Doctor Kate Biberdorf On Why More Women & BIPOC Should Pursue A Career In STEM
What would you like to see change within the STEM field? How would you go about changing it?
I would love to see more women and BIPOC in STEM. Right now, chemistry is a field that is dominated by men, which means that the majority of positions of power are held by men. While not impossible, in this environment it's more difficult for people in these minority categories to advance in their careers. I heard it once described as "not knowing the playbook" because we always feel like we are one step behind the men. I'm trying to fix this issue by traveling across the country, and recruiting scientists to join my STEM army. We are advocates for science and we try to show that anyone - and I mean anyone - can be a scientist.
Do you think it is harder for women to get jobs in STEM? If so, how would you advise women to create sustainable change within their workplace?
Yes. In general, my advice to young women interested in STEM is to study as much as possible, and to work harder than their peers. The interview process is incredibly competitive and in order to be the best candidate for the job, you need to be well read and have a solid understanding of basic scientific principles. If you've been studying for years, this will be easy to do! Once you have the job, be sure to use the slingshot method. Recruit younger women and "slingshot" them in front of you by setting them up for success (i.e. make it easier on the next generation of girls).
What goals do you want to accomplish within the next 3 years?
I would love to write more books. I have a lot of material that didn't make it into It's Elemental (Harper Collins) that I'm going to use in my next nonfiction book for adults. In addition, I would like to continue the Kate the Chemist kids series by writing a followup to the bestseller The Big Book of Experiments (Penguin).
Who was the most memorable professor in college? Why? (You can use an alias)
Dr. Vincent Pecoraro. He taught Group Theory, which is a super important course for inorganic chemists. I fell in love with the material, and he's one of the main reasons why I became an inorganic chemist. It sounds weird, but he used his body to actually show us how molecules move, and it was the first time that I could truly visualize some of the most challenging chemical processes. He was that goofy professor that didn't care if he looked silly while teaching, as long as you understood the concept. He's a treasure. □
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