As the Twitter Engagement Director (2019-2020), I increased the visibility of the many faces in STEM by highlighting the work, diverse backgrounds, and journeys of different scientists from ALL over the world. Because no two scientists have the same story.
I organized a panel session for SXSW titled STEM Needs Diversity and Inclusion: Why It Matters. While the panel was not picked, it received lots of positive feedback.
“Can you name five living scientists? Do they look alike, sound alike, are only celebrity scientists or historical figures? As you’ve guessed, STEM has not just a PR problem. It also a diversity problem, which creates a problem when someone different shows up at the table. In a world where people struggle to name a living scientist or view scientists in a certain way, science loses from a diversity of thought and discourse that can influence STEM culture. STEM professionals are ALL around us, and they don’t always behave or look like the archaic description that society portrays. Meet the scientists who are not just talking the talk but walking the walk. They are changing the face of STEM by leading online communities and lifting marginalized voices in new ways.”
Takeaways
- The voices we need to hear the most are those silenced due to a lack of resources: LGBT, disability, low-income, immigrants, etc.
- We should create an atmosphere that helps others realize that their self-identity should never be a determining factor in the STEM career they choose.
- The image of how a scientist ‘should’ behave and look continues to follow an archaic description: Social media is helping to change that each day.
Speakers
- Christine Liu, Co-Founder, Two Photon Art
- Efra Rivera-Serrano, Ph.D., Founder, Unique Scientists
- Prasha Sarwate Dutra, MechE, Founder and Host, Her STEM Story
- Sophie Okolo, MPH, Founder, Global Health Aging
Sophie Okolo, MPH 
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