
Inclusive Environments: Finding Support When Isolated
01/14/21 • 14 min
In STEMM fields, students and professionals from marginalized populations often feel misunderstood or isolated because their identities differ from their peers. Biomedical engineer Dr. Gilda Barabino often found herself taking roles in which she was the first and only African American woman in her position. At times, it was very isolating.
In this episode, Dr. Barabino shares how she responded to a lack of mentorship, where she found supportive networks, and how she’s creating inclusive environments so that marginalized students don’t have to face the same obstacles.
Dr. Gilda Barabino is a biomedical engineer with a background in chemical engineering. She specialized in sickle cell research and cellular and tissue engineering. She also deeply understands the role of race, ethnicity, and gender in science and engineering. Dr. Barabino is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. She is currently the president of the Olin College of Engineering.
To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.
Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
In STEMM fields, students and professionals from marginalized populations often feel misunderstood or isolated because their identities differ from their peers. Biomedical engineer Dr. Gilda Barabino often found herself taking roles in which she was the first and only African American woman in her position. At times, it was very isolating.
In this episode, Dr. Barabino shares how she responded to a lack of mentorship, where she found supportive networks, and how she’s creating inclusive environments so that marginalized students don’t have to face the same obstacles.
Dr. Gilda Barabino is a biomedical engineer with a background in chemical engineering. She specialized in sickle cell research and cellular and tissue engineering. She also deeply understands the role of race, ethnicity, and gender in science and engineering. Dr. Barabino is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. She is currently the president of the Olin College of Engineering.
To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.
Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
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The Science of Mentorship: A STEMM Podcast
Welcome to The Science of Mentorship, a 10-episode podcast from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that introduces you to the evidence-based practices for effective mentoring told through the personal stories of leaders in science, tech, math, engineering, and medicine.
You'll hear from notables like iconic physicist Dr. Jim Gates, groundbreaking physician Dr. Vivian Pinn, advocate mathematician Dr. Richard Tapia, and Twitter phenom immunobiologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. They share the ups and downs of their own mentorship journeys from the beginning of their careers to today, to help you develop the skills to engage in the most effective STEMM mentoring relationships possible.
Mentorship is essential to the development of anyone in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medicine.
If you are a mentor, a mentee, or have a role in mentorship, this podcast is for you. Listen to The Science of Mentorship to learn, practice, and optimize mentorship for you and your colleagues, and visit https://nas.edu/mentoring for more.
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Opportunity: Giving Access to All Students
Research shows that even if marginalized students earn bachelor's degrees, they’re still less likely to receive mentoring or be retained in STEMM careers. Chemistry professor Dr. Michael Summers found himself in a position to provide effective mentoring to his students from marginalized backgrounds to guide them both in the classroom and beyond.
In this episode, Dr. Michael Summers shares how positive mentoring experiences led him to his current position, how he worked to provide access and opportunity through the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and what he’s doing to help other universities implement programs and practices to support marginalized students through academia and beyond into their STEMM careers.
Dr. Summers is a chemistry professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County who studies the nuclear magnetic resonance of proteins. He has led efforts to develop programs for retaining marginalized students in the sciences. In 2000, he received the Presidential Award for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. In 2016, Dr. Summers was elected into the National Academy of Sciences.
To learn more about the Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM report, and for a guide to implementing best practices at your institution, visit NAS.edu/mentoring.
Brought to you by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
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