Roots To STEM podcast

44:33

In this episode, we’re hearing from Dr. Gonzalo Giribet, who is a Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and the Curator of Invertebrates and Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Gonzalo received his bachelor’s degree and his PhD from the University of Barcelona, then did his postdoc at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. While there, his postdoc advisor convinced him to apply for a faculty position at Harvard, which he got, and he has been at Harvard ever since. Gonzalo was an early adopter of the idea of molecular phylogenetics, which he has used to help clarify our understanding of the invertebrate tree of life. In this episode, we chat about: What a postdoc at a museum is like and the types of research you can do at a museum What a science museum curator does (and doesn’t do) Underrated invertebrates, including velvet worms How studying rare animals has enabled Gonzalo to travel the world Gonzalo’s vision for the future of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology Some of the pros and cons of studying non-model organisms The value of being disciplined with how you use your time Finding a project you’re really passionate about Windsurfing! Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E8: Dr. Paula Welander on geobiology, archaea, and how to come up with good questions 44:44

3 years ago44:44

44:44

In today’s episode we’re talking to Dr. Paula Welander, an Associate Professor in the Earth Systems Science Department at Stanford University. Although she is now a tenured professor at Stanford, this certainly wasn’t the plan from the start. Paula’s parents immigrated from Mexico in the hopes of giving their family a better life, and they really encouraged her to go to college and to pursue one of two careers, medicine or law. So Paula went to Occidental College with medicine in mind, however that path shifted when she worked in a microbiology lab and realized that research like that could actually be a career. Paula has been working with microbes more or less ever since (although with a short hiatus that we talk about in the episode). After getting her undergrad at Occidental College, Paula worked for a few years (this is where the non-microbial work comes in) and then got her PhD in microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Bill Metcalf. She then did a postdoc at MIT, where she was co-advised by Dianne Newman (who later moved to CalTech) and Roger Summons. After going through three cycles of faculty applications during her postdoc, Paula got her current position at Stanford Earth, where she studies geologically relevant microbes. Some of the things we cover in this episode: How can you use molecular biology and microbiology to understand geology and the earth’s history? What are archaea? The two body problem (aka having a partner who is also an academic) Having kids in grad school Some pros and cons of taking time off after undergrad How to come up with good questions Practicing for faculty interviews The best and worst parts of Paula’s PhD The excitement of adding new knowledge to the world Get in touch with Paula: Twitter Welander Lab Website email: welander@stanford.edu Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.podbean.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E7: The value of PhD soft skills with Dr. Rebecca Shaw, Chief Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund 51:28

3 years ago51:28

51:28

In this week’s episode, we’re hearing from Dr. Rebecca Shaw, the Chief Scientist at the World Wildlife Fund. Rebecca received her MA in environmental policy and her PhD in energy and resources from UC Berkeley. After finishing her PhD, Rebecca did a postdoc at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford, and then worked at the Nature Conservancy and the Environmental Defense Fund before moving to her current role at WWF. Some of the things we talk about in this episode include: Rebecca’s decision to turn down a faculty position and instead pursue a career that enabled her to combine her interests in climate change science and non-profit work How PhD training equips you to be successful at all sorts of other careers What gives Rebecca hope when it comes to climate change (including the wonderful poem Earthrise by Amanda Gorman) Rebecca’s advice for women in science Why staying positive has been a key part of what has made Rebecca successful, and how she takes care of herself to be able to stay positive The importance of constantly improving both your hard skills and your soft skills Get in touch with Rebecca: LinkedIn Twitter Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.podbean.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Bonus: STEM Grad School Interview Tips & Advice 29:56

3 years ago29:56

29:56

In this bonus episode, Steph shares some tips for grad school interviews. This episode is broken down into advice for before, during, and after the interviews. Here are some additional resources that were mentioned in the show: Template for thank you note to faculty: Hi Dr. (NAME), It was so great to meet you on Friday. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me and discuss your research and what life in (LOCATION) is like. I think being able to work with yourself and Dr. (NAME) would be a really great way to explore all of my research interests and I'm excited about the prospect of exploring (RESEARCH INTERESTS). I had a great time at my visit and I could definitely see myself at (SCHOOL). Please let me know if you need anything else from me moving forward, otherwise, thanks again! Template for email to faculty when you’re turning down admission: Hi Dr. (NAME), Thank you so much for your consideration and for this extremely generous offer of admission. However, I'm writing to let you know that I have decided to pursue my graduate education at (SCHOOL) and therefore, unfortunately I will not be attending (SCHOOL) This was certainly a very difficult decision for me, but I wanted to let you know as soon as possible so that you can make decisions regarding other applicants. Other resources: Advice from Letters to Young Scientists LTYS Grad School Interview Questions Extended List Interviewing Tips & Advice for STEM Graduate Programs from Cientifico Latino Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E6: The silver lining of ”no” with PhD student Nixon Arauz 47:05

3 years ago47:05

47:05

In this episode, we’re talking with Nixon Arauz, who is a PhD Student in Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Nixon’s personal experiences have shown him how important things like housing, education, and local politics are for health and wellbeing and has prompted him to become a passionate advocate for improving social determinants of health through his research. Nixon got his bachelor’s degree from Cornell, and a Master’s degree from Columbia. After this he worked at the Office of Health Equity within the Division of STD Prevention at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While working there, Nixon realized he wanted to hone his technical skills, and so returned to school to get his PhD, where he is now researching HPV-related cancers and beliefs about the HPV vaccines in Hispanic/Latino populations in the US. Some of the topics we discuss in this episode include: The nitty-gritty of what a PhD in health policy looks like Nixon's approach to community-engaged research How relationships can help foster community resilience ORISE Fellowship The National Academies of Science Mirzayan Fellowship The value of being able to unlearn things How to find the silver linings of being told no Get in touch with Nixon: Twitter Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E5: Jorge Ramos, PhD, Assoc. Dir. for Environmental Ed, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, Stanford University 46:57

3 years ago46:57

46:57

Dr. Jorge Ramos is the Associate Director for Environmental Education at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve of Stanford University. Jorge earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas at El Paso and a Master of Science degree at the University of Washington. He then completed his PhD at Arizona State University where he studied biogeochemical cycling in wetland ecosystems. After his PhD, Jorge worked for the non-profit Conservation International, where he developed and managed coastal ecosystem conservation projects around the world. Jorge now combines his scientific expertise with his teaching and communication skills in his current job at Jasper Ridge. Some of the things we talk about in this episode include: The Ecological Society of America’s SEEDS program (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability) The difference between mentors and advisors How being in academia can bias our idea of what types of jobs are available Working as a scientist in a non-profit, including: How to engage communities in conservation work Attending the UN Climate Change Conference The benefits of teaching and learning in outdoor spaces How frequently checking in with a community that reflects your values can help you figure out what you want to do in life The importance of writing a lot Get in touch with Jorge: Email: jorge.ramos@stanford.edu Twitter Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E4: Shane Campbell-Staton, PhD, Assistant Professor, Princeton University 46:59

3 years ago46:59

46:59

Dr. Shane Campbell-Staton is an Assistant Professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at Princeton University. Shane’s research looks at how human actions contribute to contemporary evolution of animals, including elephants, wolves, alligators, and anoles. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Rochester, his PhD from Harvard University, and did his post-doctoral training at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne and the University of Montana. Shane got his first faculty position at UCLA, and recently moved to a new faculty position at Princeton. Some of the things we talk about in this episode: how science and nature documentaries and TV shows fostered Shane’s interest in science as a kid (which has come full circle, as Shane is now involved in making science and nature TV shows and documentaries himself) why it’s important to fund basic science to help find solutions to problems in unexpected places the responsibility of scientists to communicate science to the public the value of storytelling in science why feeling like we don’t know what we’re doing can actually be a good sign how tardigrades could make good superheroes Get in touch with Shane and check out the research in his lab: Shane’s Twitter Campbell-Staton Lab Website Biology of Superheroes Podcast Biology of Superheroes Twitter Check out Shane’s latest paper on the evolution of tusklessness in elephants (get in touch if you want a PDF): Ivory poaching and the rapid evolution of tusklessness in African elephants (Science 2021) Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Twitter Facebook Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E3: Bryan Juarez, PhD, NSF Postdoc, Stanford University 48:54

3 years ago48:54

48:54

This week on the podcast we are hearing from our first post-doc, Bryan Juarez. Bryan is a fellow amphibian-loving scientist who received his bachelors degree from UC Santa Barbara, his masters degree from the University of Michigan, and most recently his PhD from Iowa State University. After finishing his PhD, Bryan started a postdoc at Stanford University where he is co-mentored by Lauren O’Connell and Liz Hadley. I knew I really wanted to have Bryan on the podcast when I heard about his thesis defense, which he held in both English and Spanish so that his parents – who he calls the heroes of his story – would feel included and could better understand his talk. I think this story is very emblematic of how Bryan thinks about inclusion and diversity in science more broadly. Bryan and I talk quite a bit in this interview about how important it is to understand the huge range of backgrounds that people are coming from when they’re entering into science, and how that may impact the way they think about themselves as scientists and how they may be perceived by the scientific community. Get in touch with Bryan: Twitter Website Email: bhjuarez@stanford.edu PLOS One Paper Bryan referenced: Postdocs’ advice on pursuing a research career in academia: A qualitative analysis of free-text survey responses Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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S2E2: Lauren O’Connell, PhD, Assistant Professor, Stanford University 52:46

3 years ago52:46

52:46

Dr. Lauren O’Connell is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Stanford University. She received an associates degree from Tarrant County Community College before transferring to Cornell University where she received her bachelors degree. Lauren then completed her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin and after that she went to Harvard where she was a Bauer Fellow. This program is a post-doctoral fellowship that funds independent research for five years and prepares post-docs to run their future labs. Lauren is now an assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Stanford University and the principal investigator of the Laboratory for Organismal Biology at Stanford University. In this episode, we discuss Lauren’s path to becoming a professor, some of the difficulties that community college students face when trying to get involved in research and STEM fields, what good mentorship looks like, the importance of having a life outside of work, and so much more. Get in touch with Lauren and check out the research in LOBSU (Laboratory of Organismal Biology at Stanford University): Lauren’s Twitter LOBSU Twitter Lab Website: https://oconnell.stanford.edu/ LOBSU YouTube Channel Get in touch with Steph: Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Season 2 Episode 1: Michael Snyder, PhD, Stanford Ascherman Professor and Chair of Genetics Department, Stanford University 32:37

4 years ago32:37

32:37

We’re back for season 2! For our first episode of the season, we’re hearing from Dr. Michael Snyder. He is the Stanford Ascherman Professor and Chair of Genetics and the Director of the Center of Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University. Mike received his Ph.D. training at the California Institute of Technology and carried out postdoctoral training at Stanford University. He is a leader in the field of functional genomics and multiomics. His lab was the first to perform a large-scale functional genomics project in any organism, and has developed many technologies in genomics and proteomics. He launched the field of personalized medicine by combining different state-of–the-art “omics” technologies to perform the first longitudinal detailed integrative personal omics profile (iPOP) of a person, and his laboratory pioneered the use of wearables technologies (smart watches and continuous glucose monitoring) for precision health. He is a cofounder of many biotechnology companies, including Personalis, SensOmics, Qbio, January, Protos, Oralome, Mirvie and Filtricine. In this episode, we talk about how Mike got started doing research, why he transitioned to doing more translational research, what some of the differences are between working in academia, start-ups, and pharma, and how the skills you learn as a scientist can be helpful no matter what career you choose. Get in touch with Mike and the Snyder Lab research: Twitter Lab Website: https://med.stanford.edu/snyderlab.html Enroll in the COVID wearables study Enroll in other Snyder Lab studies Get in touch with Steph: Instagram Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Episode 11: Priscilla San Juan 44:56

4 years ago44:56

44:56

“Try a bunch of stuff, and see which avenue you like the best.“ Priscilla San Juan is a PhD candidate in Tad Fukami’s lab in the Biology Department at Stanford University. Priscilla is interested in the gut microbiome of wildlife and the impact that human activity is having on those microbial communities and the health of the animal host. She has had an appreciation of nature since she was young, but was unsure what career she should pursue since her interests were so varied. She explored the different topics and opportunities available at her community college and soon realized how fascinated she was with environmental science, the specialty she eventually pursued at UC Irvine. She has continued to explore the different facets of biology, from antibiotic resistance in environmental microbes to her current work in New Zealand where she is exploring the effects of captivity on the native kiwi’s microbiome and health. Some of things we talk about in this episode include the value of testing out different types of research so that you can find something that you really like, and the huge impact that having a support network of peers and mentors can have on battling feelings of imposter syndrome that underrepresented minorities in STEM may feel. Mentioned in the episode: https://pathwaystoscience.org/ NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates SACNAS ABRCMS Get in touch with Priscilla: Twitter Email: psanjuan@stanford.edu Website: https://psanjuan.github.io/ Get in touch with Steph: Instagram Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Episode 10: Nia Walker 43:55

4 years ago43:55

43:55

“I can’t count on validation to come from someone else, it has to come from myself.” Nia Walker is a fourth year PhD candidate in Steve Palumbi’s lab at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station. Nia has been interested in marine science since doing a fourth grade squid dissection. Nia’s love of marine science continued on through college and a gap year working at the Maritime Aquarium in Connecticut, and now she studies stress tolerance in corals in Palau. Some of things we talk about in this episode include how to identify a good mentorship network, the importance of prioritizing your own well-being, how being the first Black graduate student at Hopkins has influenced Nia’s experiences in grad school, and how creating one’s own definition of success can help us not compare ourselves to others as much, and thereby lead to greater satisfaction and more happiness. Get in touch with Nia: Twitter Email: niasw@stanford.edu Get in touch with Steph: Instagram Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Episode 9: Rebecca Hwang 43:24

4 years ago43:24

43:24

“You are your own most important advocate – you’ve got to be on your own team.” Rebecca Hwang is an electrical engineer working at Anello Photonics. Rebecca started at Stanford as an electrical engineering PhD student, but isn’t totally sure that a PhD is for her, which is something we talk about quite a bit in this episode. She got her masters and is currently taking a break from Stanford to get some experience working in industry and spend some time thinking about whether she wants to come back to finish her PhD. In this episode we talk about how grad school isn’t all just about the research – you learn lots of soft skills along the way too. We also talk about how to reframe your perspective when facing tough situations and the fact that you can do anything you want as long as you’re willing to fail and get back up again. For anyone out there wondering whether a PhD is for you, this episode will be especially useful as Rebecca is thinking through a lot of those things herself. Get in touch with Rebecca: Instagram Get in touch with Steph: Instagram Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Episode 8: Chris Perez 47:33

4 years ago47:33

47:33

“Start early, pick your friends wisely, [and] identify mentors.” Chris Perez is a fourth year graduate student in the NanoHeat Lab (PI Kenneth Goodson) in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stanford University. Chris started his engineering journey many years ago, helping his dad fix things around the house, and when he realized he might want to pursue something like this as a career, he went to community college to take some classes to become an auto technician. While there, his professors saw all sorts of promise in him and encouraged him to go to UCLA for his bachelor’s degree. Chris excelled at UCLA as well, and was encouraged by his undergraduate research PI to pursue graduate school. Chris eventually made his way to Stanford, where he now studies nanoscale heat transfer. In this episode, we talk about the importance of community, the value of good mentorship, and how it’s super necessary to have some good self care practices in place as a PhD student. Get in touch with Chris: Email: cprez@stanford.edu Get in touch with Steph: Instagram Twitter Get in touch with the podcast: Email: rootstostempodcast@gmail.com Website: rootstostempodcast.com Listen and Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts…

Roots to STEM Podcast

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Episode 7: Aurora Alvarez-Buylla 43:07

4 years ago43:07