STEM SYNC

S1E21: Thriving Elements: Mission Mentorship

Surprise Prototypes! As I look at the date, I realize, wow, 2023 is right around the corner. Once we get through all the gift giving and good food eating, the calendar will flip as we start to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Then of course, social media will prompt us to answer the question: What’s your New Year’s resolution? As you ponder this question, I’d offer you add a goal to serve in a mentor or advisor in some capacity. In listening to Season 1 guests, an underlying thread is how wise guidance provided key support throughout their STEM education and career. As you know that is what STEM Sync is all about… leveraging the resource of a personal narrative to serve as encouragement along the STEM pipeline. Today’s bonus episode helps to drive this point. I am joined by Ms. Janet T. Phan whose focus is on paying forward her experience by helping raise awareness of the important role that mentoring can play, the elements and qualities of a good mentorship, and in connecting more girls with STEM mentors to increase women entering the field. My hope is that her story will convince you to add my suggested new year’s resolution. Just think, your one year of mentoring could have a lifetime of influence. Now let’s sync! Janet T. Phan is the Founder and Executive Director of Thriving Elements [https://thrivingelements.org/], a nonprofit dedicated to creating access and opportunities for underserved, underrepresented girls with long-term, 1:1 mentorship in STEM fields. Janet’s vision is to develop and empower young women in STEM to make a sustainable impact and inspire the next generation of women leaders. She is a Senior Technical Product Manager for Amazon's Project Kuiper and the author of Boldly You: A Story about Discovering What You’re Capable of When You Show Up for Yourself. [https://www.amazon.com/Janet-T.-Phan/e/B099SVVZYJ%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share]

S1E20: A Space to Exhale

Prototypes, it’s been six months since the STEM SYNC Podcast debuted on April 19, 2022, with my “why” story. Guess what? 20 guests later the STEM Sync Podcast is celebrating a successful Season 1 ending with a few of your favorite guests.  Episode 2 introduced you the impetus behind the Podcast launch, Ms. Erika Jefferson of Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE), and her then Chief of Staff, Ms. Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna. Today’s episode brings the new BWISE Chief of Staff to the mic, Ms. Lauren Adegoke, as we catch up with the ladies hearing about their last six months. Tune in to the Season 1 Finale Episode 20 to understand the importance of finding a space to exhale. Now let’s sync! Erika received her MBA from Georgia Tech and her BS in Chemical Engineering from LSU. She has worked for top companies such as Amoco, Chevron, and Praxair in a myriad of leadership and executive roles ranging from sales/business development to supply chain and operations excellence. Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna is a Black woman, 2020 graduate in Bioengineering from Harvard College who aims to become a physician-scientist to develop equitable diagnostic tools to help combat health disparities. She is currently pursuing a MD/PhD degree in the Medical Scientist Program at the University of California San Francisco. Lauren is the second BWISE Fellow as the Chief of Staff of Black Women in Science and Engineering. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Texas. She will graduate in December 2022 and is still deciding what career path she will follow. https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-woman-in-science-and-engineering-bwise-/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikajeffersonmba/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/augusta-uwamanzu-nna/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-adegoke/  #stemsync #blackwomeninstem #womeninstem #wocinstem #blackgirlsinSTEM #blackinstem #womeninscience #stem #shestem #blackwomenintech #STEM #stemeducation #stemcareers #blackengineers #blackinstem #blackdoctors #RepresentationMatters #melanininstem #nowletssync #stemstory#stemsync #podcast #blackwomeninstem #womeninstem #wocinstem #blackgirlsinSTEM #blackinstem #womeninscience #stem #shestem #blackwomenintech #STEM #stemeducation #stemcareers #blackengineers #blackinstem #blackdoctors #RepresentationMatters #melanininstem #nowletssync #stemsyncup #stemstory #stemprototypes #dei #ucsf #blackgradstudents

S1E19: Finding Your Voice

Episode 19 brings special guest to the STEM Sync Podcast as someone who I have watched blossom over the years in her pursuit of STEM education. Ms. Jailyn Dorsett is another mentee with a brilliant mind and genuine heart for people.  A proud graduate of the Historically Black College University system, Jailyn’s gets honest about her transition into a Masters/PhD program at a predominantly white institution.  Though met with moments of feeling unsupported, Prototypes will hear of Jailyn’s ability to discover her true passion, make wise decisions for her own peace of mind, and recognize that she still has a rightful place along the STEM pathway.  Let’s get real and let’s sync!  Jailyn Dorsett hails from Long Branch, New Jersey. Currently, she is an Environmental Engineering Master's student at the University of Southern California (USC). Before going to USC, Jailyn attended the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for one year, and then finished out the next three years for my degree in Engineering Physics at Delaware State University (DSU). Throughout her time at DSU, she served as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) local chapter president, worked in a renewable energy research lab, and graduated with honors. Jailyn’s accolades include completing her honors senior thesis on singlet oxygen. In her free time Jailyn enjoy painting, reading, and spending time at the beach.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jailyndorsett/ #stemsync #podcast #blackwomeninstem #womeninstem #wocinstem #blackgirlsinSTEM #blackinstem #womeninscience #stem #shestem #blackwomenintech #STEM #stemeducation #stemcareers #blackengineers #blackinstem #blackdoctors #RepresentationMatters #melanininstem #nowletssync #stemsyncup #stemstory #stemprototypes #delstate #usc #hbcu #environmentaljustice

S1E18: The Pursuit of Possibilities

When assessing education and career opportunities, how do you lean into the decision-making process? Are you… Learning. Growing. Contributing. Those are the three ways Episode 18’s guest, Ms. Cassie Agyeman-Duah checks in with herself when making career moves. Prototypes, we should take account of her strategy as it has proven her to be very successful and most importantly fulfilled. Tune as Cassie details how she’s chartered paths in pursuit of dual degree programs, navigated the pros and cons of being a government contractor, and commanded respect for her skills through self-advocacy. Now let’s sync! DISCLAIMER: The opinions of Ms. Cassie Agyeman-Duah are based on her personal accounts and do not reflect those of her current and previous employers. Cassie Agyeman-Duah has always been inquisitive and into everything. Her interests were always broad - liking history almost as much as she liked math and participating in everything from science club to step team to ballet to JROTC. Her curiosity is also what piqued her interest in engineering. Her uncle was an engineer, and she was intrigued by how things worked. She would take things apart (and sometimes put them back together) as a child. Cassie is now an alumna of the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. She attained a BS degree in Electrical Engineering with a secondary field in Fire Protection Engineering. After her undergraduate studies, she went on to pursue a dual degree, earning her MS in Information Technology with a concentration in Databases and Information Assurance and MBA from the University of Maryland, University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus). She later rounded out her education with a Certificate in Accounting from the University of California Berkeley. She has worked as an Electrical Engineer, Systems Engineer, Database Administrator, Technical Team Lead, and Chief Engineer among other roles for several large and small companies. She currently works as a Senior Solutions Architect with Amazon Web Services. In her spare time, Cassie serves as the President of the University of Maryland Black Alumni (UMBA) Network and is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Her interest in community and willingness to serve are a big part of her identity. She is dedicated to creating inclusive and equitable experiences and environments for Black people in whatever space she is in. Cassie is constantly looking for ways to reach out and help wherever and however she can. #stemsync #podcast #blackwomeninstem #womeninstem #wocinstem #blackgirlsinSTEM #blackinstem #womeninscience #stem #shestem #blackwomenintech #STEM #stemeducation #stemcareers #blackengineers #blackinstem #blackdoctors #RepresentationMatters #melanininstem #nowletssync #stemsyncup #stemstory #stemprototypes #systemsengineering #blackintech #terps #umcp #blackterps

S1E17: Intentional Life Designs

Transformation of lives can be both direct and indirect dependent on the effect one hopes to achieve. Directly through hands on interaction and indirectly behind the scenes through planning, research, and policy. Today’s STEM SYNC Podcast guest, Dr. Stefanie Brodie, is doing both via the art of Urban Planning. Within recent years, the subject of incorporating equity into long range development rose to a hot topic specific to transportation systems.  Dr. Brodie had the foresight and calling to specialize in factoring social fairness in sustainable infrastructure. While her journey has been unique, Dr. Brodie has been intentional about being true to her curious nature and certain of designing a life of lasting influence. Now let’s sync! Stefanie Brodie has a love for cities that started in her old industrial hometown of Waterbury, CT. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a BS in Civil Engineering, she worked as a consultant for several years until that love led her to enter a dual master’s degree program at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Civil Engineering and City and Regional Planning. At this time she also discovered her love for research and continued to a PhD in Civil Engineering focusing her dissertation on transportation equity. Since completing her doctorate, Stefanie has held a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Nottingham U.K., served as a research program specialist at the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, and is currently the Research Practice Lead at Toole Design Group. Her professional interests center on transportation planning and policy and she has aligned her current work to continue her research on equity. She believes that research should help public agencies make informed decisions and lead to safer, healthier, and happier lives, especially for those with the most challenges to overcome. #stemsync #podcast #blackwomeninstem #womeninstem #wocinstem #blackgirlsinSTEM #blackinstem #womeninscience #stem #shestem #blackwomenintech #STEM #stemeducation #stemcareers #blackengineers #blackinstem #blackdoctors #RepresentationMatters #melanininstem #nowletssync #stemsyncup #stemstory #stemprototypes #research #transportation #terps #umcp #blackterps #georgiatech