41 Twice as Hard

In our final episode, we speak with Rumaitha Al Busaidi, a marine scientist and the Business Development Manager at Hydrogen Oman. While Rumaitha completes a postgraduate degree in financial strategy at Oxford University's Said Business School, she also runs WomeX, a platform that mentors Arab women to help them meet and surpass their professional goals. Our beautiful conversation covers Rumaitha's love of sports, travel, and women's empowerment. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/44-finale

In this episode, we speak with Dr Travis York, the Director of Inclusive STEMM Ecosystems for Equity and Diversity (ISEED) at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). We begin our conversation exploring how Dr York first became interested in higher education. After discussing his educational journey via Geneva College, Oxford University, and Penn State, we then discuss his exceptional work in transforming the STEM landscape to be more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible to all. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/43-access

In this episode, we speak with Dr Kaela S. Singleton, the campaign manager at Solving for Science. We start our conversation discussing her first exposure to neuroscience in the 7th grade, after which she went on to complete a BSc in Neuroscience and Classical History at Agnes Scott College and a PhD in Neuroscience at Georgetown University. We then chat about the existential crisis that Dr Singleton underwent during her postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University, which led to her beautiful and introspective journey of delineating her value as a human being from her talent as a neuroscientist. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/42-identity

In this episode, we speak with Jasmine Brown, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. She previously completed a Bachelor's in Neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis, after which she obtained a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University. During our chat, we discuss her phenomenal book, Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century. We then touch upon the major take-aways of her book and chat about how she actively prevents burn-out during med school. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/41-twice-as-hard

In this episode, we speak with BioJam team members Corinne Okada Takara, Callie Chappell, and Ana Maria Guerrero-Campos. BioJam (https://biojamcamp.weebly.com/) is a one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary summer program through which ‘artists, scientists, and educators collaborate with youth and communities of color to address historical exclusion of their communities in STEM fields and reframe what science can be.’ During our chat, we dive into the past, present, and future of BioJam with Corinne and Callie as Ana shares her first-hand experience of the program through the eyes of a BioJam camper. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/40-the-royal-we-part-iii

In this episode, we speak with Emmanuella Bassey, an undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, currently completing her BSc in Neuroscience with a minor in French. We begin our conversation chatting about her journey into neuroscience. We then discuss the impactful organisations that Emmanuella is a part of, including Black In Neuro, a grassroots organization that fosters community between Black neuroscientists around the world, and BIPOC, Because Inquiry Propels Our Curiosity, which aims to support scientists of colour who are interested in pursuing research opportunities. Importantly, we chat about the roles that family, faith, and friendship play in her life. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/39-faith