Square Pegs

Liz Spingola is a distinguished data scientist with a robust background in neurodiversity, digital accessibility, and inclusive education, currently working at IBM. Liz emphasizes the importance of instructor awareness and training around neurodiversity, the recognition of disability through an identity-first lens, the need for community feedback to create an inclusive environment, and the legal requirements for digital accessibility. Join Arash Zaghi, Lexi Hain, and Liz Spingola as they delve deeper into these insights on the next episode of the Square Pegs Podcast. 

Square Pegs is a series of intimate conversations about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering. In each episode, we talk to neurodiverse students and experts in the field of neurodiversity. 

Send feedback about Square Pegs to hello@squarepegspodcast.com or find us at squarepegspodcast.com 

00:01:27 - Liz Spingola's Expertise in Data Analytics and Accessibility

00:08:16 - Obstacles and expenses in obtaining student accommodations

00:09:16 - Prioritizing Digital Accessibility for Inclusive Education

00:19:13 - The Dichotomy of Reading and Spelling

00:28:36 - The Impact of Personal Interests in Education

00:36:49 - Challenging Traditional Notions: Disabilities and Society

00:43:44 - Embracing Disability as Empowering Identity

00:50:06 - The Value of Neurodiversity

01:01:59 - Inclusive Design for All Abilities

01:19:23 - The Impact of Outdated Teaching Methods

Join us as we embark on an exploration of neurodiversity, music, and rhythm with Hayes Brenner, a PhD student in psychological sciences at the University of Connecticut. Hayes shares his fascinating research on rhythmic entrainment and its mathematical modeling, shedding light on the differences in rhythm perception and reproduction between autistic and neurotypical individuals. We also touch on the transformative power of music and dance therapy in autism therapeutic services.

We also look at Hayes' childhood experience with a PDD-NOS diagnosis, the complexities of introversion and extroversion, and the struggle to find authenticity in a world that often urges conformity. As we navigate through the complexities of personal identity and societal stereotypes, we gain insights into the impact of autism on self-perception and self-discovery.

From there, we move into an exploration of career paths, with a focus on the transition from the film industry to autism research. Hayes shares how his passion for psychology and film led him to switching careers and moving to LA, despite having a background in math and engineering. We conclude with reflections on masking and authenticity, all in a bid to foster greater understanding of the neurodiverse experience.
Square Pegs is a series of intimate conversations about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering. In each episode, we talk to neurodiverse students and experts in the field of neurodiversity.

Send feedback about Square Pegs to hello@squarepegspodcast.com or find us at squarepegspodcast.com.

 00:00 - Rhythmic Entrainment and Autism

 04:27 - Childhood Experiences and Autism Diagnosis

 14:44 - Navigate Introversion and Extroversion Spectrum

 20:53 - Self-Discovery and Finding Authenticity

 27:29 - Finding Belonging and Happiness

 35:28 - Exploring Career Paths in Three Fields

 40:24 - Film Industry Challenges and Grad School Transition

 45:14 - Transitioning From Film to Autism Research

 51:00 - Reflection on Masking and Genuine Self

 55:24 - Challenges in Pursuing Music Career

Today on Square Pegs we are joined by Charlotte Fuqua, a first-year PhD student in Chemistry at UConn. Charlotte, who returned to higher education later in life, understands the importance of strong mentorships and support systems for neurodiverse students. Her story of resilience and crafting the environment to facilitate her own success shows both the trials and triumphs faced by many in the neurodiverse community. Our conversation today strays from our usual format, spending considerable time discussing the theories and systems trying to make higher education more inclusive – and those resisting change. Such frank discussions are hard to find in the realm of neuroinclusivity and inspire by highlighting how far we have come, and how far we have left to go.

0:01:05 – Guest intro: Charlotte Fuqua, first-year PhD student in Chemistry at the University of Connecticut

0:04:50 – Charlotte’s inspiration for neurodiverse mentorship and inclusivity based on negative experiences as an undergrad

0:09:42 – Primary school: early diagnosis and learning self-advocacy

0:14:52 – Middle school transition: the importance of resiliency and support systems in early childhood

0:21:00 – Learning to love chemistry and seeing herself as a scientist

0:27:36 – The impact of teacher mentality on student learning and the role of universal design

0:31:55 – The strengths-based approach is taking universal design one step further

0:36:04 – Undergraduate years: throwing a child in the deep end to teach them how to swim

0:40:02 – Correcting the mistakes of past professors: meeting students with empathy

0:49:31 – The systemic ableism of standardized assessment in higher ed and the role of advisors in breaking down barriers

1:06:42 – Final thoughts and reflections

This time, we chat with Dr. Caitlin O’Brien, a graduate who recently completed her doctoral degree in Structural Engineering at the University of Connecticut and is now working in the engineering industry.

Caitlin shares pivotal moments in her life, including her diagnosis with ADHD as a senior in high school, challenges and moments of success in her academics, and lessons that contributed to her personal growth. Insightful and self-aware, Caitlin explains how she uses cognitive behavioral strategies to reframe intense emotions and challenge negative internal narratives. Reflections on her educational experiences contrast moments of intense frustration and boredom with moments of creative engagement that led to a strong interest in engineering research. At times, the conversation suggests flaws in an education system that often fails to recognize and cultivate the divergent thinking abilities of students with ADHD.

This is the Square Pegs podcast, a series of discussions about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the UConn School of Engineering. In each episode, we talk to current and former neurodiverse graduate students from across the Academy.

Have something to say or ask? Reach us at hello@squarepegspodcast.com.

Timestamps:

0:01:03 – Guest intro: Dr. Caitlin O’Brien, recent graduate of the University of Connecticut, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

0:04:58 – Redefining ADHD as an asset and deploying creativity in early education

0:07:23 – Middle school: more rigidity and having to find your own creative outlines in STEM classes

0:08:25 – Disconnecting from learning history as a series of facts rather than the story of a people

0:18:35 – High school: getting “out of control” and starting to come to terms with ADHD

0:24:17 – Finding engineering in early undergrad, and learning to balance coursework demands

0:30:26 – Implementing a paradigm shift in understanding neurodiversity to leveraging peoples’ individual strengths rather than demanding we be Jacks-of-all-trades

0:41:52 – Overcoming difficulties with focusing

0:53:57 – Settling into graduate school and its immense creative freedom

0:58:55 – Advice on the advisor/advisee relationship

1:01:20 – Caitlin’s writing process and manufacturing the conditions to produce quality work quickly

1:07:35 – Gaining the confidence to seek help when you don’t know what to do

1:17:34 – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and managing the day-to-day

1:23:26 – Final thoughts and advice to past Caitlin

Welcome back to Square Pegs, a series of discussions about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the UConn School of Engineering. In each episode we talk to current and former neurodiverse graduate students from across the Academy. Today we are chatting with Dr. Angela Lanning, a recent UConn Structural Engineering graduate who studied with Dr. Zaghi. Angela shows how she not only came to accept her ADHD, but turn it into a strategic advantage in her graduate studies.

Angela reflects on her educational journey, touching on how traits related to her ADHD, like risk-taking and creative problem solving, helped her to become a better researcher and engineer. Revisiting discrete moments across Angela’s path from primary school to her doctorate unfolds into a discussion of systemic issues in the mindset around seeing ADHD as a problem rather than a strength and how this mindset contributes to pressure felt by neurodiverse students to silence their authentic selves, especially in the classroom. In this discussion of finding herself in the research environment, Angela leaves us with a model of how building self-awareness, embracing one’s strengths, and being bold enough to change paths can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Timestamps:

0:01:09 – Guest intro: Dr. Angela Lanning, a structural engineer and recent graduate of UConn who studied under Dr. Zaghi during her PhD

0:04:39 – Gaining confidence to hop into new topics without experience

0:10:42 – Grad school and the accuracy of the narrative that you have to stay in the field of our PhD forever

0:14:50 – Childhood and ADHD in primary school as the “disruptor”

0:18:51 – ADHD, self-silencing, and not being able to be yourself

0:23:43 – Middle school and starting to find excitement in STEM

0:26:21 – High school and getting into engineering over biology

0:30:20 – ADHD and difficulties with focusing while reading and writing

0:34:10 – Strengths in math and pivoting to engineering

0:36:00 – Entering college, getting an official ADHD diagnosis, and making sense of personal changes

0:47:00 – Arash discussing his ADHD diagnosis later in life and coming to terms with himself

0:55:31 – The impacts of the deficit-based mindset around ADHD and it’s impact on the individual

0:59:48 – The final years of undergrad and getting into the lab for the first time

1:05:55 – Research as a meaningful alternative for ADHD learning over traditional methods

1:09:47 – Angela’s research during her PhD, and looking back

1:14:27 – Pivoting from Civil grad school to her current job

1:17:39 – Final thoughts and advice to past Angela

Welcome back to Square Pegs, a series of discussions about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the UConn School of Engineering. In each episode we talk to current and former neurodiverse graduate students from across the Academy. Today we are chatting with Katherine Fleck, a 2nd year Ph.D. student in molecular biology at the University of Connecticut with ADHD.

Katherine’s story is somewhat unique in the realm of ADHD, and we begin by talking about the unequal treatment which comes with the underdiagnosing of ADHD in women. This lack of acceptance of girls having ADHD played a significant role in her K-12 education, spurring the guilt and shame associated with several formative memories – especially a poorly-executed attempt at cheating on a Spanish test. Yet, for much of this conversation, these moments serve more as a starting point for a wider discussion about the issues inherent to the standardization of the American education system. We take a hard look at how we are failing to meet neurodiverse students in the middle. It was not until Katherine was able to take part in research as an undergrad that she felt her creativity was appreciated and important. This helped build her confidence as she stepped into graduate school and gave her the courage necessary to advocate for her needs now as a doctoral student. Indeed, as Katherine teaches us, the road may be long, and the system may be unfair for neurodiverse students, but there is a way to leverage moments of frustration with the system into long-term success.

(0:01:58) – Guest intro and motivations for joining us: Katherine Fleck, 2nd year Ph.D. student in molecular biology

(0:03:54) – The stigma and power dynamics of unequal treatment and diagnosis of ADHD between males and females

(0:07:45) – Early childhood memories and lasting impacts on identity

(0:13:10) – The impact of parents filling gaps in executive function to shield their neurodiverse children

(0:17:13) – Cheating on a 5th grade Spanish test and the consequences of getting caught

(0:20:24) – The disconnect between American education focusing on memorization and the real world

(0:25:30) – The all-consuming nature of school for the American student

(0:28:36) – Boredom, play, and unstructured time are vital for developing creativity

(0:33:25) – Middle school and high school: first significant traumas from the accommodation system failing

(0:39:10) – We are terrible at teaching STEM in a way that excites students

(0:48:54) – The inherent failure of standardized teaching and the diminishing of creativity

(0:52:12) – College years and learning to work through the lack of structure

(0:54:20) – Undergrad research is extremely transformative

(1:00:15) – Education 2.0 and thinking outside the classroom for the future of learning

(1:04:03) – The benefits of purposeful failure

(1:18:48) – Grad school and navigating the advisor-advisee relationship

(1:32:25) – Wrap up: Advice to the past self

Welcome back to the Square Pegs podcast, a series of discussions about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the UConn School of Engineering. In each episode we talk to current and former neurodiverse graduate students from across the Academy. Today we are joined by Asia Perkins, who is pursuing her PhD in clinical psychology at UConn. Join us for a fruitful discussion about the unique strengths and needs of those graduate students on the autism spectrum.

Asia hopes to remind other ASD graduate students that they aren’t alone, their work is important, and that their struggles are not insurmountable, no matter how it may seem in the moment. She takes us through several discrete phases in her life, from early adolescence and realizing that the traditional education system was poorly equipped to handle her needs, to finding hope in the new environment of a performing arts middle and high school where everyone “embraced the weird,” and the return of having to fight the system in college. Throughout our conversation, a clear theme emerges: the importance of building an environment of your choice to prioritize your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.

Timestamps:

(0:00:52) – Guest intro, Asia Perkins, PhD candidate in clinical psychology

(0:04:13) – Arash and Asia exchange their first traumatic memories with schooling and not being understood by the system

(0:07:04) – Innocence lost: the internalized effects of the system failing neurodiverse students

(0:14:35) – Autism and difficulties with the “implicit rules” of standard education

(0:19:08) – The catch 22 of getting accommodation and understanding, but only if you disclose your neurodiversity

(0:23:50) – The importance of environments, sound, and learning how to be productive in undergrad

(0:29:22) – Isolation and the importance of learning to communicate difficulties

(0:35:54) – The strengths-based approach: distilling what strengths autism brings to PhD work

(0:40:45) – Navigating the advisor-advisee relationship and avoiding pain points

Welcome to episode one of Square Pegs, a series of discussions about navigating life and learning within the neurodiverse community, hosted by Dr. Arash Zaghi, Professor at the UConn School of Engineering.  In each episode we will dive into the experiences of a neurodiverse former graduate student to explore the trials and tribulations they felt while navigating their way to the top of the ivory tower. We hope you’ll find valuable lessons from their insights as you embark on your own journey through the academy. Engineering desperately needs the unique talents and creativity non-traditional learners bring; join us as these trailblazers explain how to find your own success and develop new advancements in the field of engineering.

In this first episode, Dr. Lexi Hain, Assistant Professor at the UConn School of Engineering, reflects on her struggles and successes with dyslexia and the anxiety it brings to schooling. She details early difficulties in elementary school with reading and the lasting anxiety this feeling of inadequacy brought. When she began her PhD, the drive to prove – mostly to herself – that she was good enough to finish a doctoral program led, eventually to self-acceptance. Lexi describes how she developed a healthier relationship with her research and herself, and the important lessons she hopes students can learn from her story. Now, as a member of faculty, Lexi reflects on how academia has changed for the better, and what work still needs to be done to create a more inclusive, collaborative, and innovative engineering field.

Timestamps:

(0:00:28) – Guest intro

(0:06:45) – K-12 and early struggles with feeling “behind”

(0:19:30) – Dyslexia, confidence, and battling imposter syndrome

(0:25:03) – Motivations to pursue academia and navigating graduate school with dyslexia

(0:26:43) – Shameless plug: Come do summer research at UConn! We have an REU Site for neurodiverse students!

(0:30:35) – Grad school, challenges: living and researching with dyslexia

(0:36:18) – Breaking the fear of rejection and inadequacy

(0:44:18) – Neurodiverse graduate students: the advisor perspective

(0:54:10) – Diversifying the Academy: beyond writing and what makes “good” research

Introducing Square Pegs, the podcast about neurodiversity in academia with host Arash Zaghi, UTC Professor in Engineering Innovation at the University of Connecticut. Listen in as Arash interviews students and professors with neurodiverse work and life experiences. 

Like what you’re listening to? Follow Square Pegs @squarepegspod on Twitter and Instagram. Have an experience, comment, or question that you want to share? Send us a message at hello@squarepegspodcast.com.