Ordinarily Extraordinary - Conversations with women in STEM
We’re Kathy Nelson and Linda LaTourelle — co-hosts of Ordinarily Extraordinary: Conversations with Women in STEM.
Kathy, an electrical engineer, launched the podcast in 2020 to share real, unfiltered stories of women working across STEM disciplines. Now with over 130 episodes, the mission remains the same: to amplify the voices of ordinary women doing extraordinary work in science, technology, engineering, and math.
We’re deeply committed to:
- Normalizing the presence of women in STEM by making their stories visible
- Building community for women who may be the only ones like them in their workplace
- Educating listeners about the wide variety of STEM careers — and what they actually look like
- Empowering growth and retention by addressing the challenges behind the leaky pipeline
From early-career professionals to experienced leaders, our guests share how they got started, how they’ve grown, and what they’ve learned along the way. This podcast is a space where women in STEM can be seen, heard, and supported — because representation isn’t just powerful, it’s essential.
Ordinarily Extraordinary - Conversations with women in STEM
132. Fae Gaze, Mathematician, Data Scientist, and Machine Learning Researcher
Fae Gaze is a mathematician, data scientist, and machine learning researcher with degrees in mathematics, molecular biology, computer science, and data science engineering. She shares her journey into the world of math, data science, and machine learning and discusses the joy she finds in problem-solving and working with data.
The conversation also touches on mental health, the importance of breaking down complex challenges, and how algorithms can be applied in research and life. Fae’s inspiring perspective highlights the beauty of math in everything from nature to decision-making and offers encouragement for those intimidated by the field.
What do we talk about in this episode?
- Fae’s STEM Journey: Fae’s early love for math and puzzles led her into data science and machine learning. Her educational path includes degrees in math, molecular biology, and computer science.
- New Job & Kaggle Competitions: Fae discusses her current role as a machine learning researcher and her work in predictive analysis, time-series data, and her involvement in Kaggle AI/ML competitions.
- Breaking Down Complex Problems: Fae emphasizes the importance of breaking large, intimidating problems into smaller, manageable steps, which she applies both in her research and personal life.
- The Joy of Math: Fae shares how math brings her joy and explains how the logic behind math can simplify life’s challenges.
- Mental Health & Math’s Impact: Fae explores how math and its principles, like building backup plans and creating algorithms, can help manage anxiety and uncertainty.
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
You can support my podcast on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/user?u=72701887
Resources:
The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) in New York City
Connect with Fae Gaze
