Equivalent Too is a podcast for minorities in STEM. Its a place to discuss issues faced by those who are under represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, whether that be for reasons of gender, race, socio-economic background, neurodiversity, physical ability. All are welcome to normalise the barriers encountered by being differences, so that we can indeed make a positive difference through our differences.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 25, 2019
Tuesday Jun 25, 2019
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE!!! MY LAST EPISODE OF SERIES 1!!! AND WHAT BETTER WYA TO CELEBRATE IT, THAN WITH A PROF. OF PLANETARY SCIENCE!!
This week, my amazing woman in STEM, is proud of being a science geek. Her father was a professor in engineering and so pulled some strings to get her to study STEM at university. In her day, science wasn’t offered to girls at school, so she had to play catch up, in physics at university.
My guest was driven by pure curiosity. Her first view of the planets was through a telescope that her father built. Today she is a professor in Planetary Science. Her only regret is that her parents didn’t live to see her academic success.
Women made up 5% of her physics class at university. She claims that the key to her academic success was due to standing up for herself and knowing her boundaries. She is doesn't take nonsense from anyone. Before she mastered this, she had to fake it to make it.
Its hard to comprehend this a women this eminent could also suffer from Imposter syndrome. She believes it is fundamental to take things on that excite you, but also being able to admit when you're scared and doubtful about your abilities. She discusses the importance of getting on well with others and protecting your team. She got where she is today by saying yes to things that you don’t think you can do; being honest about her capabilities and being willing to step into the unknown and accept advice. She shares the importance of quiet time for oneself. STEM is a stepping stone to self-discovery and failure can be a success if you learn why you failed.
The juggling act of family is not easy, and has affected the roles people have chosen within academia; but . maternity / paternity rules have got better. We are on a strong upward curve with that. STEM should permeate through society in many ways, as a society, we just have to get out of a constrained mindset.
All this and more on Scilence!
Tuesday Jun 25, 2019
Tuesday Jun 25, 2019
To celebrate another quarter year, I've mashed up some 13 episodes of Scilence..Each day for the next six days, you can hear a compilation of some of the best sound bites from Episodes 13-26.
Its approximately 30 minutes of wisdom from a variety of #womeninstem!
Enjoy!
Monday Jun 24, 2019
Monday Jun 24, 2019
Happy birthday Scilence!!! This podcast turned one years old today, on International Women in Engineering Day!
To celebrate, I have put together 6 compilation episodes of ‘SciLence’, which feature an assortment of the best sound bites over the last quarter (episode 27-39)!
The guests you’ll hear from, over the next six days are true WONDER-WOMEN in STEM, and as with all episodes, I deliberately keep them anonymous, so that we can all enjoy some honesty, openness and a little bit of vulnerability.
This podcast is not about labels, accolades and accomplishments, that stuff can be intimidating. It’s about the wisdom gained from the experiences of some incredibly unique and trailblazing women, who are tackling the issues around gender, diversity and inclusivity, head on.
The last year of scilence has been so inspiring, thank you all for joining me on this incredibly empowering journey...Enjoy!
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
Tuesday Jun 18, 2019
My guest this week left engineering, partially because there were no women in her team. She went off to study for an MBA and ended up in FinTech.
Throughout her career she always wanted to maintain her femininity and was loud and proud about that. She didn’t want to engage in 'man-talk' during her breaks and so confidently didn't. You can be yourself around men, you just have to own it.
My guest believes that you have to respect yourself first in order to receive respect from others. Women can be vulnerable around men and Women can get triggered by working with other women. Working in industry allows us to to grow a thicker skin.
In her experience, men and women communicate differently and women should stop constantly saying sorry. Women can listen, men want to provide solutions. But women in engineering (such as my guest and I) have a very rational demeanour - the fact that we are in female bodies, makes us unique.
My guest is very positive about being in a minority. She has learned how men think, and its a great plus for her. Compared to 15-20 years ago, gender issues are actually easier today. For that reason, rolemodels don’t need to be female, but women do need to stick together.
We discuss all this and more, including the transformation of motherhood. My guest has some very interesting suggestions for mothers returning to work - but first, they need to be heard.
Tuesday Jun 11, 2019
Tuesday Jun 11, 2019
My guest this week is focused and driven on turning the world upside down. She was initially inspired by her parents, who dedicated their careers to biochemistry and chemical engineering.
With a deeply intuitive passion to help people and save lives, my guest turned her natural aptitude for STEM into a thriving business, entering the world of Data Science and A.I. applied to BioPharma, whereby computers can predict and recommend the best drugs for patients, thus saving billions of dollars in inappropriate drug delivery.
She describes the challenge of being the only woman in management, within her field. Many people doubted her, but she wanted to prove the naysayers wrong and eliminate her own self-doubt. Despite developing a thick skin, she enjoys helping and supporting other women that come after her.
We discuss the golden mean between aggression and being a doormat at work, given that assertiveness doesn't come naturally to women. Women need to help each other - and in her view, the best mentors are sensitive, compassionate and understand. Finding the right fit of support for oneself is crucial and can be transformational. Ultimately, my guest, believes that self-awareness is key.
Tuesday Jun 04, 2019
Tuesday Jun 04, 2019
This week, my guest, a Software Engineer, is highly opinionated about her job. She believes strongly in the power of diverse teams for business, where engineers can learn from the different skills and talents of each other. Software engineers seem to come from varied backgrounds, which is ideal. But industry conditions are far from this ideal, at the moment.
Due to the lack of inclusivity, there is a lot of competition amongst her co-wokers, particularly between the women. Forceful campaigns which entice girls to code, are creating a mess in the industry, according to my guest. Schools are pushing the message that 'you're disadvantaged if you can’t code' and as a result it is being taught as an essential skill, along with reading, writing and mathematics. A consequence: the software engineering job market has become saturated with low quality. Too many people now know how to code. Very few are passionate about coding.
As the world experiences a huge tech boom, more software engineers are needed. In some cases the hiring process is happening at brake-neck speed and is compromising on quality. Products need to be released faster than ever and it means that we are also compromising on security. The industry is in turmoil, and what is scary is that as we move into a technologically reliant future, we increasingly become more at the mercy of all software engineer.
Tuesday May 28, 2019
Tuesday May 28, 2019
Harvard once called Data Science the sexiest job of the 21st Century, which is exactly what my guest does, this week on Scilence. Having originally studied Physics, she asked herself what she wants out of life and what makes her happy and landed on this career choice, knowing that most of her time would be spent at work.
Surprisingly, she experienced very little gender discrimination during her physics degree in academia, but certainly became conscious of being female once she reached industry, with people making condescending assumptions about her, just for being female. She believes that women in STEM, 20-30 years ago, certainly needed a thicker skin. Today, she ditches the dresses for gender neutral clothing, to improve the way she is received by others.
Emotional well-being is not prioritised highly enough in the workplace, with physical ailments always taking precedence over mental illness. Even talking about it is seen to be a weakness or awkward. As women we walk a tight-rope in showing our feelings at work.
My guest observes that the most successful women in her industry have very supportive people in their lives. Men should try to be supportive towards women instead of competing with them, but it is also about finding your equals. The best leaders are the ones that create new leaders, yet women who appear to have it all make her feel guilty about her own accomplishments.
She isn’t so familiar with contentment, because she has been so ambitious in her lifetime, but she is certainly passionate about diversity and offers many suggestions in achieving more inclusive work environments.
Tuesday May 21, 2019
Tuesday May 21, 2019
Having grown up in an El Nino environment, the curiosity of my guest this week was sparked from an early age. She believes that growing up in a science +ve household helped to keep that spark alive - along with a fish tank in their lounge!
Climate science is a deeply complex field of study, yet there is no official qualification for the subject. It is an ever growing field needing collaborators from different academic disciplines to get creative with their perspectives and ideas.
Despite, this globally diverse team effort, 98% of scientists agree on their findings, yet the public are not fed this message. The media skews climate science to instil fear and doubt.
My guest is certainly not doubtful of her research, but her work does make her highly concerned about carbon outputs. So much so, that her views on motherhood are heavily influenced. And she's pretty outspoken on relationships too, believing that they are a source of emotional labour - perhaps it's because she has experienced that women always face resistance when they ask for things in this Patriarchal world.
Tuesday May 14, 2019
Tuesday May 14, 2019
My guest this week is radiant. You feel her smiles and positivity throughout this episode and it changes your attitude. By the end of the show I was full of hope and optimism for life.
As a quantitative biologist, her purpose has been to turn her love of mathematics and science into something that will help and improve peoples health. She gets so much joy from her research in healthcare - and when she actually gets to meet the patients she has helped, its instant gratification for her impactful work.
My guest grew up surrounded by scientists. Her parents are her best friends and support, always encouraging her to ask questions and think methodically. Where most people tend to be intimidated, she takes huge pride in approaching senior academics, . She believes that her courage comes from a true passion for her work.
She's figuring out her true purpose as she goes along. Always keeping her attention on fulfilling work and helping others, but she is also very humble. She believes that she couldn't have achieved the level of career success without the support and help of others.
Attitude proves itself to be powerful, as always - but in this episode is coupled closely with gratitude.
Tuesday May 07, 2019
Tuesday May 07, 2019
My guest, an academic and entrepreneur in Healthcare, grew up in a war zone and was heavily influenced by the selflessness of the doctors she witnessed there. She believes that healthcare should not be reserved for the wealthy, yet we take the healthcare system in the west, so much for granted.
We discuss nature vs nurture for education, admitting that she has a strong work ethic thanks to the open-minded support of her parents.
What drives her is her striving to fulfil a bigger purpose in life. In her lifetime, she wants to see the impact she is making on others. She is on a path of self-discovery, and knows what motivates her now, and appreciates that, that could change with time.
Her attitude is wise, believing that you don’t have to achieve the best, but you should allow yourself to enjoy all experiences, in the hope that they will make you a better person. She accepts that where will be dead-ends in learning about oneself, but that is what experimentation, adventuring and being open to new opportunities is all about - making mistakes. For my guest, if someone tells her she can’t do something, it drives her further.
We discuss this and so much more, this week on Scilence.