All Ears on Her

Episode 6: The Biomedical Bridge with Abhinaya Lakkureddi

Season 1 Finale!🎙️✨ Abhinaya is the definition of a powerhouse. She has managed a near-perfect GPA while leading as the President of the Society of Women Engineers, spearheading medical devices for local veterans, and analyzing cardiac frameworks and cellular metabolism in the lab. In this episode, she opens up about navigating the cultural expectations of being the oldest daughter in an immigrant family, how she avoids burnout when her schedule is packed, and her exciting next chapter: entering medical school this July! In this episode, we discuss: * The BME vs. Pre-Med Grind: How she balances the memorization heavy-world of biology with the conceptual, problem-solving world of engineering. * Engineering for Human Freedom: The ups, downs, and ultimate rewards of leading a *Quality of Life Plus* team to build a custom lift for a U.S. Navy veteran. * Redefining Success: Why breaking down complex ion transporters using PyMOL is cool, but building a supportive "village" of community is what actually matters. * The "Oldest Daughter" Mindset: How caretaking at home shaped her perspective on empathetic healthcare. Resources: * Learn more about SWE at UTSA [https://sites.swe.org/universityoftexasatsanantonio/secondary-page/] * Explore the Quality of Life Plus Project [https://www.instagram.com/qlplus_utsa/] Thank you so much for an incredible Season 1! Keep building your toolkit, reaching for the stars, and we will see you very soon for Season 2! 🚀🪐

Episode 5: The Architect of Learning with Deepti Tagare

In this episode, hosts Anusha Abdulla and Iqra Abdullah sit down with Dr. Deepti Tagare, an electronics engineer turned educational researcher who is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at UTSA as part of the Bridge to Faculty program. In this episode, we discuss: * The Engineering-to-Education Catalyst: How a desire to see the tangible human impact of her work led her to step away from traditional corporate engineering at Eaton Corporation and dive into the world of digital learning design. * The AI Transparency Rubric: Why transparency is the missing link for K-12 and higher education leaders tasked with safely, ethically, and equitably choosing AI tools for grading and instruction. * Unlocking Ikigai & Redefining Success: A deep dive into the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai and why Dr. Tagare views success as a resilient, lifelong process of unlocking your complete potential to solve complex global education problems. Resources: * Full Transcript [https://sites.google.com/view/all-ears-on-her/episodes-and-transcripts/episode-5?authuser=1] * Dr. Tagare's Research Portfolio [https://www.deeptitagare.com/⁠] * Join the Village [https://allearsonherpodcast.eo.page/ghy7y]

Episode 4: The Village and the Voyager with Lisa German

Make sure to follow us on Spotify! In this episode, hosts Anusha Abdulla and Iqra Abdullah talk with Lisa Ruth Tunstall German, a veteran, global traveler, and lifelong learner who has dedicated her life to service and community. In this episode, we discuss: * The Burdette Street Village: Growing up in a multi-generational home where "any and everybody" had a role in shaping her identity and the importance of emulating that village concept wherever she lives. * The "Three S’s" of Integration: Her experience as the only female student of color at Dana College, where she navigated the triangle of being "shocked, scared, and choosing to stay" to earn her education. * A Masterclass in Versatility: How she balanced roles as a military spouse, mother, and professional, earning multiple degrees in sociology, criminal justice, and military science while moving across seven different states. * The Technical Writing Pivot: Her shift into the Department of Energy, where she managed National Innovation Workshops and used her love of writing to recruit people into technology transfer programs. * A Global Perspective on Success: Why Lisa believes success is an open-ended, lifelong pursuit of learning and why she feels we haven't achieved it as long as global inequalities exist. Resources: * Full Transcript [https://sites.google.com/view/all-ears-on-her/episodes-and-transcripts/episode-4?authuser=1] * Susan Buffett Foundation [https://buffettscholarships.org/] * Join the Village [https://allearsonherpodcast.eo.page/ghy7y]

Episode 3: Structures, Standards, and Space Stations with Alejandra Barragan

TRANSCRIPT [https://sites.google.com/view/all-ears-on-her/episodes-and-transcripts/episode-3?authuser=1] In this episode, hosts Anusha Abdulla and Iqra Abdullah talk with Alejandra, a Senior Quality Engineer at Axiom Space currently on-site at Thales Alenia Space in Italy. afety of hardware humans will use to orbit the Earth. In this episode, we discuss: * The Production Floor "Crash Course": Learning to gain respect in male-dominated industries by "driving the forklift" and showing you can do the job. * The Human Factor: Why Alejandra moved from heavy industry to a Master’s in Bioengineering at Rice University to work on projects that directly better human life. * Life in Italy: Navigating cultural differences, language barriers, and the unique role of being the "customer spy" on a global manufacturing team. * Spaceflight Windows: The terrifying and rewarding responsibility of signing off on the glass and acrylic panels that protect astronauts from space debris. * A New Definition of Success: Why "scaling the organizational ladder" isn't the only way to win in your career. Note: As Alejandra joined us live from Italy, the audio quality reflects the international connection. A full transcript is provided in the link below for easy following. Resources: * Full Transcript [https://sites.google.com/view/all-ears-on-her/episodes-and-transcripts/episode-3?authuser=1] * Alejandra Barragán [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandra-barragan-46b2936b/] * Axiom Space [https://www.axiomspace.com/] * Join the Village [https://allearsonherpodcast.eo.page/ghy7y]

Episode 2: The Power to Pivot with Lizet Casas

In this episode of All Ears On Her, hosts Anusha Abdulla and Iqra Abdullah dive into the beauty of the "non-linear" career path. We are joined by Lizet Casas, Senior Program Manager at UTSA’s brand-new College of AI, Cyber, and Computing, to discuss how she transitioned from a background in Psychology and Educational Leadership to leading at the forefront of tech. Highlights include: * The Power of Translation: How Lizet uses her "superpower" to bridge the gap between social services and data science. * Real-World Impact: A look at the H-E-B Community Innovation Scholars and how they solve community problems with data. * Career Pivoting: Advice for women and students navigating "technical" spaces with non-traditional backgrounds. Links Mentioned in the Show: * UTSA College of AI, Cyber, and Computing [https://caicc.utsa.edu/] * H-E-B Community Innovation Scholars Program [https://caicc.utsa.edu/community_scholars/] * Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizet-r-casas/] Go Runners!