STEM Education/Programs Episodes

In this special episode, Kathy and her co-host Linda sit down for a heartfelt conversation about the release of Kathy’s brand-new Women in STEM Coloring Book —a three-year passion project created in collaboration with her daughter, Emily. This book showcases contemporary women in STEM, brought to life through hand-drawn illustrations and inspiring biographies. Kathy shares the story behind the book, why representation of real, modern women in STEM matters, and how her daughter’s artwork brings t...

In this episode, Kathy and Linda talk with Catherine Jackson Jones, a coach and mentor with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding STEM opportunities for students and empowering educators to bring real-world STEM experiences into classrooms across the country. Catherine shares how NMSI builds awareness and access to STEM fields, particularly for students in under-resourced and rural communities. Through long-term partnerships with school ...

Liz Lee Heinecke is an author and media figure for science and STEM. She has loved science she was young which drew her to study molecular biology where she worked in research for ten years. As she transitioned to parenting, she began sharing her love of science through experiments with her kids which became the basis for her books and media appearances. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Art and a Master's Degree in Bacteriology. What do we talk about in this episode? How Liz got involved in writin...

Parmin Sedigh is a high school senior in Canada who enjoys researching and creating content about stem cells and developmental biology. She is also also the VP of Communications at Eye Hope Canada and a Sponsorships Associate at the Canadian Undergraduate Technology Conference. What do we talk about in this episode? Parmin developed a passion for stem cells and developmental biology. She talks about how she became interested in the subject through The Knowledge Society (TKS) and created blogs an...

Eliza Kosoy is the Founder of Eliza Dolls, a doll which teaches young girls how to code and build hardware through custom, tech-enabled projects based on things girls love. Eliza is also a PhD Student at University of California, Berkeley working in child development and Artificial Intelligence. What do we talk about in this episode? Eliza shares how she came to start E-liza Dolls and what her goals and aspirations are for her company. She also shares how her work in her day job as PhD student s...

Erin Twamley is an award-winning children’s book author, educator and lifetime Girl Scout. Erin's current children's book series, Everyday Superheroes, provides female role models in different STEM, energy, and engineering careers. Erin's background in psychology, education, and energy provide the foundation from which Erin creates this book series featuring real women in real careers in a format designed for children and educators. Erin has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's De...

Dr. Claire Christensen is a Senior Education Researcher at SRI International. She is a principal investigator with expertise in educational media research. While she studies many areas of media and its impact on youth, the focus of our conversation was mostly around STEM media. Claire is extremely knowledgeable and passionate of educational media research. She has a PhD and MA in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a BS in Mass Communications (Television Production). E...

Dr. Hanine Salem is a policy analyst and strategist specializing in public sector development and education. While her interest is concerned with improving leadership's decision making process through policy analysis and results oriented public management methods, our conversation focuses on a specific Cybersecurity program she is involved in and encouraging girls to get into fields such as cybersecurity. Hanine has a Master's Degree in Organizational Communications and a PhD in Organizational P...

Siena (12) and Ilyana (11) are two girls that are in Project Scientist. Project Scientist is a program designed to inspire young girls to consider STEM careers. Project scientist aims to nurture these future scientists to be tomorrow’s leaders and be change makers. Project Scientist's founder, Sandy Marshall, was previously a guest on Episode 60. This episode brings the girls (a.k.a. scientists) perspective on this wonderful program. Episode Notes Ilyana and Siena have had some amazing experienc...

Carmelo Piazza and his wife, Karen, own and run the Brooklyn Preschool of Science, or more accurately, the Brooklyn Preschools of Science since they have three locations. Carmelo, a former Science Teacher, founded the schools as a way to use his love and hands on teaching methods to holistically educate preschoolers. Using science as a base, they teach math, art, language skills and much more in an exciting and fun way that truly engages kids in science at a very young age. Episode Notes Carmelo...

Andrea Harris is the Chief Empowerment Executive at Tools & Tiaras, an organization founded to expose girls (and boys) to the trades. She is also the co-host of the podcast Tradeswomen Talk , and in her spare time (a.k.a. her day job) she is a cement mason at the New York Fire Department. Andrea has been a cement mason for 25 years and wants to share the importance of the trades and the great opportunities is provides as a career. Episode Notes Andrea Harris is a staunch advocate for women in th...

Sandy Marshall is the Founder and CEO of Project Scientist, a program designed to inspire young girls to consider STEM careers. Project scientist aims to nurture these future scientists to be tomorrow's leaders and be change makers. Sandy founded Project Scientist to fill a void she saw when looking for a STEM program for her daughter. The program has flourished to multiple states and is embarking on an international stint. Episode Notes Sandy shares how she came to start Project Scientist and t...

Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M. She has Bachelor's and Master's Degrees and a PhD, all in Chemical Engineering. She holds 72 patents! She was recently featured in the documentary "Not the Science Type", a documentary that premiered during the Tribeca Film Festival this summer. She is the author of "The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, and Imprints". Episode Notes Jayshree Seth didn't think she wanted to be an engineer or scienti...

Janet Phan works as a consultant in the intersection of technology and business in a global role in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She is the Founder of Thriving Elements, a mentoring program for underrepresented girls in STEM. She has a book, "Boldly You" coming out this fall where she shares her experience growing up in America as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She is a keynote speaker and recently did a TEDx talk highlighting the importance of mentorship and how it shaped her life...

Thomas Waltower is the founder of Sisters -N- Technology, an organization that started in Minneapolis, Minnesota an after school program that focuses on coding and STEM for girls. Sisters-N-Technology's mission is to engage young women in computer science and related IT fields. They are the only after school program in Minneapolis Public Schools that focuses on coding and STEM and are proud to be the 1st computer technology high school program in Minneapolis Public Schools. Sisters-n-Technology ...

Sam Taylor is the author of "The Coding Workbook: Build a Website with HTML and CSS", a book created to teach anyone how to build a website - without a computer. She has a Master's degree in Curriculum Design and works as a technical curriculum developer. She is passionate about providing educational opportunities for everyone. Episode Notes Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio "The Coding Workbook: Build a Website with HTML and CSS". https://nostarch.com/CodingWork...

Vicki is the Programs Director for High Tech Kids in Minnesota, the non-profit organization that organizes and runs robotics tournaments for kids such as FIRST LEGO League. While Vicki doesn't have a degree in a STEM field herself - she calls her degree in political science the "other" science, Vicki is getting girls into the pipeline for STEM careers. She has been involved with FIRST LEGO League robotics tournaments for over 20 years starting as a parent, then coach, then volunteer, then staff....