Laure and Megan bring the mini-series guests together for a final discussion on faith and science in graduate school. The group discusses some common threads from each of their individual interviews, such as religion as a form of life balance and how they navigate preconceptions from colleagues, friends, and podcast hosts of conflict within their way of life and their careers. 

Secret Life of a Graduate Student

Faith and Science: Religion is a way of life in grad school and beyond, with Abigail, Tyler and Miriam

Megan interviews Miriam Rafailovich, a distinguished professor of material science and chemical engineering at Stony Brook University, who practices Orthodox Judaism. Miriam talks about emigrating from Romania to the United States at an early age to escape racism and religious persecution. Her family valued education and openly encouraged her to pursue her academic interests. Miriam believes that her active pursuit of knowledge and nature enables her a rich relationship with her Jewish faith.

Faith and Science: Understanding nature and its symmetry brings me closer to my faith, with distinguished professor Miriam Rafailovich

Laure interviews government scientist Tyler Westover, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, widely known as Mormonism. Tyler talks about growing up religious in Idaho, where he was inspired by the numerous science textbooks in his home. They discuss his very rational reason for pursuing a degree in engineering, and how he was ultimately swayed to leap into a PhD in quantum physics. Listen to hear how Tyler is moved by his faith and how it has moved him forward in his science career.

Faith and Science: My faith inspires me to grow as a scientist and a person, with government scientist Tyler Westover

Laure interviews Catholic graduate student, Abigail Miller about what it is like to actively practice faith while being a full time graduate student. Abigail talks about growing up Catholic, and how she did not always know she was going to be a scientist. Listen to hear how Abigail expresses that becoming a scientist and learning about the universe has brought her closer to her faith.

Faith and Science: Two big aspects of my life that can coexist easily, with current graduate student Abigail Miller

Laure and Megan open up their mini-series on faith and science with a conversation about about how religion can play a role in life and graduate school. Even though 30-40% of scientists practice a religion, faith and science are often portrayed as oil and water. Laure and Megan explore this idea, challenge their own preconceptions, and talk about their own experiences with religion and spirituality. 

Faith and Science: Laure and Megan discuss whether religion and science are like oil and water

Laure interviews content optimization strategist David Lubertozzi about his windy and sometimes bumpy journey from pastry chef, to scientist, to marketing specialist. Dave candidly discusses some of the challenges he faced while in graduate school, and how those challenges may have been heightened as a result of uncommon path.

Uncommon Path: My windy and bumpy road to PhD and beyond, with marketing specialist David Lubertozzi

Megan interviews archaeological scientist Julie Dunne about her life before and after science. As a former accountant, Julie was unfulfilled in her career. She talks about how she found happiness in curiosity and science. She ultimately decided to rewrite her life, switch careers, and never look back, this is her story.

Uncommon Path: Rewriting your life story, with archaeological scientist Julie Dunne

Megan interviews current graduate student Brett Garabedian about his life before science. Brett was an average high school student, a community college drop-out and on a path to a career in his family's business of selling gems on the home shopping network. This episode features the story of Brett's uncommon path from gemologist to scientist working in the exciting field of glycobiology.

Uncommon Paths: What's the rush? with current graduate student Brett Garabedian

Megan and Laure open up their latest mini-series on taking time before graduate school, by sharing their own anecdotes. They also discuss the challenges some women face when it comes to making life-impacting decisions about professional development and time.

Uncommon Path: Why Laure and Megan want to talk about taking time before graduate school

Laure and Megan bring the overcoming obstacles interviewees, Katharine Seton, David Payne, and Richard Mankin, together for a panel discussion. They discuss how, while it wasn't always easy to do, making their conditions visible to their collaborators and employers has helped them feel comfortable in the competitive science environment. 

Overcoming Obstacles Panel Discussion: Forget competition, let's talk about empathy in science, with Katharine Seton, David Payne and Richard Mankin

Laure interviews USDA field ecologist Richard Mankin who has a rare muscle disorder that impacted his mobility. Tested by his own will to do science in the field, Richard learned to find creative, out of the box solutions to enable his active and mobile career.

Overcoming Obstacles: I wanted to do field science, so I had to get creative, with government scientist Richard Mankin

Megan interviews newly minted government scientist David Payne about his undocumented condition called aphantasia. David didn't know until after graduating from his PhD that he didn't have a mind's eye. It was like discovering that everyone else had superpowers. He talks about how he found ways to subconsciously cope with his differences, and how post-PhD the effort to cope is much more mindful.

Overcoming Obstacles: I didn't know everyone else had these superpowers with government scientist, David Payne

Continuing the mini-series on overcoming obstacles, Laure interviews current graduate student, Katharine Seton who suffers from myelitis encephalitis, or chronic fatigue. Katharine talks about how she started to understand her condition better in graduate school. As she learned to define and ultimately embrace her limitations for herself and among her peers, her life and success as a student improved.

Overcoming Obstacles: I know I have my limits, and they don't limit me with current grad student, Katharine Seton

Megan and Laure introduce the series on overcoming obstacles by sharing their own experiences. Megan talks about her visual muscle disorder which caused a life-long challenge with reading, and Laure discusses how she was only aware of her dyslexia late in life. Their stories open up the broader conversation on how obstacles should not discourage people from pursuing their passions. 

Overcoming Obstacles: Laure and Megan share their own obstacles

Laure and Megan bring the series interviewees, Audrey Bascoul, Jamie Meadows, and Timothée Poisot, together for a discussion and debate about imposter syndrome. One thing they can agree on... imposter syndrome is universal and ubiquitous in science.

Imposter Panel Discussion: Imposter syndrome is ubiquitous in science!

We interview graduate students past and present

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Secret Life of a Graduate Student

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