Back in high school, a chemistry teacher alerted Casey (Catherine) IvanovichThe kind of astonishment that comes with the use of mathematics and sciences as tools to make sense of the disconcerting world that surrounds them. Since then, Ivanovich has taken this moment and his inspiration in his career as a scientist.
After graduating from the Ph.D. Program at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory last summer, Ivanovich is now a member of the postdoctoral program at the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, studying climatic ends and wet heat, including its physical and social drivers. He also passionate to convey complex scientific concepts to a broader audience.
In the questions and answers below, Ivanovich reflects on its path to climate research and offers advice to scientific women.
How did you get into science?
First I fell in love with land science during a secondary chemistry class. There was a moment that I will always remember when my teacher, Mrs. Altfater, stopped half of the equation on the board, turned around and reflected on her feeling of astonishment that we create mathematics to describe the world around us … And what works! I think this little interaction really caused my sense of what our planet is wonderful and the incredible tools we have to understand and protect it. This motivation has followed me throughout my academic career, and today I study when and why there is a humid extreme heat to prepare better for its socio -economic impacts.
How can we continue supporting and mentor of scientific women?
The best way to support scientific women is to advocate concrete and material changes in existing academic structures. This includes improving parents support policies, guaranteeing salary heritage and enforcing effective policies against discrimination and anti-acosation. This must also include changes in academic culture, such as changing the balance in WHO performs administrative tasks and who speaks during meetings, or even change the expectations that people are relocated in each step of their career, forcing them to rebuild the networks Social support. To promote diversity in Stem, including, among others, gender diversity, we also need to continue making the ‘unwritten rules’ of the academy transparent.
“As we advance through our careers, I think it is also important to remember to return the information we learn on the way to help facilitate the process for scientists who go through the same processes after us!”
Do you have any advice for younger women or girls who are interested in entering the field?
I think that tutoring is a vital part of the construction of the community and provides the structure for change. I would advise women to take advantage of all the opportunities that arise to connect with possible mentors, whether this means knowing one with someone in their laboratory group, enrolling in a formal tutoring program or attending social events to meet people who meet people who They work in your field. The challenges we face in Stem with respect to gender can be crossed with innumerable other aspects of our identities, and connect with people who share some of their experiences can take some time and proof. But I have discovered that making connections with people with whom I can speak openly and honestly (both mentors and colleagues) has been essential to obtain a constructive orientation about professional decisions, feel supported by my work and build a productive environment for research discussions.
As we advance through our careers, I think it is also important to remember to return the information we learn on the way to help facilitate the process for scientists who go through the same processes after us.
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