met through her creative work now informs her own journey as an entrepreneur. [00:59:11] Curating her projects to reflect her own values and cultivate her journey. [01:01:08] Finding mentorship when your growth is across multiple spaces. [01:01:49] Show up. Know [01:03:42] FounderCafe. [01:04:38] Launch House. [01:05:08] Finding like-minded people and organically grow the relationships. Create new connections and reengage with old connections. [01:09:53] What it means to Shirley to be good at business. [01:12:01] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:14:13] Loving what you do takes work, risk, and perseverance. [01:19:50] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:21:16] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:21:26] Diversify. Always keep learning and exploring. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Dr Parwinder Kaur is an award-winning scientist, a passionate leader and positive role model as a mother, and a professor in science for the next generation of diverse scientists to pursue their passion for science and discovery. She leads cross-disciplinary biotechnology research investigating Earth's biodiversity and natural environments to ensure sustainable futures. She uses her expertise to reach people in new ways, connecting them with their surroundings. Through her diverse research teams, such as ExPlanta, she harnesses STEM to achieve maximised impact. In doing so, she believes this will help us tackle the bigger issues we as society are facing, bringing about solutions through fresh thinking rather than following usual norms. She has been recognised for her substantial contributions to biotechnology and scientific excellence by the prestigious “Science and Innovation Award” by the Australian Academy of Sciences in 2013, won the Microsoft's AI for Earth award for 2019 and WA Innovator of the Year (finalist) in 2022. Dr Kaur is a passionate science communicator, an entrepreneur in the biotechnology sector, an active mentor for gender equity, a Superstar of STEM, a Women in Technology WA Role Model, GirlsXTech international ambassador working to close the gender gap in technology and Diversity in STEM expert panel appointment with the Office of the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Industry and Science, Australia. In our conversation, we talk about biotechnology and genetics for conservation, and creating sustainable solutions through interdisciplinary innovation. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/parwinder-kaur [00:01:11] Parwinder's journey to molecular biology and the study of DNA. [00:02:10] Growing up surrounded by different cultures and faiths. [00:03:23] Parwinder's chemistry teacher opening the door to science as an avenue to answer her questions. [00:04:28] Changing perspectives over time. The relationship between Ayurveda and epigenetics. [00:06:16] Tools don't make the science, but they sure can make things go faster. [00:06:47] Work that took Parwinder 7 years, now can be done in 7 days, because of tools. [00:08:00] The knowledge needs to progress and we can help that along by making it more accessible to get a wider range of perspectives. [00:08:38] Diversity is an important factor in innovation. [00:11:07] How Parwinder's cultural and religious background inspires her science. [00:13:18] There is enough old knowledge validated with science to suggest that we just need better tools or methods to get there as well. [00:13:47] Investigating different faiths revealed to her that there are many common beliefs about the origin of life. [00:14:35] Epigenetics. It's all connected. [00:15:13] The road to understanding DNA in a three-dimensional space. [00:19:35] We need to think bigger as well. Many of the problems we're trying to solve globally also must be viewed in multiple dimensions. [00:24:32] Parwinder's work touches on so many different areas, what has been achieved could not have been done without multidisciplinary collaboration. [00:25:53] Comparatively, Australia is less restrictive than India with respect to disciplinary boundaries. [00:28:14] The system doesn't favour multidisciplinary approaches that may take longer. [00:28:58] It's hard to inspire students to solve the problems around us if we can't allow them to explore a broader range of disciplines to find the solutions. [00:33:17] Funding and KPIs can be bound to a limited scope. [00:33:28] Obstacles to remote collaboration, and being a scientist in the most isolated city in the world. [00:37:49] Remote collaboration with a medicine lab outside KPIs has lead to initiatives like DNA Zoo. [00:41:55] Promoting Australia for its biodiversity and Perth for its Pawsey supercomputer. [00:45:38] DNA Zoo. [00:45:57] What can we learn about the superpowers of other species. [00:47:24] Conservation has to factor in genetics as well as environment. [00:48:47] The rate of innovation in genetics just for humans. Why not also for animals? [00:49:36] With technological advancements, sequencing costs are significantly more accessible. [00:52:55] It's about helping people connect the dots. Making the content public domain because this is bigger than just publishing papers. [00:55:22] Open data because not having access to the knowledge is inefficient and making it accessible allows more people to take a shot at it. [00:56:57] Data is our next bio-economy. [00:58:21] Methane from cows. [00:59:54] The factors that contribution to methane emission. [01:00:22] "You are what you eat". Let's look at diet. [01:00:49] Clovers and their simplicity and impact, and secondary discoveries in science. [01:03:00] Japanese research on red clovers and their applications. [01:04:27] A serendipitous conversation about kombucha. [01:05:44] From a joke to a commercial opportunity in synthetic biology. [01:07:29] Giving her students another option for a career path in entrepreneurism. [01:10:57] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:12:41] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you [01:15:17] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Dr Jessica McCarty is currently a tenured Associate Professor of Geography and Director of the Geospatial Analysis Center at Miami University in the United States. She has more than 15 years' experience in remote sensing and geospatial science to quantify wildland and human-caused fires, fire emissions, agriculture and food security, and land-cover/land-use change. She is a NASA-funded investigator and author or co-author of more than 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, 4 data citations, and 1 NASA Technology Transfer. She is a member of the NASA Land-Cover/Land-Use Science Team and an Arctic Council Working Group, and has worked closely with many U.S. federal and state agencies as well as the United Nations. She is originally from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and is a mom. She prefers dogs to cats and coffee to tea. In our conversation, we talk about the multidisciplinary nature of geography, fire, agriculture, and the two-body problem. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/jessica-mccarty [00:01:02] Jessica's journey to public policy. [00:01:30] Being willing to say yes to some seemingly odd requests. [00:02:14] Mapping human-caused fire across the lower 48 states of the US. [00:03:09] Being asked to do similar for Europe / Eurasia and IIASA. [00:04:26] The importance of international conferences and being exposed to the policy side of the work. [00:05:13] Understanding diplomacy and cross-cultural communication in a global space. [00:07:24] Fire and agriculture are male dominated areas. [00:10:16] Be willing to say 'yes', but recognise when you're not the right fit for the opportunity. Pay it forward. [00:12:28] Get to know who your civil servants are because science is closely tied to the factors that make up our society. [00:14:00] Scientists and policy-makers work together to find solutions. [00:16:52] Sometimes the reality is hard to hear. But it's necessary. [00:17:19] The private sector is becoming more directly interested in building resilience into their business model. [00:18:29] Academia and research is not the only path, use your expertise to create that bridge to industry as well. [00:20:23] If you're here, and you want to be here, this is where you belong. [00:21:35] What drew Jessica to fire and agriculture. [00:21:52] Jessica's upbringing around farms, national forests, and living off the land. [00:22:33] Living with the reality of wildfires and prescribed burning. [00:23:01] Learning and loving about satellites and GIS. [00:23:49] Realising she could combine technology and the knowledge she was raised with. [00:24:58] Geography is about the land as well as the people. [00:27:10] Researching fire regimes in the arctic and boreal regions. What is burning and why? [00:28:44] Prescribed burning and investigating (over) managing the land. [00:30:16] Understanding the transition between the boreal and the artic and the impact of fire in these areas. [00:30:41] Quantifying the benefits and impact of prescribed fire and cultural burning. [00:31:48] Short‑lived climate forcers (SLCFs) and the albedo effect. [00:33:18] Trying to ensure that all participants are compensated for their contributions. You pay your experts. [00:34:44] Working with the commercial satellite data to understand how much human-caused burning is happening in Northern America. [00:35:50] Working with a NASA-led team on how near-term climate futures impacts food security and food systems. Multi-factor including social systems and infrastructure. [00:37:12] Building up global scientists. We don't want to do 'parachute science' and leave anyone behind. [00:39:22] The land is also the relationship that people have with it. [00:39:53] The mission is to understand the universe, and the earth is part of it. [00:40:18] The transition to making knowledge and technology accessible to encourage collaboration and innovation. [00:41:23] Open data can lead to more applications and use cases. [00:42:40] NASA transitioning to open-source science. [00:43:20] How fire in the southern hemisphere is connected to the northern hemisphere. [00:46:20] Satellite imagery and visualisation exposing the connections between these global systems. [00:47:51] We're all connected. [00:51:27] Geography trains you very quickly to see the connections. [00:53:00] Do you know the difference between moose and elk? [00:54:45] Geography is the study of home. It's home economics on a global scale. [00:56:31] Deep time / Deep ecology. There is permafrost older than our species. Getting some perspective. [00:58:12] A point of reflection. Humans don't do well with uncertainty. We are in a moment of pause. But it's a time of opportunity. [01:01:40] The opportunities to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion by using technology to make science and knowledge more accessible. [01:02:47] Michele's not-COVID project. [01:04:43] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:07:50] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:11:19] Children and developing a sense of justice or injustice. [01:16:14] Bonus Question 3: What advice would you give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:16:18] You don't have to pursue graduate studies immediately. You can take your time. [01:18:22] Make sure you get out what you put in in terms of your work and respect. You need to be able to thrive. [01:20:26] The two-body problem and balancing careers, relationships, and identity. [01:29:04] The freedom to have the choice to live our lives the way we feel works for us. [01:35:04] Find out more about Jessica and their work. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Anna Ritzema is a passionate STEM educator, working in rural and regional Western Australia. In 2020 she was named WA Science and Engineering Teacher, having led her school to the finals of the Governor's STEM awards and becoming a Teacher Development program for STEM and Science. She was awarded the School Plus 2021 Teaching Fellowship. Anna currently works at the Polly Farmer foundation and is an advocate for young girls and Women in STEM. She was a finalist for the Director General's Women of the Year 2020. In our conversation, we talk about inquiry based learning, and how we can guide students through their curiosity, and help them to succeed. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/anna-ritzema [00:01:00] What drew Anna to education. [00:02:14] The relationships that we build as teachers and the impact that it has. [00:03:51] Encouraging and cultivating engagement and instilling self-believe and confidence. [00:05:17] Balancing passion for STEM subjects and the fear of getting it wrong. [00:08:42] Making teaching STEM about the journey and not just hitting the objectives. [00:10:52] Peer learning and learning to teach is important at all ages. [00:14:08] Incorporate mindfulness in the teaching and learning experience. [00:14:56] Education systems, modes of learning, and developmental stages. [00:18:14] Empowering teachers to be flexible within the system and in the context of individual development. [00:20:06] KPIs of the teachers don't always correspond to the intrinsic value of the experiences and learning development of the students. [00:22:58] Anna's journey and initial reluctance to enter STEM. [00:23:54] Discovering a love for the analytical side of linguistics. [00:24:38] Teaching at Dragon School and having the opportunity to hone her craft. [00:26:17] Taking a position as a science teacher and finding she actually enjoyed this. [00:27:17] Science is magic. [00:32:23] Teachers provide direction and can help keep dreams alive even when there isn't an obvious path. [00:34:03] The privilege of being able to see your potential right in front of you. [00:34:55] Providing opportunities to connect with possible industries and futures. [00:37:37] Virtual STEM academies and the technology to bring the wider world closer to home. [00:43:46] Enquiry-based learning. [00:47:49] Polly Farmer Foundation and their programs empowering indigenous students and incorporating the knowledge of the First Scientists into what we do now. [00:51:15] On problem solving and learning about failure. [00:54:59] Crafting learning narrative, connecting to the emotion and being able to reflect on the process. [00:56:30] Building that relationship so the rest will follow. [00:58:24] Learning that indirect routes can be fun and just as rewarding. [01:00:09] Not being "the sage on the stage, but being the guide from the side". [01:01:17] Anna's key observations teaching in such a wide variety of environments. [01:01:48] "Every child will make progress in my care… I am proud to be their teacher, and every child has impacted my journey." [01:06:18] Always looking for what a child can do. [01:07:40] Believing in yourself and each other is powerful. [01:09:53] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:12:21] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:14:35] Perspective on others' experiences. [01:17:59] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:18:07] It's about passion. [01:19:03] Do not doubt your power as an educator. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Gry Stene loves to share her observations from her 30+ years as an "IT Girl" aka Woman in Tech. When it came to choosing a career, Gry only had a couple of criteria… Firstly, she wanted to help people solve problems and create a better world. Secondly, she wanted to prove that girls were as capable as boys. Given her proficiency in maths and science, information technology (IT) was a very real option, and when she realised that IT was likely to be a key component and foundation for solving pervasive problems across industries globally, the choice was easy. She started her career with a BSc(Hon) of Computation in Manchester, England in the late eighties and has built on that ever since. Through her career, Gry has had the opportunity to design and deliver solutions across many industries, creating the right mix of people, systems, processes and culture. She has been fortunate to work across all continents and is as at home in early stage startups as she is in global conglomerates. Often the only woman in the room, she has a unique perspective on IT, the people in IT, and what we need to do to create diverse and inclusive cultures where people feel they belong. She is driven to ensure that we create meaningful technology and are ethical in our considerations. Gry loves the expression "same same but different", and lives to engage, empower and inspire people to find their place in a digital world. As an original "IT Girl" from the 80s who studied Computer Science and started out as programmer at a time when there were 35-40% women in key roles, she has loved working across continents in customer obsessed roles, and is equally at home in conceptual stage startups as she is in global conglomerates. She is deeply concerned with the downward trend of women in tech, especially as tech creators and inventors, and is on a mission to encourage, enable, empower and inspire more women, girls and other underrepresented people to step into IT! The IT Girls Rock community is part of that mission, as are the projects and initiatives across education, corporate and technology that she designs, develops and delivers through her social enterprise STEAM Engine Global. In our conversation, we talk about Gry's journey to computing, being an IT Girl, and building an ecosystem that cultivates and nurtures careers in tech for women. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/gry-stene [00:01:11] Gry's worldly early years. [00:02:33] Academic proficiency leading towards mathematics and sciences. [00:03:45] Pursuing sciences further in high school. [00:05:20] Returning and readjusting back to Norway. [00:06:05] Choosing a career path. [00:09:30] Applying 'ikigai' and f inding your purpose. [00:10:05] Gry's motivations for pursuing computation. [00:11:37] Entering the workforce and growing her understanding of the scope of technical work. [00:13:31] Learning you can't be a dev in isolation. [00:15:22] Dame Stephanie Shirley. [00:16:18] #DevThings Segue: Technical Debt. [00:18:24] The need to cultivate diversity in teams. [00:22:46] Observations about gravitating towards roles which accommodate our other aspects. [00:26:49] Prioritisation habits of high performing women. [00:31:29] Standards. [00:35:06] Finding a place for everyone's unique skillsets. [00:36:58] Solving the right problems. [00:40:25] Expanding your thinking about what others' experiences are. [00:58:23] STEAM Engine Global. [00:58:31] Cultivating spaces in the pipeline for creating belonging and nurturing talent. [01:06:15] Following her north star. [01:08:14] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:13:24] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you [01:14:27] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Erin Macdonald (PhD, Astrophysics) is a tattooed one-woman STEM career panel, with recognition as a researcher, speaker, engineer, and consultant before her current career. She lives in Los Angeles working as a writer and producer and is currently the science advisor for the entire Star Trek franchise. In our conversation, we talk about Erin's journey through academia, industry, and entertainment, learning to celebrate little wins, and Erin's love of teaching and sharing science to inspire the next generation. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/erin-macdonald [00:00:59] Television and film leading Erin down the path to astrophysics. [00:01:51] Having a passion but not exactly a plan. [00:02:45] Exploring academia. [00:03:05] The challenges of academic life. [00:03:38] Taking the advice of getting some distance from her PhD before making any career decisions. [00:04:51] Transitioning into industry. [00:05:01] Working multiple jobs to pay the bills. [00:05:30] Discovering her transferable skills. [00:06:26] The value of being able to communicate the science. [00:08:54] Finding a space in the con circuit. [00:10:01] Pop culture gives people a reference point for the science. [00:13:42] The path to becoming a science advisor. [00:13:56] Discovering that 'science advisors' exist planted a seed. [00:15:06] Networking and learning more about the process. [00:16:04] Getting on the Star Trek radar. [00:17:20] Science advising is about "yes, and". [00:18:04] The day-to-day. [00:20:31] The story comes first. [00:22:16] The cyclical nature of science, invention and science fiction. [00:24:42] Writing, producing, and looking to the future. [00:25:38] Speaking to those who had come before. [00:26:41] Pros and cons working in this space in the 90s and now. [00:27:43] Starting to write. [00:28:43] Producing a film: Every Morning. [00:32:14] Finding a purpose and a place. [00:33:39] Finding a space where you want it enough and feel that you can make a difference. [00:34:16] Carving out a space for representation in media in various capacities. [00:35:59] "Luck is hard work and knowing what is an opportunity and what's not." - Lucille Ball [00:37:01] The pros and cons of working in academia, industry, and entertainment [00:37:39] The pros of academia. [00:38:24] The cons of academia. [00:39:47] The pros and cons of industry. [00:41:59] Cons of entertainment. [00:42:26] Pros of entertainment. [00:43:17] Celebrate little wins. [00:45:08] Observations about the misconceptions about each of these industries. [00:47:03] The rejection economy, finding ways and reasons to persevere. [00:49:20] Finding mentorship and role models who can guide you. [00:52:24] For academics looking to get out of academia, there are paths for you. [00:53:59] If you're starting a new career, don't be too hard on yourself. You will need time to get up to speed. [00:55:45] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [00:59:21] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:00:48] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:01:01] Get experience in science communication. The skills will benefit you throughout your career(s). [01:02:13] Explore the creative side of your hard science. [01:03:13] Improv and creative thinking provides tools for better and more flexible communication. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon
Kira Dineen, MS, LCGC, CG(ASCP)CM, has a decade of podcast experience fueled by a passion for science communication. She has hosted and produced 6 podcasts. Her main show, "DNA Today", is in the top 1% of podcasts globally. Listeners Discover New Advances in the world of genetics through Kira's interviews about genetic technology, disorders, and news. The show won the Best 2020 and 2021 Science and Medicine Podcast Awards. "DNA Today" has produced nearly 200 episodes. In our conversation, we talk about Kira's journey to genetics, genetic counselling, and what we can and can't learn from DNA testing kits. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kira-dineen [00:01:27] Kira's affinity for the field of genetics. [00:04:19] Where Kira saw herself in the field. [00:04:52] Labs are not the only career path in genetics. [00:07:11] The value of shadowing. [00:08:11] Hear from or speak to people in the field and ask questions. [00:08:52] We need a career speed-dating service. [00:10:03] What is genetic counselling? [00:13:42] When would you start the process of speaking with a genetic counsellor? [00:16:41] The two general categories of genetic conditions. [00:21:15] How Direct-to-Consumer DNA testing kits work. [00:24:14] Individual hotspots vs polygenic risk scores. [00:26:46] Our understanding will become more refined as we gather more data. [00:30:04] Kira's podcasting journey. [00:36:26] Podcasting opens doors and creates connection. [00:39:53] Why science communication is important to Kira. [00:46:39] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is least related to your field of work? [00:47:30] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [00:48:47] Bonus Question 3: What advice would you give someone who wants to do what you do? And what advice should they ignore? Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Ko-Fi
Robin Wiener is a nationally recognised leader and change agent in healthcare IT and patient engagement. She brings more than 20 years of experience in business development, management and product strategy to her position as president and founding partner of Get Real Health. Ms. Wiener leads business development and marketing efforts for Get Real Health, leveraging her outstanding people skills and a large network of contacts to identify opportunities and close sales. She also cultivates the company's growing list of strategic partnerships around the world. Ms. Wiener has an innate knack for identifying the skill sets integral to a successful team. Her corporate leadership abilities are evidenced by Get Real Health's impressive employee retention rate and the staff's unwavering commitment to the company's success. In our conversation, we talk about Get Real Health's digital front door, putting people first in healthcare and business, and finding your path. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/robin-wiener [00:01:14] Robin's journey from fashion to health IT [00:01:38] A love for bringing the right people together and the shift to human resources in tech. [00:02:57] Human resources from a technical engineering perspective in the dot-com era. [00:04:33] Pivoting out of the dot-com crash. [00:05:47] The importance of the people side of business and tech. Empower and respect your people. [00:10:26] The origins of Get Real Health and their digital front door. [00:11:18] Building an app that connected to Microsoft HealthVault. [00:11:49] Hurricane Katrina was the impetus for change in health record management. [00:13:49] Building the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society a patient portal and realising there is a product there. [00:17:28] Incorporating a digital front door for integrated patient services. [00:18:57] Overcoming the challenges of integration with disparate systems and standardisation practices. [00:19:52] FHIR standard and Meaningful Use. [00:21:14] Standardisation facilitates AI on the data (with patient-controlled consent) which allows patients who wouldn't otherwise have access to participate in clinical studies to be considered. [00:22:16] Naturally facilitating telehealth during COVID providing access to healthcare providers and providers access to health records for treatment. [00:22:42] The portability of the platform internationally. [00:22:55] Standards and many of the large EMR companies being multinational helps. [00:25:27] My Health Record (Australia). [00:26:37] Digital health systems should be patient-focussed. It should be innovative but uncomplicated. [00:27:56] Working with Telstra Health (Australia) and Spark Health (NZ). [00:29:39] Communicating safety and privacy for health records, keeping public trust. [00:30:48] Granular patient-controlled consent and supporting irregularties such as region-based age of majority and emergency access. [00:35:41] Alerts for physical and mental health crises. [00:36:48] It's not just information, it's tools that empower you to be able to manage your personal health. [00:37:47] Resources to manage your own healthcare allows for timely care and early intervention. [00:40:34] We're learning that telehealth and tools that facilitate it works. [00:42:17] Geographic limitations to the platform. Legal and privacy issues. [00:45:06] How granular we can get with access control. [00:48:42] Robin's experiences with a strong support network and her passion for helping people achieve their potential. [00:51:51] Strategies to stay the course when following your path. [00:59:59] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:00:47] Robin's early theatre and performance experience. [01:02:37] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:05:14] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:05:21] As a leader you need to know the pieces that make up the puzzle. [01:06:43] Build the team around you. [01:08:39] 'It's not a sprint, it's a journey.' [01:10:03] On grit and moxie. [01:12:20] On balancing operational and strategic skills. [01:14:31] Don't forget the users and the human side of your business. [01:16:06] The full STEAM of healthcare. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Ko-Fi
Kate Kirwin is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and the innovation ecosystem. Founder of She Codes, she has led the steep growth of the project since 2015. Thanks to her work, more than 6000 women have learnt to code. She has hustled to source more than a million dollars from government and industry to support women in STEM. With a regional upbringing, she strongly believes in empowering women from the world’s remotest regions, from as far north as Port Hedland and Karratha, and east as far as Brisbane. Kate has also contributed to the growth of Spacecubed, and since 2014 has played a pivotal role in building community and coordinating other programs including Plus Eight, and Startup Weekend. Kate was recently awarded a Business News 40 under 40 award, the West Australian Rising Star award and was a runner up for the 2019 and 2020 Seven News Young Achiever Awards. In our conversation, we talk about Kate's journey to STEMM, She Codes, and building community in tech. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kate-kirwin Connect with STEAM Powered: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Patreon | Ko-Fi
Dr Kari Pitts is a Forensic Chemist and Mineralogist in the Physical Evidence Team of ChemCentre's Forensic Science Laboratory. She holds a PhD and a Masters in Forensic Science from UWA, and a Bachelor of Science with Honours from Curtin University. Working at ChemCentre for nearing 16 years, her expertise is trace evidence; including paint, glass, gunshot residue, soils, fibres, and anything else that isn't biological, a drug or radioactive. Dr Pitts has reported over 300 cases and given expert evidence in criminal trials in Australia and New Zealand. With a passion for outreach, she was the 2016 RACI WA Bayliss youth lecturer and a 2019-20 Science and Technology Australia Superstar of STEM. In our conversation, we talk about Kari's journey to forensic science, working with physical evidence, and how it's not quite like CSI. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/kari-pitts Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Dr Nicole Tschierske is a scientist and positive psychology coach who helps experts and teams in STEM do better work. Nicole works with her clients improve their collaboration and communication skills so their work gets the momentum and recognition it deserves. She also helps construct ways of working that reduce stress, increase motivation and engagement, and deliver results. Nicole lives in Hamburg, Germany, holds a PhD in chemistry and is trained in coaching, positive psychology, change management, and advanced problem-solving. When she's not buried in research papers and books you can find her taking long hikes in the German countryside or mesmerised by Mary Poppins on the screen. In our conversation, we talk about Nicole's STEM journey, sustainable mental health in the workplace, and how we can do better work. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/nicole-tschierske Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
RJ Andrews is author and founder of Info We Trust. He is also the editor of the Information Graphic Visionaries book series. RJ's talent is helping organisations solve information problems. His passion is studying the history of information graphics to discover design insights. In our conversation, we talk about Florence Nightingale's intriguing story, and how she used data visualisation in her campaign for sanitary reform. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/rj-andrews/ Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Jocelyn James is an engineering manager whose previous careers have included teaching, refugee services, and mental health research. As a disabled woman with a background in human rights, Jocelyn is passionate about inclusivity in engineering and ensuring that those with non-traditional routes into the field are not only included but celebrated. Jocelyn lives in Manhattan with her 12-year-old Italian greyhound Florence, who rules the household despite not contributing to rent. In our conversation, we talk about Jocelyn's indirect path to software engineering, improving the tech interview experience, and how remote work promotes inclusivity. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/jocelyn-james/ Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Rachel Lee Nabors has worked in the web development industry for over a decade, working on web animations APIs and tooling with Mozilla, Firefox and the W3C; and working on browsers at Microsoft; and spearheading developer education on React and React Native teams at Meta. In our conversation, we talk about developer education and preparing for your next role. Show Notes: https://steampoweredshow.com/shows/rachel-lee-nabors/ Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
This week STEAM Powered is doing an episode swap with History Detective by Kelly Chase. History Detective is a podcast for teachers, students and lovers of history. It delves into stories from the past that don't always get told in the textbooks. This episode is about Janine Haines. Janine Haines was a teacher with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and Mathematics. She was a passionate advocate for girls to study mathematics and the sciences, and went on to pursue a career in politics becoming party leader of the Australian Democrats. If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to the History Detective podcast, and if you're a teacher, every History Detective episode has resources that are aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Enjoy!
Dr Jenine Beekhuyzen OAM is a futurist who believes existing structures in the technology industry must change in order to serve tomorrow's digital landscape, and that our children's future job prospects depend on it. Her focus is on leadership, innovation, and education to champion Australian tech entrepreneurship, and address the necessary rebalancing of gender roles within the traditionally male-dominated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) space. In her highly illuminating presentations, Dr Beekhuyzen discusses her vision for Australia's future in technology, including the changes that will prove critical in helping leaders break traditional approaches that currently hold us back. More importantly, she proposes practical solutions that can mobilise a new generation of leaders and innovators who are committed to solving real-world problems with technology. In our conversation, we talk about the Foundation, cultivating an interest in STEMM, and teaching young girls life skills through entrepreneurship. Show Notes (link) [00:00:55] Jenine's journey to business and software engineering. [00:01:05] From vocational education to universiy. [00:03:56] Finding her space in advocacy and the Tech Girls Movement Foundation. [00:04:08] Jenine's research work leading to a desire to solve this known problem in industry. [00:05:23] The issues around the career pipeline for women in STEM. [00:06:54] How we engage children as young as 6 years old in STEM. [00:07:53] AEIOU. [00:11:28] Dr Stephanie Ryan's STEMM in your day-to-day. [00:12:30] Teaching kids to be problem solvers. [00:13:17] Allowing kids to take ownership of problems they want to solve. [00:13:36] Giving people a safe space to create. [00:15:21] How Tech Girls Movement Foundation creates environments and safe spaces to learn and create. [00:15:31] The Tech Girls competition and 12 week entrepreneurship program. [00:17:54] The opportunity to pitch in Silicon Valley. [00:18:24] 2021's winners created a 91 page business plan (!!) [00:18:53] Developing skills that we use in adulthood and the workforce. [00:19:21] Changing attitudes towards mathematics: Demonstrable real world applications. [00:21:25] Finance is more than money. It's about understanding the value of your work. [00:24:14] The trend towards well-being. [00:25:00] Reflections on your views as a mentor. [00:28:06] Mentorship is an exercise for the mentor as much as it is for the mentees. [00:30:18] Jenine's research work. [00:30:26] The low numbers of women in STEM. [00:31:09] Outreach on youth perceptions of STEM. [00:31:38] The state of the digital divide. [00:32:05] Cultural and linguistic diversity in STEM. [00:33:45] The challenges of isolation and remote work. [00:35:53] Communication and behavioural substitution. [00:37:47] Next steps in encouraging women to STEM and career longevity. [00:38:23] Valuing the voices of the younger generation. [00:38:54] Valuing the contributions of women in industry. [00:39:40] Achieving critical mass of women in industry. [00:40:04] Getting more women in positions where they can affect structural change. [00:40:52] Rising homelessness in women over 55. [00:41:37] The wider impact of inequity. [00:43:06] Novel solutions to systemic issues. [00:43:38] Pandemic of loneliness. [00:44:35] The growth area for communities and connection arising from the pandemic. [00:46:16] Tech Girls cultivating a network and community of likeminded individuals. [00:49:14] Failure is part of the process. [00:50:52] Not self-rejecting. [00:51:07] Inviting people into spaces they would otherwise not have considered. [00:53:45] The mindset of recognising your own abilities and experience. [00:54:57] Having champions as well as mentors. [00:55:48] Parenthood is part of your professional skillset. [00:57:02] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [00:57:06] Artistic problem-solving and mosaics. [00:58:29] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [00:58:55] Judy Blume and adventure. [00:59:12] Elizabeth Gilbert. [00:59:22] Supporting female authors and female voices. [01:00:12] The subtle differences between books with female vs male protagonists. [01:02:51] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:03:30] The 80% Rule. [01:05:30] The efficacy or lack thereof of gendered campaigns. [01:06:10] Be okay with not being good at everything, but try it anyway. [01:06:46] Redefining failure. [01:07:48] Finding out more about Jenine's work. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Mild-mannered scientist by day, Dr Naomi Boxall is an intellectually curious, creative, change agent: always seeking to use my talents to improve health for the population. This has been within multiple fields so far, including public health and pharmacoepidemiology…what might be next? In our conversation, we talk about epidemiology, leadership, and the art in scientific enquiry. Show Notes (link) [00:00:49] Naomi's journey to biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology. [00:01:27] Exploring veterinary sciences. [00:02:11] Seeing the movie "Outbreak" and becoming fascinated by the field. [00:03:21] Restructuring her course to change trajectory. [00:03:59] PhD in Campylobacter jejuni. [00:04:21] Moving from animal health to public health. [00:04:37] Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) course by the CDC and EPIET programs. [00:05:39] Opportunity knocks, but you have to create the doors. [00:06:25] Experiencing different public health systems in the context of public health globally.[00:08:05] Working on surveillance systems and investigations for public health concerns. [00:09:26] How surveillance systems work for diseases and pathogens. [00:12:33] Transitioning to pharmacoepidemiology. [00:14:04] The varied paths to epidemiology. [00:15:56] Delving with your sense of curiosity to find answers. [00:18:05] Moving to pharmacoepidemiology. [00:18:16] Wanting to head towards the leadership path but utilise what she has learned in the course of her career. [00:20:25] How to transition towards leadership roles. [00:20:47] Lead by letting go. [00:21:26] Teaching and guiding as a leader. [00:23:55] Being able to share from your of wealth of experience. [00:24:32] It's valuable for the leaders to also understand the experience of working at the coal-face. [00:25:48] What surprises Naomi in the field. [00:26:24] Developing more women in leadership. [00:27:44] Equal maternity and paternity leave entitlements. [00:28:38] Research and analysis should be split by biological sex. [00:30:13] You won't know the answers if you don't ask the questions. [00:31:45] Both clinical trials and real world data can provide data for observational studies [00:33:49] Finding ways to enrich the data we have in observational studies. [00:34:55] Interlocution and context. [00:36:52] Patient centricity, information sources, and what to query. [00:39:07] How we stigmatise health. [00:39:44] You shouldn't have to be on the receiving end to think about perspective. [00:41:40] Taking your own context for granted. [00:42:25] The negative perception around not being at full health. [00:43:16] Say we're putting people first, and mean it. [00:44:26] Social structures need to support recovery and community health. [00:45:43] The challenges for policy makers. [00:47:44] We don't exist in a vacuum. [00:48:20] The power of microorganisms. [00:51:06] Bringing the humanities to the sciences. [00:55:19] Communication of public health policy through theatre and plays. [00:57:07] Using data visualisation to communicate data in an accessible and meaningful way. [00:58:30] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [00:59:09] Music. [00:59:29] Photography. [00:59:51] Sewing. [01:02:22] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:04:10] Naomi's novel. [01:06:58] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:08:06] There is more to epidemiology than just numbers. [01:11:24] Finding out more about Naomi and her work. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Gabriella Martini is a curious, dynamic and adaptive engineering professional with a proven record of managing a portfolio of engineering projects from concept to implementation. She focuses on embedding sustainable business processes while generating and maintaining relationships, is dependable and a structured thinker who thrives on solving problems in challenging, fast paced and pressurised environments. Gabriella actively participates in a number of programs which promote a healthier STEM pipeline, always curious on how she can further broaden her impact. In our conversation, we talk about mechanical engineering, mentorship, mental health, and aquascaping. Show Notes (link) [00:00:50] Gabriella's journey to mechanical engineering. [00:02:09] Finding a good fit for learning and teaching styles. [00:02:18] Being given a set path, and a first generation university student. [00:05:17] The benefit of hindsight and the desire to help others find their way. [00:06:30] Where Gabriella saw her future in mechanical engineering. [00:06:51] Wanting to explore the full range of what mechanical engineering has to offer. [00:07:37] The scope of mechanical engineering. [00:08:58] The discipline allows you to be flexible and branch into other areas. [00:09:57] The growing range of industries in Western Australia. [00:10:30] Joining FirstMode. [00:11:27] About FirstMode. [00:12:52] Misconceptions about what the industries involve. [00:13:38] How to approach projects of this scale. [00:15:45] The similarities between operational and project settings. [00:16:25] You can't be formulaic in your processes with creative engineering. [00:17:09] Governance in mining and engineering. [00:19:11] The joys of Classified Plant. [00:21:13] Both project management and governance are working with people to solve problems. [00:22:25] It's about problem-solving and affecting change in the industry in various ways. [00:24:26] This is not the career Gabriella imagined she would have so far. [00:25:20] The mistaken belief that we have one chance to choose our path. [00:25:50] Using herself as an example of the indirect path. [00:26:09] Don't have regrets. Everything that happens is part of your journey. [00:26:28] Living with anxiety and depression and having a breakdown that became a pivot point for her life and career. [00:28:01] The stigma that still exists around mental health. [00:28:31] Being more open about her own experiences. [00:29:37] The changes that resulted after her breakdown, and being more conscious of self-care. [00:32:38] Finding methods that work for you. [00:33:03] Writing and reflection journals. [00:38:46] Motivated to mentor. [00:41:46] Experiences as a mentee. [00:42:18] To MBA, or not to MBA. [00:44:41] The opportunities we have to explore other facets of our fields. [00:48:31] Common first years at university. [00:49:10] How to juggle a heavy mentoring load and other commitments. [00:49:25] Calendar all the things. [00:50:08] A FIFO lifestyle teaches you to manage your time. [00:52:25] You perform better when you look after yourself. [00:53:55] Taking time to reflect on who you are and who you want to be. [00:56:04] Seeing the shift in being able to have open conersations about self. [00:58:26] Just as we innovate at work, we need to innovate how we treat ourselves. [01:01:52] Bonus Question 1: What hobby or interest do you have that is most unrelated to your field of work? [01:01:58] Aquascaping. [01:04:48] It's nice to work with your hands. [01:06:42] Bonus Question 2: Which childhood book holds the strongest memories for you? [01:07:53] Not really into books, K'Nex was where it's at. [01:08:52] LEGO Technic. [01:10:59] Zoom calls connecting people in more ways than one. [01:11:54] Travelling to North Korea. [01:13:49] Bonus Question 3: What advice you would give someone who wants to do what you do? Or what advice should they ignore? [01:13:53] "Why don't I give it a try?" [01:15:46] Advice may not take your capabilities and experience into account. Be discerning. [01:20:13] There's an art to giving and receiving feedback. [01:22:28] Finding out more about Gabriella and her work. Connect with STEAM Powered: Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Dr Audrey Lobo-Pulo currently works at LinkedIn and holds a PhD in Physics and a Masters in Economic Policy. She is also accredited by the International Bateson Institute to host and conduct Warm data labs. A member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network for the Future of Digital Economy and Society, Civic Participation and the Future of Government, Audrey is passionate about how technology may be designed for better government and societal outcomes. Previously a Senior Policy Advisor for the Australian Treasury, Audrey has worked for over a decade in areas relating to Australia's labour market, taxation and social policy. A long-standing advocate of Open Source Models in Government, Audrey is deeply interested in how information evolves and flows within society. She is also a Cybernetics enthusiast and a student of human sense-making. In our conversation, we talk about context and resilience, and how we approach living systems. Show notes and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com)
Dr Anika Molesworth is a farmer, scientist and storyteller. She is widely recognised for her work in agriculture and food systems and generating climate change awareness, and is author of Our Sunburnt Country. Awards include Young Farmer of the Year (2015) and Young Australian of the Year, New South Wales Finalist (2017). Anika is passionate about ensuring the best possible future for the planet, people and the food on our plates. In our conversation, we talk about Anika's journey and passion for communicating agroecology and climate change awareness. Show notes and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com)
Cairo Malet (she/her) is a cyber security professional, specialising in governance, risk and compliance. She currently works for Octopus Deploy, leading their GRC programme. Before moving to Octopus, she spent three years leading risk assessment and remediation at one of the world's largest mining companies, working with technology across both enterprise and operational environments. Her previous experience includes consulting and internal positions, working with organisations across finance, government, healthcare, telecommunications and resources to assess their security posture and implement policy and process to increase security maturity. She is passionate about providing pragmatic security advice, increasing female representation in the Cyber Security industry, and Stardew Valley. She also has a degree in International Relations and a CISSP. In our conversation, we talk about Cairo's indirect journey to cyber security, and what cyber security entails from policy to supply chain cyber security and social engineering. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Dr Kit Prendergast, also known as The Bee Babette, is a native bee scientist and science communicator. Her research focuses on discovering the biodiversity of native bees and identifying the factors that influence their abundance, diversity, and distribution, so that we can have an evidence-based understanding of their ecologies to better conserve our indigenous bees. Her research has also involved investigating the controversial topic of competition with the introduced European honeybee Apis mellifera. She loves getting out in nature and spending her days among the flowers seeking buzzy bees! In addition to her 'hard core' sciencing, the Bee Babette also is passionate about scicomm, and regularly gives presentations to local communities and schools about native bees and how we can all make a difference to their conservation. She is the author of 'Creating a Haven for Native Bees' and 'Abuzz About Dawson's Burrowing Bee', the latter about her research on her favourite bee, Amegilla dawsoni which she has a tattoo of a pair having sex on her shoulder. Kit was a Famelab Finalist and a Young Scientist of the Year Finalist in 2019. In our conversation, we talk about Australian native bees, bee conservation, and biological taxonomy. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Pia Andrews is an open government and data ninja [1] who has been working in making the world a better place for 20 years. She currently works within the (public sector) machine to transform public services through greater transparency, democratic engagement, citizen-centric design, open data, emerging technologies and real, pragmatic actual innovation in the public sector and beyond. She believes that tech culture has a huge role to play in achieving better policy planning, outcomes, public engagement and a better public service all round. She is also trying to do her part in establishing greater public benefit from publicly funded data, software and research. Pia was recognised in 2018 and 2019 as one of the global top 20 most Influential in Digital Government and was awarded as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Australia for 2014. Pia is currently the Digital Lead and Special Advisor for the Benefits Delivery Modernization program at Service Canada (ESDC) in Ottawa, Canada. There she is helping design and deliver a holistic and modern digital channel for the Canadian Government to deliver a delightful, dignified, user-centric, responsive and integrated digital journey that motivates and empowers people to help themselves. In our conversation, we talk about digital commons, public policy, and Pia's dream of an optimistic future. Show Notes, Pia's bonus questions, and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com) [1] Pia has also studied martial arts since 1990, so she is more qualified than most to this title
Jesslyn Tannady is a Developer Advocate at Facebook. She creates educational content about Facebook's technologies so that anyone outside of Facebook can use them. In a past life, she worked on video games and augmented reality navigation tools for astronauts for NASA. When she's not thinking about virtual reality technology, she's probably illustrating or voice acting. You can find her on Twitter at @jtannady. In our conversation, we talk about Jesslyn's past life in Augmented and Virtual Reality, tech communities and democratisation, and reflecting on attending women's educational institutions.. Show notes and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com)
Dr. Marsha Tufft is an engineer, author, speaker, and problem-solver. Her passion is helping kids succeed in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, math. She brings 35 years engineering experience at GE Aviation and degrees in mechanical, aerospace, and materials engineering to the creation of STEM experiments and projects that can be done at home because there's nothing like learning by doing. She writes middle grade fiction books with a STEAM (=STEM+art) theme because stories change attitudes. Visit her website, www.putneydesigns.com, for STEM experiments, videos, and information about her books. In our conversation, we talk about Marsha's engineering journey, Putney's World, and underwater hockey. Show Notes and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com)
Dr Stephanie Ryan, Ph.D. is a chemist, a boy mom, and a social media influencer who enjoys using her background to create superior educational products and content. Although an academic at heart, Dr Stephanie is passionate about learning through play. She can be found helping young kids explore the fascinating world around them. Over the years, Dr Stephanie has taught science to all age groups, both in and out of the classroom, helping toddlers learn about their world and college students define theirs. She is an active member of the chemistry education community and is currently a committee member of the International Activities Committee for the Division of Chemical Education. Dr Stephanie earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences and her M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Mary's College. For great learning activities in the sciences, book recommendations, and more, follow Dr Stephanie on Instagram at @letslearnaboutscience. In our conversation, we talk about learning sciences, education, and Stephanie's book Let's Learn about Chemistry. Show notes and connect with us at (steampoweredshow.com)
Dr. Elanor Bell is a senior research scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division where her role combines a passion for conservation and the polar marine environment, with her experience of coordinating multi-national research and translating the outcomes to policy. Throughout her career, Elanor has wintered twice in Antarctica studying some of the smallest organisms on the planet (microbes) and now works on the largest creatures on the planet, Antarctic blue whales. In our conversation, we talk about microbial ecology, seahorses, whales, and working in Antarctica. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Dr. Carly Howett is an Associate Professor at Oxford University. She is mainly interested in understanding the surface properties of icy worlds, including Saturn's icy moons, Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, Europa, and Kuiper Belt Objects (including Pluto and Charon). She is the Deputy Principal Investigator of the Ralph Instrument on New Horizons, an Instrument Scientist on NASA's newly selected Lucy mission and a Co-Investigator on two other NASA missions: Cassini and Europa Clipper. In our conversation, we talk about planetary sciences, icy worlds, and the upcoming NASA Lucy Mission. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Helen (tw: @heyohelen) is an earth scientist turned product manager turned startup founder. After leaving her mark at companies such as Zynga, Microsoft, and Github, she's gone on to co-found Co.Lab, a platform for technologists to upskill through cross-functional, project-based learning. Helen is especially passionate about thought diversity, the power of learning by doing, and cute cats. In our conversation, we talk about indirect paths to tech, entrepreneurship, and Co.Lab. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
Dr Shelly Lesher is a Professor and Chair of Physics at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (UWL) and a Guest Professor at the University of Notre Dame with an active research program in experimental low-energy nuclear physics and developing the next generation of scientists. Dr Lesher has authored of over 55 scientific publications which focus on understanding the structure of nuclei in journals such as Physical Review C, Physical Review Letters, and Nuclear Physics A. She is also interested in the intersection of physics and human rights and has served as the chair of the American Physical Society's Committee on International Freedom of Scientists. At an undergraduate institution, she works on developing the next generation of scientists and educating non-science majors in nuclear issues which includes developing and hosting a podcast on the intersection of nuclear science and society called My Nuclear Life available to the general public. Serving as the Director of the Division of Nuclear Physics Conference Experience for Undergraduate (CEU) program she arranges for undergraduate students to attend a national nuclear physics conference to present their research. She has held postdoctoral fellowships at the Katholiek Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Her scientific research is funded by the National Science Foundation. Some recent honors include Fellowship at the American Physical Society and the Yale Presidential Visiting Scholar. In our conversation, we talk about how nuclear sciences impacts our world, and Shelly's love of shoes. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website
Dr Merryn McKinnon's original degree was in marine science where, after the novelty of moving intertidal snails with a paint scraper wore off, she discovered that talking about her research to other people brought her far closer to her conservation goals than her actual project ever could. This led her to the field of science communication where she has stayed ever since, working in a range of roles and countries. Merryn enjoys the diverse issues science communication allows her to explore, applying her innovative thinking and problem-solving skills. Merryn has worked and conducted qualitative and quantitative research nationally and internationally, in both non-academic and academic roles. She regularly contributes to ABC Radio on ABC Sydney's Nightlife and Radio National's Research Filter, talking about interesting science from around the world. Merryn designs and delivers science communication workshops, as well as workshops specifically for women in STEM. Merryn's research contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between science, media and publics. She conducts research which explores why publics react and respond to scientific issues the way they do in a variety of different disciplines including public health and conservation science. She is actively building a research program exploring the influence of equity, inclusion and intersectionality in STEM, especially STEM communication. In our conversation, we talk about science communication research and perceptions of women STEM communicators. Show Notes (link) Connect with STEAM Powered: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Patreon Ko-Fi
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