WISterhood

In part two of our ongoing series with Women in Science Portland's Courage Campaign, we chat with Astrid and Lilli about the gendered language surrounding women's pay. We recount personal experiences being told to be more likable in the workplace, and unpack what that means in the context of the struggle for equitable pay.

Please join the Courage Campaign for a three-part evening seminar series dedicated to empowering women to confront systemic injustices. This season's theme, 'Mind the Gap: Paving the Way for Equal Opportunities and Fair Compensation', kicks off with a talk by Zhou Fang, founder of Intersectional Group LLC. Join us Thursday, April 18  from 6:00-8:00 pm at Experiment PDX as we delve into Pay Transparency movements in the U.S., examining its impact on states like New York, Colorado, Washington, and California. Discover whether it's a fleeting trend or a future necessity for Oregon, and understand why pay transparency matters for individuals and businesses alike. 

Get in touch! You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We're bringing you a mini-episode, where we chat about a mini topic! This week, Natalie and Rachael discuss the lack of accessible third spaces where people can hang out and meet--without the need to spend money.

Get in touch! You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Rachael and Natalie discuss the frustrating and difficult reality that many STEM careers to expect hires to pick up and move on a whim. From positions straight out of college, to residency and fellowships for those working in medicine or academia, we unpack what this demand reflects about who these industries were built for.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, we chat with one of Rachael's childhood best friends, Nora Ali! Listen as we chat about the problem-solving nature of her job, self-doubt and perfectionism, and her experience growing up as an Arab-American in a predominantly-white town.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, we have an exciting collaboration with Closing the Gap, a podcast by the Mid-Valley STEM-CTE Hub. Listen as we chat about the art of listening, art and science, and more!

Thanks to Kacey Montgomery from the Closing the Gap podcast for providing editing technical support and for being so generous with your time!

This week, Rachael and Natalie chat about their favorite STEM content makers and what makes these forms of science media so compelling!

Referenced:

https://www.youtube.com/@SciShow

https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt

https://radiolab.org/

This week, Rachael and Natalie chat about the recent FDA approval of a new CRISPR gene editing technology for sickle cell disease. Tune in to hear a discussion of the patient narratives that are often overlooked in the biotech discourse, and the exorbitant costs of healthcare in the US.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Why is it that math is such a contentious subject in early school? Why do memories of math class seem to stand out for so many? This week, Natalie and Rachael talk about the ways that math can be inherently emotional, and maybe even beautiful.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, we chat with Astrid Kurniawan and Natasha Fowler, WIS volunteers who are spearheading our Courage Campaign. In the first part of a multi-episode series, we talk through the ways that the gender pay gap and sexual violence are intimately intertwined in a larger, unjust framework. The Courage Campaign is providing education and actionable tools here: https://www.womeninsciencepdx.org/courage-campaign

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Rachael and Natalie discuss the gendered dynamics of emotional labor: where it happens (spoiler alert: everywhere), how it develops, and the ways it creeps into our lives in unexpected ways.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, we chat about gender and sexuality studies in combination with STEM, institutional change to bring about diversity, and the role of advocacy in the sciences.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

After our hiatus, we're back for season 3 with a new co-host, Rachael Cleveland! Listen as we chat about forest fire prevention, ecosystem services, and the importance of ice cream and mentorship in STEM.

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Being called "difficult" in the STEM workplace is a common experience for many women and marginalized folks. This week, Natalie and Tiffany talk through their own experiences of being called or perceived as difficult, discuss the parallels in national politics, and brainstorm survival strategies to manage these reductive labels. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, we break down the measures in the Inflation Reduction Act passed this summer to help move towards climate resilience, and what that can mean for us as individuals! 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

It's been more than four months since the Supreme Court ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. While the Dobbs decision has somewhat disappeared from the headlines, millions have had to live with its dangerous consequences. We talk with Dr. Carolyn Kay, obstetrician-gynecologist, to unpack what the last months have meant for people with uteruses, healthcare providers, and the country as a whole. 

Dr. Carolyn Kay is an obstetrician-gynecologist with a focus on cervical pre-cancer and cancer, racial disparities in cervical cancer screening, and the use of digital technology to address unmet needs in women’s health. She is a contributor to the global movement to eliminate cervical cancer while working to move the needle on physician education and health literacy in historically excluded communities. She majored in mathematics and biology at Bryn Mawr College and earned her medical degree at the SUNY Upstate Medical University in New York.

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Natalie and Tiffany chatted with Susan Holveck, Portland-area STEM educator extraordinaire, to learn more about the intricacies of curriculum design in STEM in Oregon. 

Dr. Susan Holveck began her science career with a BS in Genetics from The Ohio State and continued to earn an MS in Genetics and Cellular Biology from Washington State. After graduating, while living in Ithaca and raising a family, she had many pursuits: director of a low income day care center, founding a sewing cooperative for low income women, starting a baking business, and developed a children's line of clothing. Upon moving to Portland, Dr. Holveck pursued a Master’s in Teaching through Pacific University. She was a teacher at Conestoga Middle School, a founder of the Summa program (for highly gifted children in Beaverton), and received her Doctorate in Educational Methodology. She became a Science Specialist for the Beaverton School District, and a Program Administrator for K-12 Science in Portland Public Schools. She is continuing to work with the Portland Metro STEM Partnership on the Statewide High School Science Curriculum known as the “Patterns Approach.”

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

We wanted to take a quick pause in our regular content to bring you some updates! Listen as we chat life updates, coping with change, and traveling abroad. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Natalie and Tiffany chat with Rose Marie Haynes, microscopist at the Pacific Northwest Center for Cryo-EM and Chair of Professional Development here at WISPDX! We talked about the gradual change we see in inclusivity in STEM, how physics is made cool, and how our relationships with science should grow and evolve as we do. 

Rose Marie Haynes uses she/her pronouns and works as a microscopist, where she works at the intersection of physics, chemistry and biology to use advanced instrumentation to determine biological structures. In 2019 she graduated with an MS in Applied Physics with a specialization in optical materials and devices. When she's not playing with microscopes or working on programming and events for WIS, she enjoys competitive dancing and knitting matching clothes for her dog and cat.

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week on the pod, Natalie speaks with Alex Berry and Dyllan Elizabeth Cabiles. They work at CMD LLC, an organization that empowers underserved and untapped communities to tell powerful career narratives. Listen as we talk through the role of code-switching in the narratives that are told, and what it means to tell truth to power. 

Alex is a Technical Program Manager within Intel’s Global Supply Chain. A technologist by day and a social entrepreneur by night, he incorporated CMD LLC. Alex graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and dual minors in Business/Mandarin.

Dyllan Elizabeth is a multi-disciplinary creative who is passionate about individual and community empowerment. Dyllan Elizabeth has honed her skills through branding, marketing, graphic design, and website creation; with these skills, she creates inclusive stories that bring people together.

https://chocolatemilkdiplomacy.com/

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Natalie and Elizabeth chat with Sarah Foster, founder and president of local nonprofit STEM Like A Girl. We talk about the nitty gritty of nonprofit work, what it means to diversify STEM in Portland, and how to include parents and guardians in kids' STEM journeys. Originally trained as an engineer, Sarah is passionate about making STEM activities and skills more accessible. 

https://stemlikeagirl.org/

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

WISPDX turns 5 years old: a veritable toddler! This week, we have a quick message from our co-hosts with our gratitude to you in this amazing community. With love, we look forward to a 6th year with you. 

Many of us are advocates in a variety of contexts, whether it be in the context of education, climate, or healthcare. How can we do that crucial, sometimes-heartbreaking work while also attending to balance in our lives and our mental health? This week, Natalie, Elizabeth, and Tiffany chat about what it means to advocate in a sustainable and healthy way. 

This week on the podcast, Elizabeth and Tiffany talk about the lifting of the mask mandate here in Oregon, and what that means for a variety of populations: school-age children, parents, and immunocompromised folks (and apparently, people with a true crime obsession!). 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week on the podcast, Elizabeth, Tiffany, and Natalie chat about the gender pay gap, and what that means for women of different races and ethnicities. Join us as we discuss how to discuss pay with coworkers, paying off student debt, and changing workplace cultures. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Elizabeth and Natalie chat with Dr. Carolyn Kay about her journey to her current role as an OBGYN and advocate for cervical cancer eradication. Graduating from an all-female college, majoring in math, and finally finding her way to medicine, Dr. Kay has forged her own unique path to arrive at her current role working in the field of diagnostic medical technologies. Along the way, we discuss the stigma surrounding reproductive health and the coming Roe v Wade decision. 

This week, we highlight one of WIS's ongoing advocacy initiatives: the Courage Campaign. On our website, we feature anonymous accounts from courageous women within the local STEM community. This campaign is a safe space, free of judgment, where women can share their story, speak their truth, and process their personal trauma. It's a place where we can process collective trauma and begin to heal. Astrid Kurniawan joins us on the podcast to discuss her story.

Courage Campaign: https://womeninsciencepdx.org/category/courage-campaign/

Contribute your story anonymously here: https://tinyurl.com/couragecampaignwis

Eliseo Flores is currently the Youth Development Program Manager for the education department at Centro Cultural. This week on the podcast, listen as we discuss his journey and relationship in STEM, how he finds ways to make STEAM connections for his students with their daily lives, and why Elizabeth hates marshmallows. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week on the podcast, we interviewed Michelle Alvarado about her experience as an EMT during COVID. She's been working at an urgent care site specializing in COVID-19 testing - listen as she gives us the rundown on how it works, and how she communicates the science to patients. Michelle is on the road to becoming a Registered Nurse, and she discusses her journey to realizing that healthcare was the field she's passionate about. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Sam and Natalie chat with Melissa Mudd about her roles as the WIS Fundraising Chair, advocate for early-stage researchers at OHSU's Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), and mom of two daughters. As a woman in healthcare with a passion for public health policy, Melissa discusses what it means to her to be authentic in the workplace. 

This holiday season, please consider donating to WISPDX to support the work that we do in our community. Your donation will go directly back to our scholarship programs, Negotiation Bootcamp instructors, and more. Tune in to hear more about where you can expect WISPDX to put your dollars to support women and minority communities in STEM. Go to our website or find our social media for information on how you can contribute.

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This week, Elizabeth and Natalie chat with Tiffany Windle-Hanson, NGSS Consultant and Professional Development Specialist for the Portland Metro STEM Partnership, STEM Beyond Schools, and a number of other statewide STEM Hubs. She is also the editor of the Oregon Science Teaching Association publication TOST and the Education Coordinator at Oregon MESA. We talk about her background in political campaign management what it means to change weed-out culture, and fostering students' creativity. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

If you don't know what chingona means, listen to this episode to find out! This week, we sit down with América Rodríguez, a student working in structural engineering. In this episode, she shares her story as a first-generation Latina in engineering, and the ways that mentors have inspired her to forge her own path in a white and male-dominated field. We also discuss what residential and industrial engineering looks like, how Latinx voices are left out of decision-making rooms in the construction industry, and how to make smart career choices by finding fulfilling work experiences. 

You can find America and her incredible work here:

@chingonasinstem // @wildlatina on Instagram 

https://chingonasinstem.com/

http://americarodriguez.com/

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

If you were in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 2021, you'll know that it was one for the record books. Wildfires and heat waves are projected to be part of the new normal as temperatures rise globally. This week on the pod, we discuss what that means for Portlanders. Tune in as we discuss the narratives told about Portland as a climate haven, how to talk about climate change with kids, and more, on this week's episode of WISterhood. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

For all of us out here who struggle to keep their plants alive: it has nothing to do with how much STEM training you have! This week on the pod, we talk about how STEM, and STEM training, affects our lives outside of our actual careers. We discuss how the content we learn can be useful in cooking or during a pandemic, and how all the negative effects have to do with the industry, and not the lifelong pursuit of learning and curiosity of STEM. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

You might be familiar with an Internet meme that puts your expectation of something right next to the reality. This week on the pod, we do a little reality-check on what a STEM career might mean. Does your resume have to be industry-specific? How many part-time jobs should you expect to hold down while in school? How much should you expect to be paid for your skills and experiences?

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Alexandra has an encouraging tip: If Marie Curie can get two Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, you can pass college physics. Or spend a few years in outdoor education, teaching kids about water quality. Or return to college after crashing and burning the first time. Alexandra, who's currently studying to become a science teacher, has had the chance to do all these things. She's here to tell you that doing what you love will always outweigh the failures you make along the way. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

We interview one of the OG WISPDX'ers: Ruth Barrett! This week, we discuss her major career shift from academic neuroscience to health policy research, what it was like to defend her PhD while being pregnant, and how she dealt with unsupportive environments in academia. Along the way, we share stories about the importance of communities like WIS. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

We won't be breaking down a Men Tell All episode of The Bachelorette - no shocking revelations about what REALLY happened when the cameras stopped rolling to be found here! But we did talk to two guys about their science and advocacy journeys. And importantly, we also gain some insight into inroads for allies, discuss the importance of failure, and break down the roles that toxic masculinity have played in their lives. 

Ben Appleby is a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at Colorado School of Mines. He is Asian-American and uses he/him pronouns. During the day, he works as a researcher, manager, and assistant.

Leif Vong uses the pronouns he/him. He’s a process engineer with Amorphyx, working on material science research for flat panel displays and phone screens. He does everything from designing experiments and data analysis to cleaning glass and running manual deposition tools in a given day. He’s also just started as a high school soccer coach.

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

What happens when science feels static and burdensome? In this week's episode, Elizabeth, Sam, and Natalie share ways that they find fuel while on the long science road. We wax poetic about national parks, discuss how people shouldn't ask questions in job interviews they don't want answered honestly, and lose some trains of thought along the way. 

You can email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. 

"Interdisciplinary" and "collaboration" are huge buzzwords in science and technology these days. But what does it actually mean? Does it always work in practice? Where did this term even come from? This week, Sam, Elizabeth, and Natalie try to answer these questions, and end up discussing architectural design for schools, limits to knowledge, "expertise," and more. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! 

(No, we didn't invite Mark on the pod. Maybe he can come on when he's fixed the democracies he helped break.) This is part two of our series about the costs of higher education. College is expensive - let's get rid of it! At least, that's what some proponents of so-called 'new collar jobs' are thinking. But is it really going to help solve the problem? Or is it just marketing? On this week's episode, Elizabeth, Sam, and Natalie do some investigative musing. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Content warning: This episode discusses racist hate crimes and violence. Listener discretion is advised.

It's been over a month since the horrific racist shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, but we're still reeling. Hate crimes against Asians have been nothing new in the US, but they have escalated and gained more recognition in mainstream media over the past year. Join us in a special panel discussion with three incredible Asian-American women in science: Dr. Tong Zhang, Kayla Carter, and Astrid Kurniawan. We discuss our reactions to the news, the model minority myth, and the power of individual stories and narratives. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Content warning: This episode contains discussions, though no depiction, of sexual assault and harassment. Listener discretion is advised. 

Violence against women has been in the news a lot lately, and we know you might be feeling a little worn out - we certainly are! But that anger and frustration can oftentimes originate from a place of hope and a need to be in community. Join us as we discuss the recent sexual assault and harassment lawsuit filed against OHSU, the role of bystanders and those who are complicit, and where we go as individuals and a community, from here. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Student loans and childhood trauma: two things that you can never escape. Don't worry, this week's episode isn't completely full of doom and gloom. This is the first installment of a two-part series in which, Elizabeth, Sam, and Natalie do a deep-dive into what makes college so expensive, and what are some ways that we can make it a little less difficult. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Engineering can feel a little nebulous to people who aren't engineers! Luckily, Shivali Kadam is a process engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, and she's here this week to break it all down for us. We talk through all the ins and outs of what it means to choose engineering, and ask ourselves: Is there a hobby that women can have that we won't be stereotyped for? What happens when a woman doesn't fit the mold of a scientist that everyone expects? 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Have you ever wondered whether or not you should be stressing about whether a particular plastic container should be recycled, composted, or thrown away? This week, Elizabeth, Natalie, and Sam sit down to talk to Dana Schot of the Tualitin Riverkeepers to talk about conservation. Tune in to our discussion about the white and greenwashing of environmental activism, her incredible experience learning from role models while studying birds in Hawaii, and whether individual actions like taking shorter showers or going vegan will really make a positive difference for the environment.  

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Should STEM classrooms be split by gender? In this week's episode, Elizabeth shares her wild experiences in STEM education decisionmaking rooms, where these kinds of questions are being asked. On top of that, all three of us break down the challenges of family planning alongside a career, and why we need more representation of women and people of color in science and the media. 

Email us at podcast@womeninsciencepdx.org and follow us @women_in_science_pdx on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!