Category: North America
From Bug Barns to Morse Code
When I was seven or eight years old, my parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I thought real hard and then confidently stated, “I want either a diamond or a bug barn.” I collected bugs in that...
Moments: My Daughter’s Journey in Science as a Father
People always ask me how my daughter Amoy got into science. My first thought typically: "Is there an actual event that I can pinpoint?" Was there one particular thing I could isolate and say, "this was the moment." There were definitely several defining moments I can think back to. Moments like...
Warm Waters and White Sand Beaches: My Journey Studying Human Impacts on the Ocean
I am a climate scientist, with one foot in the modern ocean trying to understand impacts on California species and ecosystems, and one foot in the past, probing the paleoclimate world for lessons we can learn.
Understanding by Doing
Tyler J. Ford: Now that I’ve got my PhD, and I’ve been working in a science communication position for a few years, I’m often asked how I “ended up” in SciComm. The first thing to point out is that I...
My Science Love Story
Picture it. 1996. I was working as an admin at a research center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to being the coffee-maker extraordinaire, I autoclaved agar, washed Erlenmeyer flasks, and I ordered lab supplies.
When your greatest weakness becomes your greatest strength
I have a language disability and a fine motor skill deficit. As a child, I would try not to speak up in class or speak too loudly because I was afraid I would misspeak. I knew what I wanted to...
Perseverance to Passion
In my life, perseverance is growing up in the inner city of Flint, Michigan. Gangs, violence, and drugs were part of everyday life. I’ve seen someone being run down by a car, shot in the head, and been shot at...
From Pond Scum To A Pinnacle of Paleoanthropology
John S. Mead – Master Science Teacher – As a Life Science teacher, I have a deep and passionate love for microscopic life (protists in particular), and was able to rig up a primitive camera to my microscope in the...
Discovering the Scientist Within Me
– Stefanie Morgan – – Doctoral Student in Cancer Biology at Stanford University – The first time I met a scientist was in college. Prior to then, science seemed just an abstract concept that was reserved for the unusually intelligent....
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
– Edritz Javelosa – The luscious vegetation, crawling critters, warm beaches, and the tropical climate of the Philippines – an archipelago with more than 7,000 islands, tons of natural resources, and a wide range of biodiversity – was the setting...
Overcoming Stereotypes in Education
– Laurie Wallmark – Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved math and science. After all, playing with numbers was fun! I think I read every math book our public library had to offer. And science? What’s not to...
Science Inspiration and Breaking the Mold – Mixing Fashion and Science
– Andrea Hadjikyriacou, Ph.D.- Ever since I was a young child, I knew I wanted to pursue science. In third grade, I vividly remember being excited for the new science text books/workbooks we would receive throughout the year. My favorite...
The untapped genius that could change science for the better
– Jedidah Isler, Ph.D.- The transcript below the video is from a talk that Dr. Isler presented in August 2015 at an official TED conference. You can find the talk HERE. It is included here with permission from Dr. Isler. Great things...
Babies and Biochemistry: My Path to Finding Balance
– Cara Florance – I’m the daughter of a physicist and chemist. My parents exposed me to many types of science from an early age and I loved it. I always wanted a career in science and I successfully sought...
How Can We Help? Creating the Superwomen in Science Podcast
– Cordon Purcell & Nicole George – In the fall of 2016, we were both in our first year of grad school and living together in Montreal (Cordon was sleeping on a crappy air mattress in Nicole’s living room). As...
Better Get Used to Me
– Taylor Richardson | High School Student | The Bolles School – Speech below was delivered at the 2017 March for Science in Washington, D.C. My name is Taylor Richardson, I live in Jacksonville, Florida where I attend The Bolles...
Discovering My Passion for Teaching
Jennifer Gatti - "My message to my students is simple: don’t be afraid to try new things and don’t get stuck doing something simply because you think it is what you are supposed to do. You never know where you...
Playing in the Dirt and Calling it Science
– By Stephanie Halmhofer | Bioarchaeologist – For some, the line from point A to point B is fairly straight. For others, it’s a zig-zag. I am definitely a zig-zagger. I didn’t find an easy, straightforward path into becoming a...
Little Black Bear
After a 10-year career as a print and broadcast journalist in Oregon, Montana, Alaska and Illinois, I returned to my home state of Oregon and took a job as the social media coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and...
How To Be a Superstar With No Instructions
– Marguerite Matthews, PhD – . At 4 years old, I was sure I’d be a superstar! My father has endless video recordings of me prancing around, belting out my favorite songs or performing mundane tasks with Shakespearean theatrics. I was ready at a moment’s notice to...
Scientist, Educator, or Both?
Dr. Khameeka Kitt-Hopper: "There are so many questions still unanswered, and my role as a scientist is to shed light on these basic questions and encourage a new generation of diverse scientists ready to take on the challenging conundrums of...
The Things I Can’t Not Do
– by Myron Shekelle – Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University – If your job didn’t pay any money, would you continue to do it anyway? As a scientist, I have had the opportunity to know the answer to...
Science Without Disciplinary Borders: How my Interests in the Humanities Have Strengthened my Psychological Science
– by Tiffany N. Brannon | Assistant Professor | Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles – As children, my sister, Taquesha and I had a love for the humanities and science that extended beyond the boundaries of our school classrooms...
Making My Way from Mountains to Mud: Part 3
– by Robin McLachlan – We teach school children that science is inaccessible and scientists are socially inept. Crazy scientists hide behind lab benches. They are disguised beneath white coats and thick glasses. Their hair is disheveled, their motivations shady, their...
Tanqueray and Rocks
– by Silas Stafford – You can’t do geology without a nice gin and tonic. It’s gotta be Tanqueray, none of this Gordon’s crap. After a few you’ll start really appreciating the change in perspective”. Professor Shore’s voice boomed, brimming with gravid enthusiasm...
A Ride of a Lifetime
by John Kropowensky | Curriculum Coordinator at Harvard University | The relationship I have had with science has been one of many ups and downs, a roller coaster ride speeding up, stopping suddenly, and revealing the beautiful world at its peak....
Discovering my identity as a scientist
by Tyler A. Allen | NC State University, College of Veterinary Medicine | My journey into science was a seemingly unexpected yet inevitable one. I am the first person in my family to venture into the field of science as a...
Ordinary Folks Doing Extraordinary Things
by David Denlinger | Department of Biology | Utah State University Everyday when we wake up, whether we recognize it or not, our lives are inspired by science: not being crippled by polio or smallpox, the food we eat, the vehicles...