The Steministas: Recent Episodes
The Steministas
This podcast is to highlight the incredible accomplishments of diverse womxn (in STEM) either through startups, class projects, research, inventions, patents, and so on. The goal is to not only celebrate these achievements but to also inspire other women who have innovative ideas to pursue their dreams, talk about challenges that they may face in pursuing these dreams, and to raise awareness for the projects that these “Steministas” are currently working on.
Anjali Roychowdhury is a graduate student at Stanford University with a passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Episode outline: Introduction and Background - 00:15s After High School – 9:13 After College – 25:48 Advice – 28:54 Audience Q&A – 33:20
Anna-Belle La Force is an Analyst at ProcureAbility.
Prior to joining ProcureAbility, Ms. La Force was a consultant with FTI consulting where she worked on multiple projects focused on Business viability and Supply Chain and Logistics Management. She graduated from The Georgia Institute of Technology, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
Tune in to get to know her and her experiences as an immigrant woman in STEM!
Fernanda Sulantay is a Chemical Engineer starting her Ph.D. at Yale University in Fall 2020. She uses her social media platforms to talk about STEM as well as help girls in STEM. She loves coding, editing, and dancing. Listen to this live episode to get to know Fernanda and the many ways in which she's a Steminista.
This week, the main host, Chinaza Ogbonna, gives a recap of the season. She discusses the Steministas' experiences as academics, women enterpreneurs, and all around boss women in STEM with some self-reflection, giving some insight into some of the lessons she learned from these episodes. We really appreciate you taking this journey with us. We hope you join us for the next season starting soon (next year)
Dr. Tequilla Hill, LMFT, is a licensed therapist in the state of Georgia. She is the owner of Hill Psychotherapeutic Services, LLC and Indigo Gypsy Yoga in Marietta GA.
Dr. Hill is also a Registered Yoga Teacher and specializes in using yoga therapy for conditions that are supported by her training in psychotherapy—stress, depression, and anxiety ( mood/emotional issues). She received her Bachelors Degree from Florida Atlantic University, Masters and Doctorate Degrees from Nova Southeastern University.
Anabella Maria Galang is a 17 year old, Filipinx-American cancer researcher and entrepreneur who's passionate about sharing her interests in biology and computer science with others. She also founded a non-profit organization that provides free STEM-centered workshops to local middle school girls called "The Steminist Movement, Inc." Recently, she has been invited to speak at events for the American Association for University Women (AAUW) and the American Cancer Society.
This week, the main host, Chinaza Ogbonna, offers some more insight into some of the major themes we have heard this past month in season 2. She discusses the Steministas' experiences as women enterpreneurs in STEM with some self-reflection, giving some insight into some of the lessons she learned from these episodes.
Elena Christopoulos is a scientist and sustainability expert with over 20 years of expertise as an Energy and Political Consultant. She is the Principal of ECMC and in early 2000 she implemented the first urban wind turbine in North America. She also created the first feed-in-tariff program to support this effort. Last year, Elena was named Toronto’s Woman of the Year for her work designing and implementing wind turbines and solar arrays in Canada, Greece, Germany, England, and the US.
Kendall Rankin founded The Diamond Campaign during her sophomore year while getting her degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Tech. The Diamond Campaign’s mission is to create a community for Black women to embrace their unique cut (body image), color (personal brand), carat (self-worth), and clarity (vision for the future). The organization envisions a world in which Black women are confident enough in themselves to effectively support and encourage each other.
This week's Steminista is Mallorye Crowell, the CEO and founder of Higher Foundation, Inc. Higher Foundation promotes post-secondary education by providing mentorship and resources to prospective and current college students. She founded higher after she graduated from Georgia Tech in Spring 2016 because she wanted to help students overcome post-secondary education barriers. Listen to her share her incredibly inspiring experiences of overcoming these obstacles
Kamryn graduated with her masters in Digital Media from Georgia Tech. She is also the creative director & Founder of Ryn Productions. Ryn productions is a creative agency specializing in video production and brand collateral. They help to visualize the stories that we all have to tell. Listen to Kamryn share her experiences in starting her own company while being a full-time student and working part-time as well.
This week, the main host, Chinaza Ogbonna, offers some more insight into some of the major themes we have heard in season 2 so far. She discusses the Steministas' experiences with identity and representation in STEM with some self-reflection, giving some insight into some of the lessons she learned from these episodes.
Yoyin Ibikunle is a 3rd year PhD candidate in the department of Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Before Georgia Tech, Yoyin graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. As an African American woman in STEM, she has always searched for ways to contribute to the success of underrepresented minorities in this area. Her personal goal is to expose these marginalized groups, to STEM through initiatives that increase representation within these fields.
Ashley Salmon, MPH, is a Research Coordinator at the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University's School of Public Health. She got her undergraduate degree in Psychology at UGA and an MPH in Biostatistics at Georgia State University. Her comfort zone is management, analysis, interpretation, visualization, and dissemination of data. Listen to how she found herself and her passion through her Hero's Journey in Public Health.
Shannon Valley is a PhD candidate in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. Her line of research is paleoceanography. Shannon received a BA in Political Science and International Studies from Northwestern University. She worked for five years at NASA. During her time in DC, she also worked in the West Wing, for the Domestic Policy Council in the Executive Office of the President.
The Steministas are back bigger and better!! We have been working round the clock for the past few months revamping and expanding the platform. We share the details of some of the changes we have made so far and introduce you to season 2 of the podcast. Season 2 is filled with incredible Steministas so sit back and enjoy!
Listen to a recap of the season, some comments about the next season, and feel free to leave us feedback. We really appreciate you taking this journey with us. We hope you join us for the next season starting soon
Chiamaka Ukachukwu is an outstanding Steminista with a passion for healthcare and biomedical sciences. Listen to her talk about her experiences at Georgia Tech, and her journey through different research experiences before starting her Ph.D.
Morgan Foreman is an amazing Steminista with a passion for healthcare and informatics. Graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in Psychology, she now works as a healthcare data scientist at IBM Research in the Learning Health Systems team. She uses her background in psychology to bridge technology and artificial intelligence with the healthcare system. Listen to her talk about her experiences at Georgia Tech and now conducting research in industry.
Khadijah Boles is a wonderful Steminista with diverse talents. Graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in Biomedical Engineering and a certificate in Entrepreneurship, she now works as a Project Manager (PM) for Edwards Life Sciences in California. When she's not being an awesome PM or dancing, she's working on her fashion design company called Khadiva_Dee Customs where she custom designs clothes for events.
Jackie Easter is an incredible Steminista following her passion for healthcare informatics by starting a non-profit called FreshLifeco.org that utilizes digital and mobile health technology to help students manage their chronic condition.
Listen to our incredible Steminista, Ali Kight, talk to us about her experiences with mental health and the steps she believes will be useful in practising self-care. Share your own experiences with mental health and what works for you in taking care of it. As always, feel free to leave feedback on the episode.
Kyara Francis is a fantastic Steminista following her passion for healthcare and people by working as a trauma nurse in a non-profit hospital. Listen to her to talk about how she got to where she is today, the challenges she faces daily as a nurse, advice on how to get further as a nurse, and the different alternatives to being a doctor.
Ambar Johnson is an outstanding Steminista who seeks to use active transport and history to cultivate compassion for pedestrians and cyclists, build community wealth, and facilitate healing and social cohesion. After graduating from Georgia Tech with a degree in History, Technology, and Society, she now works at UD/MH with a team that explores how race has impacted the design of public space in Atlanta and has influenced the mental health of its residents.
Ali Kight is an incredible Steminista who has overcome some major setbacks to get to where she is today. Now pursuing a Bioengineering Ph.D. at Stanford, Ali is planning to continue making strides in Women's Health after co-founding a company called TINA Healthcare. TINA is a novel new technology that makes tampons easier and more hygienic to insert. Listen to her to talk about her experiences obtaining a Biomedical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech and starting the company to where she is today.
Vanessa Anyanso is a phenomenal Steminista working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania while applying to clinical psychology graduate programs, where she hopes to study mood and anxiety disorders within the African-X community, primarily African-American. Listen to her experiences studying psychology at Columbia University and the impact her identity has made on identifying her passion.
Valeria Hernandez-Esquivel is an incredible Steminista working as a water engineer by day and a wellness advocate always. Her upbringing in a Mexican household taught her the value of hard work but most importantly- health. Those two things brought to go where she is today. When she’s not at her engineering job, she’s helping others crush their health goals via online coaching! Listen to her talk about her journey to self-discovery and the impact her identity has made in her experiences as an engineer.
Listen to our incredible Steminista, Olivia Meek, talk to us about her experiences with sexual harassment and the steps she believes will be useful in battling it. Feel free to let us know if you have any additional pointers on how to deal with it, what has and has not worked for you, and any other feedback on the episode.
Olivia Meek is an amazing Steminista channeling her passion for renewable energy and energy efficiency at Landis + Gyr concentration on smart grid technology and IoT devices. Graduating from Georgia Tech with a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Olivia elaborates on the routes her college career took - through different types of Engineering and Design majors and minors while discovering what her passion is.
Rafiya Tasmin is a wonderful Steminista utilizing her passion for Aerospace Engineering at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. Graduating from Georgia Tech with a Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Rafiya discusses her journey going back and forth between moving forward with graduate school or working in Industry. She also describes how her passion for the field was cemented through her experiences building airplanes with Design-Build-Fly at Georgia Tech.
Michole Washington is an amazing Steminista following her passion for Math Education and Applied Mathematics at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. As the ninth African-American to earn a Bachelors Degree in Applied Mathematics at Georgia Tech, she has shown great commitment to her field by starting Afrithmetic, a service focused on strengthening students’ math confidence and skills through a family-oriented approach, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Math Education.
Renata Bade-Barajas is an incredible German-Mexican Steminista following her passion for renewable energy by getting her masters in a country that's almost 100% renewable. She's lived in several different countries, speaks six languages, and has a lot to share about her experiences getting her mechanical engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and now her master's at Reykjavik University.