Grad School Life

In this episode, Courtney talks to the creators of Pursuing Ph.D., an Instagram account focused on empowering women of color in STEM. The creators of the account are Nathalie Lancy Momplaisir, Bethany Bogan, Ta-Tyonna Buck, and Ashley Coleman.

This week, we will be joined by Ritwik Kulkarni (he/him). Ritwik is a second-year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette. Ever wonder why does your laptop use fans quite often to cool them down? Its because the heat carrier, called thermal interface material, start degrading and often dry out. His research work comprises of reliability analysis of these materials, understanding their patterns and developing mitigation strategies to extend their lifecycle. In addition to the applied projects, he is also experimenting with effect of rotation in thermal transport in dense suspensions, that are fundamental in nature. He received his Bachelor of Technology in 2019 from Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IIT-J), Master of Science in 2021 from Texas A&M University-College Station, both majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Apart from the research work, Ritwik loves to cook Indian food, head out for trails and experiment with beatbox patterns. You can find him on Instagram @ritwik_101.

A full-text transcript of this episode is available via google doc.

This week, we will be joined by Aldo Barrita (he/his/él). Aldo is a queer Latinx doctoral student in his 4th year at the Psychological and Brain Sciences Ph.D. Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was born in Mexico and immigrated to the US when he was 16. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Berkeley in 2017 with high honors. His research focus includes how different forms of discrimination, primarily microaggressions, psychologically impact individuals from marginalized communities. Specifically, he has a special interest in Latinx and/or LGBTQ+ experiences with microaggressions as well as psychometrics. Aldo currently serves as the student representative for the National Latinx Psychology Association (NLPA) and student chair-elect for APA Division 52. He has been awarded prestigious honors and recognitions such as National Latinx Psychology Association’s 2020 Presidential Citation, 2021 Distinguished Student Service Award, as well as the 2021 SPSP Janessa Shapiro Student Research Award. In 2022 he became a Mellon Fellow receiving the Crossing Latinidades Mellon Humanities Fellowship and Barrick Graduate Fellowship from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  

A full-text transcript of this episode is available via google doc.

This week, we will be joined by Lauren Neal (she/her)! Lauren is a third-year PhD candidate in Biosciences at The Rockefeller University in New York City. Her thesis work focuses on how female mosquitoes alter their host-seeking and blood-feeding behaviours depending on if they are, essentially, pregnant or not. Additionally, she is interested in the public health impact of research on disease vectors like mosquitoes as well as the diversification of STEM students and faculty. She received her Bachelors of Science in 2020 from Agnes Scott College, a small, historically women’s college in Atlanta, GA. Outside of the lab, she does freelance writing, and bird-watching, and loves to explore the New York City arts scene.  

This week, we will be joined by Alenxdra (Ali) Massa! Ali is a 4th year PhD Candidate & Innovation Fellow in Cancer Biology at Dartmouth's Guarini School of Graduate Arts and Sciences. Her research is focused on endogenous retroviruses and how their expression impacts the immune system in health & disease. Prior to Dartmouth, she worked in Boston at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard and then immuno-oncology startup, Neon Therapeutics (now BioNTech US) In addition to PhD, works as a Venture Fellow at an early-stage healthcare investment firm, Borealis Ventures, participated in Dartmouth’s Innovations Accelerator for Cancer, & served on Dartmouth’s Entrepreneurship Student Leadership Board. In her free time, loves to snowboard and volunteer at a local animal shelter. She's a big animal lover and her long term goal is to open a non-profit animal sanctuary!  

This week, we will be joined by Ellen Taraskiewicz! Ellen is a third-year PhD student in the Department of History at Indiana University with a concentration in twentieth-century American Jewish History. Her research interests include Jewish youth culture, student organizations, American Zionism, and the digital preservation of student archival materials. Ellen received her BA in History from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While in Philly, she spent time cataloguing defunct synagogues in the Jewish Quarter of South Philadelphia and began research on her current dissertation topic: Zionist student organizations.   

This week, we will be joined by Ricardo Couto-Rodriguez. Ricardo was born and raised in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on the northern coast of the island. He graduated with his B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Afterwards, he completed a master’s degree (M.S.) at the same university with a focus on microbiology. For his master’s thesis, Ricardo’s focus was on salt-loving (halophilic) microbial communities in the solar salterns of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico and identifying possible environmental processes performed by these microbes. After his master’s, Ricardo joined the Microbiology and Cell Science program at the University of Florida, where he continues his work on halophilic microorganisms and their response to oxidative stress in environmentally harsh conditions. In his spare time, Ricardo enjoys cooking and football (a long-time FC Barcelona fan), and you can catch him most afternoons running laps in the Gators Stadium.

A full-text transcript of this episode is available via google doc.

This week, we will be joined by Suyash Naik. Suyash (he/him) is from India and currently lives in Vienna, Austria. He is interested in studying the mechanics of development and currently is working on understanding the role of keratin intermediate filaments in zebrafish early epithelial development. In his spare time, he is also the Social Media Director for PhD Balance.

This week, we will be joined by Bri Kriely. Bri is a LMHC in private practice and a creative counseling consultant and coach. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Counselling Education and Supervision. She is also a human and dog mom. She received my undergraduate degree in psychology and studio art and my MS in clinical mental health counseling. Her hope is to contribute to the counseling field through research, education, supervision, and direct client support. To complete her current program she is working to finish her dissertation (Creativity and multicultural self-efficacy in online counseling education) and her fieldwork experience.  

This week, we will be joined by Brittney Hauke. Brittney Hauke is a 3rd-year Ph.D. Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State University. She previously got her Master's in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University and her BA in Physics and Studio art at a small liberal arts school called Coe College. You can find her on Twitter @SuperSparticle.

This week, we will be joined by Jaleah Rutledge (she/her). Jaleah Rutledge, MA, is a 4th-year doctoral candidate in the Ecological-Community Psychology program at Michigan State University. Upon her acceptance to MSU, Jaleah was named a University Enrichment Fellow, a prestigious award given to students that have shown the intellectual merit to succeed in graduate school. Her program of research focuses on racial health disparities, health equity, and health promotion among marginalized populations. More specifically, she is interested in understanding and utilizing strengths-based approaches for the promotion and protection of Black women’s sexual and reproductive health. Jaleah graduated Summa Cum Laude from Tuskegee University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Jaleah was born in Illinois and raised in Birmingham, AL. She currently lives in Lansing, Michigan. In her spare time, Jaleah loves to travel, try new fitness activities, cook, read books, sleep, and spend time with family and friends. You can find Jaleah on Twitter @JaleahRutledge

This week, we will be joined by Elana Gloger. Elana Gloger (she/her) is a 5th year PhD candidate in the US studying health psychology, specifically the interactions between psychology and our immune systems across the lifespan. She is also the creator and host of the podcast, Dear Grad Student! You can find Elana on Twitter (@elana_gloger) and you can find Dear Grad Student on Twitter (@DearGradStudent), Instagram (@deargradstudentpod), their website (https://www.deargradstudent.com/) and wherever you listen to your podcasts (like Grad School Life!!)   

This week, we will be joined by Susan Egbert!

Susan (she/her) is the current PhD Balance president and a third-year PhD candidate in the department of chemistry at the University of Manitoba.  Coming from an untraditional background (PharmD), graduate school is quite a transition to make.  Susan has 3 cats (Milo, Chonker, and Tuna) who help bring some balance into her life.  Outside of school, Susan enjoys seeing new things in the area that she lives in. Find her on Twitter and Instagram (@lichenlady94).

This week, we will be joined by Liesl Krause.  

Liesl Krause (she/her) is a current PhD candidate in Technology, Leadership, and Innovation at Purdue University Polytechnic Institute. Her dissertation is related to the mental health of graduate students, especially as it is related to their advisor. In her spare time, Liesl loves to train dogs, hang out with her puppy, go for runs and plan her wedding. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram (@sourkrause94).