Wrigley Institute Women Scientists Share Their Experiences for International Day of Women and Girls in Science
From corals to microplastics, kelp to human behavior, and more, the women scientists of the Wrigley Institute are making crucial advances in our understanding of the environment and how to fight climate change. In honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we sat down for Q&As with four of them to learn about their experiences.
Monalisa Chatterjee, Assistant Professor (Teaching) of Environmental Studies
Q: How would you describe the work you do as a scientist?
A: I am a social scientist, meaning I study the interactions between society and nature. My research focuses on the impact of human behavior on the environment, how society organizes itself to respond to environmental challenges, and the social and environmental outcomes of environmental policies.
Q: What interests you in your specific field?
A: The unique nature of all environmental issues and the specific context that makes every case different.
Q: What is the earliest memory you have relating to your personal interest in science?
A: Objectively organizing knowledge about anything came naturally to me. As I got introduced to the scientific method, I realized that it was the first step of any scientific approach.
Q: Did you have any female role models who inspired you to become a scientist?
A: [When I was] growing up, my mother always used scientific concepts to explain simple processes in daily life. Even with cultural things, she would find scientific explanations for rituals and social practices. I have learned to apply the same lens as I look at things, so in a way, she has been my role model.
Q: Why do you think gender representation is important in your field?
A: Because we have people of all genders working on environmental issues and making significant contributions, but they lack visibility and recognition.
Q: What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing a scientific career?
A: Be confident, trust your abilities, and don’t hesitate to stand up for issues that are of interest to you.
Megan Fieser, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Q: How would you describe the work you do as a scientist?
A: My research group uses inorganic chemistry to help address plastic pollution. We do this by making catalysts that make it cheaper and easier to make degradable plastic replacements or find better recycling methods for current commercial plastics.
Q: What is the earliest memory you have relating to your personal interest in science?
A: My father introduced me to advanced topics in many STEM fields. I think the first time I thought science was cool was when he helped me design a solar water heater for an assignment in grade school. I can still remember how thoughtful he was in helping me understand the different ways we could make our design better. I was so proud of the finished product.
Q: Did you have any female role models who inspired you to become a scientist?
A: In high school, I had a teacher [named] Mrs. Cheryl Apperson, who taught an Authentic Scientific Research class. Over the course of three years, I learned all about graduate school research and even conducted research at the Washington University in St. Louis Medical School. By introducing me to the idea of a Ph.D., Mrs. Apperson inspired my path to academia. The photo is me with Mrs. Apperson, where I presented at the BioGENEius Challenge and won second place in my senior year of high school.
Q: Why do you think gender representation is important in your field?
A: I think gender representation is important for two main reasons. First and foremost, it is well documented that diverse workplaces are more creative and innovative. Bringing together more people with different backgrounds will challenge everyone to bring their own unique perspective to a problem. In my own research group, I have built a diverse team of researchers: quiet but thoughtful researchers, curious researchers, friendly and dependable researchers, and exceptionally hard-working researchers. The biggest things they have in common are a passion for the research and a commitment to being part of a team instead of just working as an individual. Combined, these researchers are unstoppable, and I couldn’t imagine having the same dynamics without gender representation.
This leads to the second reason: the more gender representation reaches higher levels of STEM jobs, the more likely young women will [want] to be part of that field. When I decided to do research in high school, I had a female teacher, several female classmates, and I worked in a lab with a female professor, grad students, and postdocs. I truly believe these women who surrounded me at a young age gave me the confidence to believe that science could be my path.
Carly D. Kenkel, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Q: How would you describe the work you do as a scientist?
A: I’ve always been fascinated by variation, or differences in the observable characteristics of organisms, particularly within a species. My lab studies how ecology, or organism-environment interactions, induce or select for different traits, and how these ecological interactions influence and are influenced by the evolutionary trajectories of populations and species.
Q: What interests you in your specific field?
A: We work primarily on coral and anemones. A major motivation for trying to understand causes and consequences of differences among individuals or populations is to try to understand how these ecologically critical critters will respond to a changing climate.
Q: What is the earliest memory you have relating to your personal interest in science?
A: I was always into collecting things as a kid–I had a shell collection, a bug collection, etc.–and looking back on it now, I think a lot of that was the manifestation of my love of biodiversity. At the time, though, I didn’t know you could even make a career out of studying those animals.
Q: Did you have any female role models who inspired you to become a scientist?
A: I never met anyone who was a scientist before choosing to major in marine science as an undergraduate. I was fortunate enough to meet some wonderful role models during my course of study. Most important was my NSF REU* mentor, Dr. Kim Ritchie. She gave me the first opportunity to work with coral and supported me in my pursuit of other research experiences. She also connected me to a community of researchers, including my future Ph.D. advisor. My postdoctoral advisor, Dr. Line Bay, has also been an incredible role model, particularly in balancing that fine line between leading a first rate research program while having a family.
Q: Why do you think gender representation is important in your field?
A: Representation matters, full stop. It’s hard to see yourself succeeding in or enjoying a career where no one looks like you. As a Ph.D. student, there were essentially no women faculty with kids in my department. I seriously questioned whether it was possible to have a family while also pursuing this career.
Q: What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing a scientific career?
A: You are brilliant and capable. You can succeed in this career on your terms and in your way, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
*A National Science Foundation-funded program that provides hands-on research experiences for undergraduate students
Diane Kim, Wrigley Institute Senior Scientist and Adjunct Assistant Professor (Teaching) of Environmental Studies
Q: How would you describe the work you do as a scientist?
A: I would describe it as asking a lot of questions and then designing the right field and/or lab experiments to try and answer some of those questions. That process typically leads to some answers, some of which push the boundaries of what we know, but mostly to more questions that lead to even more work in the lab and/or field–you get the idea!
Once we have some answers that we can share confidently, statistically speaking, work as a scientist also involves communicating that body of new information with others, including other researchers, students, and the general public. I think all scientists have a responsibility to share advances in knowledge with a broader audience so that we can make more informed decisions, individually and collectively, and continue generating interest and support for the sciences and research in general.
I also see it as our responsibility to inspire and train the next generation of STEM leaders, scholars, and teachers, ensuring that science and opportunities in science reach individuals of all backgrounds, but especially those from marginalized communities.
Q: What is the earliest memory you have relating to your personal interest in science?
A: I don’t think I was introduced to the concept of scientist or researcher as a career path until college, so my most concrete memory of any interest in pursuing science comes from my undergraduate years, when I realized that I could make a living out of studying the ocean and the myriad of microbes in it.
Looking back on my childhood, though, I do have memories [of] what one might describe as scientific curiosity. I was infatuated with learning about and caring for animals, having just about every animal for a pet that my parents would let me raise. I peered over my grandmother’s shoulders as she planted Korean vegetable varieties in our small backyard garden and wondered about the fermentation process as I watched her make kimchi sitting on our kitchen floor. I think anyone who wonders and actively seeks to make sense of the world is a scientist.
Q: Did you have any female role models who inspired you to become a scientist?
A: In college, I met several female graduate students in oceanography and microbiology who are responsible for significantly shaping the trajectory of my academic and professional career path. As teaching assistants for some of my science courses, they inspired me to pursue research opportunities and became mentors and role models on a career path that I had no idea even existed. I really owe so much of my success as a researcher, mentor, and teacher to them. I know people will often name a famous scientist, and those figures are absolutely important, but the people in our everyday lives should be celebrated, too.
Q: Why do you think gender representation is important in your field?
A: Besides the fact that it’s just the right thing to do – that is, to give everyone an equitable shot at what they are passionate about – I think the best science is done when the collective body doing the work represents diverse perspectives and lived experiences, and gender is one facet to that broader representation. Representation of one’s identity in a field or place that seems otherwise ‘foreign’ can also make or break a person’s decision to persist or not. Making sure that all identities, and especially marginalized ones, are celebrated and truly included is critical to increase diversity.
Q: What advice would you give to young women who are interested in pursuing a scientific career?
A: Find mentors who support you, find a community of peers, support each other, and pay it forward to the next generation.