STEAM Spark - Think STEAM Careers, Podcast with Dr. Olufade

Empowering Future Innovators: Dr. Amrita Madabushi's Mission to Transform STEM Education and Mentorship

• Dr. Ayo Olufade • Season 3 • Episode 1

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Speaker 1:

This is Dr Ayo Olufade. Welcome to STEAM Spark Think STEAM Career Podcast exploring the transformative power of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. This podcast today it's going to dive into how do you connect STEM students to careers in life science. That is going to be our conversation today, and today we are fortunate to be talking to an advocate, an ambassador, a founder, a creator, an innovator, a professor of biochemistry and biotechnology, Dr Mada Bushi. Not only is she an educator, she's also a founder, a founder of a company called Empower Bio. She has been presiding over that company for the past three years, once upon a time an associate director in the Office of Scientific Training at NIH, the National Institute of Health, she's taught at Johns Hopkins University. Currently she's a professor of biotechnology, so she teaches, trains and empowers individuals to find a career niche in the bioscience workforce.

Speaker 1:

If you wish to meet with her and collaborate with her, she can be found on LinkedIn. I will tell you that she is the nicest person to interact with and get to know. She has skills in molecular biology, cell biology and protein chemistry, with extensive experience working in DNA repair, so she has taught graduate students about technology. Please, I encourage you to reach out to her. Dr Madabushi, I will let you talk more about that, so I would like to introduce you right now. Dr Madabushi, please correct me in terms of your last name if I didn't pronounce it right. Last name if I didn't pronounce it wrong. Arab right. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, because I want to make sure I do good justice to who you are before we get into our conversation, please.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

You're welcome and should I address you as yeah, just address me as Ayo, please, yes, okay, yes.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, Ayo, You're welcome. I'm really humbled by the introduction. My name is Amrita Madabushi and you did say my last name correct, so thank you very much. You can just call me by my first name, Amrita.

Speaker 1:

Excellent.

Speaker 2:

You have actually shared a bit of my introduction. I'm a biochemist by training. I did my postdoctoral fellowship at University of Maryland, where I studied DNA repair relevant to my postdoctoral fellowship at University of Maryland, where I studied DNA repair relevant to colon cancer. After that, I chose to work at Baltimore City Community College. I think that's the place where a lot of students who are really in need come. The community college education can really transform their lives. As an adjunct when I realized that, it made me really determined to do that, to be a part of that, I was at ACCC for about eight years where I started two new programs in biotechnology certificate and I also did a number of things like biotech clubs or symposiums to make sure that students are not just learning but they're really excited. And community college students are just coming and going to learn in a class and we just wanted to make sure that students are not just learning but they're really excited. And community college students are just coming and going to learn in the class and we just wanted to make sure that they do that.

Speaker 2:

Following my eight years of journey there, I wanted to explore more on graduate education as my students went on to graduate education. I was fortunate to be part of NIH, specifically NIA National Institute on Aging, where I was associate director. I worked with about 350 to 400 postdoctoral and PhD trainees in neuroscience and aging and while I was doing that, I was helping them prepare for career transition. That kind of inspired me also to start my own venture. I can help anyone, not just where I'm affiliated. Anyone can reach out to me and I can support them. I transitioned recently to University of Maryland Global Campus. I'm really excited to be contributing to their mission and vision in ensuring that technology students are well prepared. That's pretty much about me. I do a bunch of other volunteering and leadership activities, but those are all on LinkedIn. That's what I can share about my professional journey.

Speaker 1:

You do a lot to serve the community. I'm really proud of you for doing that. To also see that you're a woman in STEAM I like to call it STEAM because we can't leave out the A. You're a woman of color in this field, where there aren't a lot of you. To see that you are doing the phenomenal work mentoring, training students, trying to inspire them to take an interest, to pursue interest in the life science and the career. That is really phenomenal. That tells a lot about you and I want to dig a little deeper to find out what really inspired you. Before we do that, I know that this week you gave a presentation at the Maryland Collegial STEM Conference. So what is it? You want to talk a little bit about it, please?

Speaker 2:

Sure, absolutely. Conferences are expensive. The registration fees can be anywhere from I don't know, $200 to $600 per person, right? So then, as faculty, we were sponsored and went to a conference in Atlanta. At that time, a couple of us had met from Maryland and then we were like this is a great conference, but our students don't get to come here. So we thought that we should do something that would translate for our students, because that's what matters to us. With that idea, we started in 20,.

Speaker 2:

We had our first conference in 2014, october in Montgomery Community College, and we called it Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference. It was specifically for STEM students and STEM faculty, so that they can get the opportunity to present, to network and to know what kind of next steps they have to do to get to the careers or their dream jobs. Since then, we are now on to our 10th Milestone Conference, which will be held on April 12th at Baltimore City Community College. It rotates and happens at different colleges. We have been relentlessly working for the last decade to make sure that our students have the opportunity to present and our faculty have the opportunity to network.

Speaker 2:

The student registration fee is as low as $10 to $15. I believe the late fee is $15. And then the faculty can come early. Registration is about $45. It is very cheap and sometimes covered by the college, and it is local. Maryland is not a big state and there are only 16 community colleges in the 24 counties that we have. We have representation from all 16 community colleges and we have had over 3,000 participants in the last 10 years. I would definitely say that we were at another conference called AFACT, which is for faculty of community colleges from all disciplines, and we presented our model there of Maryland Community STEM Conference. So that was our purpose of being there.

Speaker 1:

We have a shortage of STEM workers here in the United States. Programs like this will help us to close shortage gaps. Encouraging programs like this is vital to our economic survival and competition in the global market. I would like to encourage anyone with deep pockets to please support a program like this. Now you know a point of contact. You can talk to Marita. She's on LinkedIn. Connect with her. This goes a long way. I'm glad that you're here talking about a program like this, because until I met you, I didn't know that a program like this exists and we need to have more programs like this.

Speaker 2:

We probably want to replicate it at a high school level too. Someone like you who is coming with so much of experience from high school, you probably know that your students are really talented too, and they also do not go to some kind of conference where they can benefit, and maybe this is a model to replicate at different levels.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I would love to collaborate. We need more programs like this and we need more support, most especially parents, but the government and corporate. We need your support, please, we do. Amrita, what drives you? I see the passion, the dedication. What is the factor behind you doing what you're doing?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I would say that it started pretty early on. The first time I thought about a STEM career was when I was really little. My parents took me to watch the night sky from a telescope On the rooftop of the university. They both were teaching physics. I was a physics professor in India. When I saw the night sky I thought this is it. Maybe I should study the night sky, the topics. But it remained around the scientific world for a long time. Having models is very important. I feel I had role models before I knew what role models are. I had someone who would tell me, like my parents would tell me hey, this is fun, it's something we're always doing just because we need to get to a job. So that really drove me to where I am today, to be, honest and, of course, the journey is never alone.

Speaker 2:

A lot of mentors have come along the way, and my family has supported me in a way that has made this possible today.

Speaker 1:

Wow, Amazing. So your parents? I learned from talking to you before that you're the fourth generation educator in your family, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 2:

Yes, that is correct. My great grandfather was a teacher, so I'm a fourth generation teacher in my family. It's not like everyone in the family is a teacher, but I did not plan to be one. I have to be really honest with you. I wanted to be assigned in science, but not in teaching. The game changer was the first time I taught. I was really nervous. I'd never taken a single class in the country. I was only doing research, so I did not know what to expect. I did not know if the students would want to listen or they would ask questions that maybe I would not know the answer. And then what was I going to do as a teacher? I was supposed to know everything. Right, that's what I thought. So I went there. I have to admit that I prepared many hours for a two-hour lecture. I went there, I presented, I taught the class, I came out and I remember when I came out I had made up my mind. It was a life-changing moment. I taught the class, I came out and I remember when I came out I had made up my mind. It was a life-changing moment. I thought this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to be teaching. So it was a good moment for me, and my parents obviously had a huge role to play. They both had their own journeys and that was, of course, influencing me in certain ways, but I wasn't really sure about it till I actually did it myself. I think that's the thing, since I didn't think about it till that age, but I taught as an adjunct the first time.

Speaker 2:

Here I would urge others to explore. If you think of something, try it. Do not let it go. Maybe you want to go for nursing, and that's fine. I hear a lot of people want to go to nursing, but maybe you could to go for nursing, and that's fine. I hear a lot of people want to go to nursing, but maybe you could be a great doctor and maybe you could be a surgeon. So why don't you dream big? Maybe you want to explore those things. Talk to other people maybe a physical therapist, engineer or someone and if you do not know how to connect to them there's so many people know how to connect to them. There's so many people. I am here and we can help you connect to those people who can help you explore where you would excel, where you would find your energy and your talent best utilized, and for me that was teaching, and for you maybe that's something else.

Speaker 1:

Any regrets being a teacher, being an educator?

Speaker 2:

Not at all. Actually, when I was at NIH, I was a contractor. I chose to be that way because I didn't want to leave teaching and I'm really blessed that my supervisor let me teach. I think I have never stopped teaching since I started. If there is a gap, I think what am I supposed to do now? Even in the summer breaks, I'm like maybe I should have taught a class. It's something engraved now. I really love teaching.

Speaker 1:

Nice. You and I have something in common. My mother was an educator. She's retired now. The plan was never to be a teacher. I used to be a bench scientist, researcher.

Speaker 1:

When I left NIH as a contractor, I had to transition. I had a choice whether to join the military, which I almost did, or to go into nursing, as you've mentioned. Beautiful, wonderful career path if you choose to want to be in the health sciences. And then the other one was the accidental, which was education. So my mother invited me to come in to SOP because one of their science teachers had to move to Atlanta. Her husband got a job there, so I was in between jobs I decided to volunteer. 22 years later I'm still here. I remember when she asked me to come, I said be a middle school teacher, no, but I was fortunate. Dr Gibson Constance Gibbs that was our principal back then, Wonderful lady, she mentored me. She took me to many conferences. I'll never forget her. So that helped a lot. And, of course, my mother being a teacher, that helps a lot too. We have a lot in common, Amrita.

Speaker 2:

I am going to show you like a little. I do not have permission to share the screen Now you can the screen Now you can. Awesome. Let me see if I can expand it. Okay, yeah, so this was. This is a picture that I wanted to share, especially the one on the top and the bottom. That's my family and that's my parents, who are physics professors, and this award was really special for me because it was a community college teaching excellence award that I got in 2016. The picture is used in a more recent one.

Speaker 1:

Congratulations on that.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, it was a special one because it was a nice sort of award just given for teaching. But you're right that we have something in common. Teaching is not a career which a lot of people choose. Maybe there is a lot of work around it, maybe it's not that glorified, but truly, in a world where we think most openly, teaching should be the most glorified profession. What can be better than preparing the next generation to do everything possible in the world? What can be better than that? Probably nothing. Teaching should have its own. That will find a number of students who want to be teachers, and they really just want to do that.

Speaker 1:

I agree. What could be better than preparing the next generation? You articulated it beautifully Better than I can. So everyone out there, please, especially in the BIPOC community consider teaching. It will be profitable to you. Imagine the amount of life that you're touching.

Speaker 2:

Of course, everyone cannot be a teacher, but they can be a mentor. Maybe teaching is not for you and you really like to do other things, that's fine. But if you can find that person who and a lot of people in our generation are shy, they're not going to reach out to us and ask for help, but we know that. So why don't we reach out to them and say, hey, if you need help, reach out to me and I will help you, and then find the time to do that? And the mentoring piece is anyone can do anytime. I really believe that anyone can be a mentor. It could be in any field and, like you said, steam, and it could be outside STEAM. It could be humanities, english, it could be anything. You could mentor someone and say to them just a very simple thing Whenever you think there is a problem or you feel like you're not feeling the best, I'm here for you and we'll talk this out.

Speaker 1:

That's all it needs thank you so much, amrita. I appreciate that. So, talking about mentoring, let's talk bridging academic and the industry. Part of what you do it's connecting students to career paths out there. That's one of the major things that you do. You also have your own personal company called Empower Bio. You provide tailored training and career solution for students who are interested in biotechnology at the university, as well as postdocs, graduate students. You also serve as a collegial professor in the biotechnology program. I want to reconnect students with Biotechnology Company. Can you tell us a little bit about that and why is this collaboration so important? And how can educators including high school educators, middle school educators replicate what you're doing to prepare, to encourage, to inspire, to create an environment for our students to pursue that career?

Speaker 2:

First let me address my role in the capstone project and how it can be replicated. University of Maryland Global Campus and the biotechnology program. There are 1,100 students in the program. The bachelor's program has 350, the master's has 750 students approximately. The bachelor program mandates every student to do workplace learning or experiential learning at the company or research lab site, which means that they will have actual hands-on experience. The challenge is that it's a global university so our students can be anywhere in the United States, sometimes even further. The students have to find that internship and do that. The reason we mandate that is because students will want to have that learning experience, get their feet wet while they are studying, rather than when they head out to the job market and they do not know. Oh my God, how am I going to be doing my first job. So why don't you have that experience while you have it? And so we are actually working at this time on a grant to expand that academic industry collaboration in the region. Once that materializes then I think it'd be a good follow-up conversation I would love to share with you. So that would be for undergrads and it's a regional ecosystem building brand.

Speaker 2:

We are also working with master's students. In master's there are four concentrations. I work with biotechnology management students as a part of the capstone and it is completely online, the master's program. Not only it's affordable, it's completely online. So what the students do is that they work with representatives from local companies. In the past semester we had one medical device company, we had a cosmetics company and then we also had one company which makes the device to detect epilepsy. So those are devices.

Speaker 2:

So we work with these companies and the companies state a problem and we form a team of students who meet with the company representatives every week and keep working on that problem to help design a solution. What kind of problems? It could be regulatory in nature. Maybe they have a device or a molecule but, being a small company, they would benefit from an exact pathway on cost analysis and how much. What pathway to go through fda. It could be just marketing strategy and customer discovery, or it could be like getting some idea on manufacturing or other aspects of product development and market.

Speaker 2:

So the company states the problem, a problem doable in 12 weeks. Student teams work on those. They present a report we call it a recommendation report of about 100 pages and they share it with the company as to how they can do that pages and they share it with the company as to how they can do that, and I can tell you it has been beneficial because we have at least two companies that have been with us for three semesters and there's a lot of interest in the project because we it's beneficial for the students to get the real world experience nothing like that, because all the courses are online. This gives them the real experience and gives them the opportunity to put their experience into practice in a real world. Even if they work for different biotech companies, they have never worked for Seed Stage a startup, and startups are the one bringing in those diverse, sometimes change the world ideas.

Speaker 2:

It is important that they discover how to do that.

Speaker 1:

Excellent. Do you get, ever get any pushback from the industry? Are there challenges finding or working with corporate world?

Speaker 2:

Never pushback. It's a really welcome. It's a really very welcome scenario for us and for them. I would say it has been actually the other way around. We have been so fortunate to work with the companies that we have worked with. The company CEOs are very busy people, right, and for them to be able to attend the meetings and mentor those students, even when we have not specifically asked them to mentor, shows that they go above and beyond to do what they do. And the students go above and beyond because they realize that their mentors and the company CEOs are dedicated to their cause too. So it's a very win situation.

Speaker 2:

Students who are online do not get to always work in teams and with real world experience. Yes, I would say finding the right companies at the seed stage or startups is not always easy, and I do a lot of in-person networking and seek out different companies, ask them if they are willing to do it, but it takes time. But I can tell you it's worth all the time when it clicks for the company and for the students. There is nothing like it. You actually are making a difference. There was one company that launched the product while they were with us, so seriously.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and we also did pre-launch and post-launch support for them. It is something that I feel benefits the companies and the students. I feel like we are really fortunate and happy for all the support that we get from these companies. When you recede stage, there are only a couple of employees. Now you get five more people who are all masters in biotech, going to be masters, and who have years of experience working at their own companies, and they bring the wealth of knowledge and the willingness to work just like that for 12 weeks. What can be better than that?

Speaker 1:

maryland has a lot of biotechnology companies. Those kind of collaboration go a long way. Yes, how can an educational institution better prepare their students or connect industry? When I say educational institution, I'm thinking K-12, most especially the CTE school, the Korean Technical Education. So what can they possibly do to achieve the milestone, the accomplishment that you and your organization and University of Maryland have been fortunate in achieving?

Speaker 2:

For K-12, the level of engagement may be a little bit different and the type of engagement may be a little bit different, but there are things that are very much doable. I can give you some examples from the kind of things that I'm aware of and the networks that I'm aware of, and my focus would be again in Maryland, because that's where my base is. One of the things that I want to share is about a network called Bioeducators Network. I started a Bioeducators Network in 2020 and we do quarterly meetings, which is open to K-12 as well as open to. It's primarily for high schools at this time and also community college and universities. Basically, it's a mix of educators from three different levels high schools, community college, universities.

Speaker 2:

With that, we have had now about 14 or 15 meetings so far in the last four years. With that, what happens is that high schools that are working in silos get an opportunity to network with others. Now it's a biotech network, but we do have teachers from who are pndw or who are doing some of the other really nice things which are related to biotech. So I would say that the network is open to all. Betterland Bioeducators Network is on the LinkedIn. People can subscribe to that I regularly post what our updates are and we are planning to do more with that.

Speaker 1:

Excellent.

Speaker 2:

And, as more happens, I will definitely make sure to let you know so you can let your community know. You have a strong, big community that's behind you.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

That kind of follows you, so be happy to share more.

Speaker 1:

No problem, that is definitely one of the organizations that I wanted to join. Yes, the biggest challenge for me, covid, came. I tried not to be with a lot of group of people.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

All of that. So yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 2:

Completely understandable. So I think that would be one place. So, on the Maryland Bioeducators Network, the reason why I'm mentioning that is because we have also posted things that could be of use for teachers, like grants, workshops, opportunities to connect from industry, from government, from academia Whatever I see that could be relevant in this area is posted, and our meetings are mostly virtual. So I think that gives an opportunity for us to be able to meet virtually. We only meet physically at Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference, which I mentioned will be held in April. So that was one avenue.

Speaker 2:

The second way educators can do that is also through my company, empower Bio, but also through Women in Bio. So I am a co-vice chair of an organization called women in bio, and women in bio has opportunities specifically for making sure that women are supported in careers in life sciences. There are lots of people who we have about 200 members in dmv area, and there are lots of people who are passionate about doing this. There is young, young women in bio. So if there is something that you would like us to do, just reach out and we will try our best to make it happen in your area. That would be one of our goals. We are, at this time planning our yearly events, and we can easily try to incorporate that as well, wow.

Speaker 1:

It's good to know that, because women need a lot of support, especially in the science or STEM careers.

Speaker 2:

Women in Bio is a national organization with 13 chapters. Actually it's international 13 chapters, so we are actually the founding chapter for Women in Bio, and so we have 200 women very passionate about making a difference. The Young Women in Bio, specifically, would fit well with the high school team, and so we have 200 women very passionate about making a difference. The young women in bio, specifically, would fit well with the high school team, and so we would be happy to work with you. In fact, young women in bio has an ambassador program, and a person who is selected as an ambassador gets to do events at high school. That's another way to do that and that would be a way to bring so most a lot of members I would say more than 50 percent of the women members are from industry. You said how can we bring these things at high school?

Speaker 2:

yeah, if you connect with our big network, then maybe some of the women from there can come and speak with your students absolutely and tell them first of all what these careers are about.

Speaker 2:

maybe you could do a career panel, maybe you could invite people to an event and we could share with them, and actually I'm doing some of these as a part of my company and some of the high schools. Another way of doing it is like getting all the career navigators or career counselors together for a one-day event and maybe apprising them of the things that can be done and, once they are aware that they can follow up and they can basically have that ripple effect, to be able to translate it to the students absolutely because it's hard to do alone.

Speaker 2:

Educators are really busy people. Yeah, they have so much. You all have so much in hand and there's so much of like just like class management, classroom management homework daily stuff you need to do.

Speaker 1:

We could all use a lot of support and, yeah, we could use that absolutely. You and I definitely will connect with this.

Speaker 1:

I'm very much interested because we need to amplify yes representation, and I believe that one of the biggest challenge for women is the support. But now, knowing that there is more support out there, I think that's a big deal. Let me do a quick icebreaker. Thank you so much. I'm taking some of your time. There's a lot that I want to talk to you about, but I'm not sure we are going to cover all of them. But let's do a little icebreaker and then we can go from there. How will you classify yourself? Are you a nerd or are you not? I ask you this question because of my own personal experience as an educator. I know many of our students don't like to be considered nerd. I know many of our students don't like to be considered nerd. Sometimes, when a student is brilliant, sharp, focused.

Speaker 2:

You know, in the class you hear some students say you nerd? I would say that I think there is. So first of all, what is a nerd? I think that nerd is someone who is super smart or knowledgeable, maybe in specific areas, and sometimes they could be socially like, maybe a little bit awkward, maybe introvert or socially awkward in certain ways. So that way there is, that way there is a negative connotation attached to it, but if you see the positive side he being like super smart or something, that's a good thing.

Speaker 2:

So I, what I try to be, I try to be my real self every day. I just try to be not drawn into getting too excited about. Of course I get excited about everything, it's not like that. But I don't try to put myself into some kind of a pedestal, whether low or high, I try to say to myself hey, every day I get up and what excites me most and what keeps me going, and so just be my real self. And that way I did not have to. If I did not have any other tag, then I did not have to. I guess I don't want to use the word pretend, but I could be just doing what I think I can do the best and I think that is easy for me, just having that good version of myself and maybe trying to be better every day. I think that's how I feel. I'm not sure if I answered your question.

Speaker 1:

No, you did beautifully. You did beautifully. I don't think one heart fits all with your personality. If you go with the definition that you gave, it seems like maybe one of the negative is a nerd is reclusive themselves. But definitely you're not reclusive, but you're pretty smart.

Speaker 2:

You're very smart yeah, I would say my biggest asset was like I think I just keep going. What all can I do today? Basically, it boils down to that and I'm not trying to say that I'm some kind of.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I get it. I get it and I think that is very encouraging for younger generation students to hear that that nerd can be many things right, but the most beautiful part of it is that you love something, you're passionate about something. You get up and you pursue your interests, your desire, the things that empowers you, the things that makes you, and I think it's good to hear that. So you answered it very beautifully.

Speaker 2:

I want to say one thing one small thing about this. Yes, ma'am I think one of the reality checks was when one of the biochemists got the nobel prize in 2023. Her name is kathleen carrico yes she got the nobel prize. Her contributions to developing the mRNA vaccine, the technology that was used in the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yes.

Speaker 2:

If you see her life journey so many ups and downs, including being driven out of her lab, going from here to there to get some, funding a lot of different things and raising a child all of that. So the reason I mentioned that is that person really qualifies to be a nerd. God the Nobel Prize has to be the nerdiest person like, literally on earth. But if you see her life journey, it feels like she probably doubted herself at different points or not doubted herself, but she probably has her own set of hurdles. She persisted through it, believed in herself, went to lab every day, did her work and when we really needed it, we really actually the world made it with her. And there's another person who was a person, our collaborator, and we got the vaccines because of that.

Speaker 2:

So the key, I think, is more like believing in yourself and persisting. Some people are just naturally gifted and others are not, and that's fine.

Speaker 1:

I like that commentary and I love how you articulated that, because women most especially deal with what we call the imposter syndrome.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

And, wow, what you said was beautiful and I thank you so much for that example. I wanted to ask you another question. If you have the opportunity of meeting a famous person and then you want to have a dinner with a famous person, who will it be and why?

Speaker 2:

That would be her definitely Okay, because her journey, having been at NIH for three and a half, four years and seeing, and, of course, my own journey through postdoctoral and scientific those, the journey to becoming a scientist and creating a product that helps humanity, I think, is the ultimate goal for a lot of people in science. Right, it's, it goes without saying. I heard it from hundreds of postdoc, day after day, month after month, year after year what do you want to do? Well, I'm going to have my own lab and create something which is builds and change changes like the world. In a certain way, my answer to your question who would I want to have dinner with the person? Is very much alive, and that is Katalin.

Speaker 1:

Kariko the.

Speaker 2:

Hungarian-American biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in 2023. And just seeing her ups and downs since COVID happened, people realized and she had already developed the technology along with her collaborator we all could have the vaccine like that real quick and we could all have that applied to that. But her journey was difficult, really difficult, including sleeping in the lab. It resonated with me. I have been in the lab when I was doing my PhD. I was working on protein crystals and so when the crystal was on a machine, you got to stay in the lab at night and sleep there. You can't just leave, wow. So that raising a kid who really went on to be like a gold medalist, like Olympic gold medalist, which is talking about her personal and professional journey for not just me but for others would be one of the most empowering experiences.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well done. I really appreciate that answer. So for the sake of time, I'm going to leave the other question for another time. The other question that I wanted to ask you is to do with students actually empowering and career development. What advice will you give to a young girl who dreams of pursuing a career in bioscience or life science but feel intimidated by the challenge?

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So I think that's a really important question. The world today is very complex and confusing and, first of all, there are lots of social distraction itself, even if someone is by themselves, there's lots of social media distraction, which can easily consume a lot of time and not lead to the right path, right path. So I think the first thing that I want to say is not to be driven by fear of will I do well, fear of how much can I do or will I be able to succeed, but I believe that be driven by what is already within them, driven by the curiosity and wonder, and driven by power, the power to believe in themselves. So I think the most important thing is to watch whatever you want to watch and do whatever you want to do. But it's important not to compare your journey with others. Journey, live your own journey and believe that it will lead to something good.

Speaker 2:

Now, by good I do not mean any awards, I do not mean the designated position or title that will all come. What I mean is something more bigger than that, something like I want to be. Let's say they want to be. Let's say they want to be a veterinarian, and that's fine, that's a great goal and maybe you have that day where you saved an animal's life, or maybe you know that, maybe you are, I don't know. Maybe you designed something, you engineered something which helps people go on space travel or do something else which I don't know, maybe explore the depths of an ocean or save some species or whatever.

Speaker 2:

I don't know what that is, but not everything may lead to not going for like tangible or monetary. Those are great things, those will all come, but to be driven by power in yourself and by the wonder of things that they see, one of the most important things they can do is connect with people. Networking is so important, especially with all the social media, I don't think we still do good networking. So anyone who, like we have already discussed, connect with you or me and we can connect them with the people that they would draw more encouragement, inspiration from. So if you feel low, don't be by yourself. Ask someone hey, did you have a low moment? Oh, my god, I will tell you 100 low moments, and that's fine, everyone would have that, but then you would out of it because you have the power to do it yeah and I always tell kids whenever they say something is difficult.

Speaker 2:

I see you write these paragraphs and essays and all of these, especially to my own children. I'll tell them they're grown up at this time, but tell them you did start from abc right, so while you were not knowing, you learned so much. Imagine what you can do now and prepare yourself for your future self. Don't think what I'm gonna do now. Think how can I best prepare. When I get there I would be a changed person. I'm just gonna ask you did you think 10 years ago this is what you would be doing today? Not the podcast. I'm saying like where you are. Like you said, you didn't think you would be an educator no let's put 20 years ago.

Speaker 2:

So if you think that you didn't want to be that, but you are here because you prepared your future self to embrace and to be ready for whatever comes your way and you're just going to win wherever you go. You shared with me. You went here and there, but you were a winner all the way along, just because you are ready to be a lifelong learner.

Speaker 1:

For us educators, including you. What advice will you give to educators on how to inspire and empower young women to see themselves as leaders and innovators in STEM? I want to stress that leader, because we know that there is a shortage of women in leadership and, by the way, that needs to change and I'm glad that it's changing, based on one of my discussions with Katty. So women now are creating or founding their own companies, their own organization. They're being leaders now. It's good to see comparable to many years ago, but we still have a low representation of women in leadership and part of this could also be because women are intimidated. But now we're preparing the young women, the next generation. How can educators inspire the younger generation to see themselves as leaders and to inspire them?

Speaker 2:

that's a very important question. I would say that I think if you asked me this question last year, my answer would have been a little bit different from what I would share today. I did a program with maryland leadership, maryland called emerging leaders program, where we had a cohort of about 40 people participating oh yeah, I saw that you posted that on linkedin.

Speaker 1:

I remember it so clearly yeah, so congratulations by the way, thank you you're welcome yeah, so I'm the reason I'm sharing.

Speaker 2:

that is one of the most important things that I learned there is you do not have need to have a position to be a leader. You can be a leader because you have an important cause and you want to make sure that you are doing something about it. So you are a leader. Right, I'm not a vice president, i'm'm not an executive whatever committee member, so I cannot be a leader. You are a leader when you decide you're going to lead a cause, a lead a purpose, and that's what it is about. It's about leadership journey is different for different people, but I would think more on the lines of what is that important work and what is that important cause that I can do for others? And remember that if you are thinking that you probably are in a more privileged position already, because not everyone in the world is in that position A lot of people are just thinking how can they get their next meal or how can they get education? If you think, oh my God, till I don't get to a certain position, then I cannot make a difference. You already know that's not true In today's day and age. You can just make a difference.

Speaker 2:

So one of the best ways of doing it is contact another person who's a leader right, and ask them for mentorship and have your own I don't know whether you can use the word advisory board, that's what we were told. Have your own personal advisory board or your personal like a cheerleading group, right people who are always there to support you. And that could be anyone. That could be people at your home, that could be people outside your home. Whenever you have a you a doubt about something or you want to discuss something, you go to this person and say, hey, I would like your opinion on this matter and ask them. I saw a person who is in TEDCO Her name is Tammy Thomas, and I asked her if she would be willing to support, and so she became my mentor in this leadership journey.

Speaker 2:

So seek your mentors. Nothing is going to come automatically. You can embark on your own journey. You can also seek mentors. You will be surprised how many people really want to make a difference. So don't. I just want to say don't feel shy, and if you have found a cause, it could be anything. It could be small, it could be big, it could range from making difference in one person's life If you made a difference in one person's life, that's fine, and if you made a difference in a million people's life, it just starts with one step.

Speaker 1:

Excellent, excellent said. So two more questions, then we can wrap it up. So we're still on students empowering and career development. What skills and I ask this question deliberately. Some students may feel I don't have that skill, so therefore I can't do it. So what skills do you believe are the most critical for success in bioscience today? How can young professionals develop them?

Speaker 2:

developed them, so in bioscience. So there is basically two set of skills. One is the technical skills, which is to the specific domain, wherever they're working, and the other one is the sort of professional skills that you need to work anywhere, like it could be bioscience or it could be to work anywhere. It could be bioscience or it could be beyond bioscience. So I would say that the bioscience industry is rapidly evolving. It's not only just on the students but also on the teachers and the educational institutions to evolve as they are evolving, and teach those technical skills. Hands-on experience technical skills, whether it's in lab or it's outside the lab, it's definitely important.

Speaker 2:

All of these can be clubbed into a single terminology transferable skills. Whether you're going from education to workforce, whether you're going from biochemistry to, let's say, say, immunohistology, what kind of skills are you going to be taking? Okay, that looks like some part of the cell cultures are similar. I know I need to learn a little bit of fluorescence microscopy, but I know how to learn this. I know this kind of microscopy, so I'm pretty sure I can do that. So teaching students that these are not absolute skills, but these skills are something that you can use at another place, in a job, in an internship or in a dire situation where all the world was working on COVID right.

Speaker 2:

I think that's most important taking those transferable skills forward. And those transferable skills might evolve with time, with AI, with machine learning coming into. So I think there is a window of professional development opportunities for educators to apprise themselves and for the, of course, for the higher authorities to think that are their educators well-equipped and well-trained to make the students prepared and be ready to change that curriculum a little bit. Maybe not, it's not like dramatic change every single time you meet, but reminding the students that these are transferable skills. And, yes, if you got it here, and tomorrow when you're going to use a new microscope, a new pipette or a new incubator, you're going to be just fine.

Speaker 1:

Excellent. Last question If you had to write a letter to yourself as a younger person, like, at times, writing a letter to your younger self at the start of your career, what advice will you give yourself? Advice will you give yourself Most especially. It pertains to AI, the artificial intelligent. We're in the age of artificial intelligence.

Speaker 2:

I think that's a very current question, also because AI has recently in 2022, is when the chat GPT started. I'm a new learner to that is when the chat GPD started. I'm a new learner to that. I think the essential human instinct is being intrigued by things around you. The reason why human race has survived is being intrigued, being persistent and being able to adapt to change the world. So if I was to talk to my younger self, I would just tell myself to naturally be curious and don't doubt myself too much a little bit maybe, but don't doubt myself too much and just believe in what I'm doing and be ready to explore a lot, a lot, because the more you explore, the more you know. Wow, the world is changing and there are things that are happening.

Speaker 2:

For example, one of the things that I would tell the postdocs to do and of course, that's at a higher level and I tell even undergrads to do is be in the job market. Not because you need a job, because you come to know of the changing world of job market. It's okay, I'm not looking for a job at this time, but I'm always looking at the job market, how it is looking, to know what skills would best prepare my students and best prepare. So that's what I would say. Maybe if it is a very younger self. I would just say Maybe. If it is a very younger self, I would just say don't stress too much, just be curious and think every day are you enjoying what you are learning? And if you are doing that and you're not being a lot on social media, I think you're going to be fine. You should be on the social media.

Speaker 1:

I'm not saying cut yourself off, but not being excessive.

Speaker 2:

It depends on who you're going to be fine, you should be on the social media.

Speaker 1:

I'm not saying cut yourself off, yeah, but not being excessive. Well, it depends on who you're talking to. We, the teachers, don't Students spend too much time on social media, so we would like to reduce that.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes, of course, but I would just think that basic instincts would go along with the human species and we should really wholeheartedly realize and embrace them.

Speaker 1:

I like that. So, with that said, I would like to thank you. My conversation with you has been quite enlightening. I learned a lot today and I'm hoping that our audience will take a lot away from our conversation this afternoon. Your wealth of experience, your upbringing, region, education and career path, empowering women I've never heard of the did you say board of directors when it comes to having support systems?

Speaker 2:

It's called personal board of directors. Have's called personal board of directors have your own personal board of directors. Have you thought about who is in your personal board?

Speaker 1:

I've never heard that until today, so I learned that from my daughter that is in college right now. I'm going to share that with her tonight. That will go a long way. I just want to thank you. I see we have a lot in common, and any way in which I can make a difference, can empower you, helping you reach your mission goal as it pertains to women empowerment and bridging education and career paths, please let me know, but it is a blessing to have you on this platform today. Is there anything that we missed, that you truly wanted to share, that you want the world to know before we say goodbye?

Speaker 2:

I want to thank you for your time and I want to wish your venture a lot of success. Thank you, I hope you have not 10, not 100, but thousand fold people listening to you and your ideas and what all you bring to us.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much. Everyone would like to encourage all of you to please reach out to Amarita Madabushi. As you can see, I was not joking when I say she's a factor to connect with Amarita. She has a lot of knowledge. She's gone through a lot of things that you're going through, so she has a way in which she can help you, and she can also help you connect with the industry. Again, my name is Dr Ayo Lofade. I'm the host of STEAM Spark STEAM Career Podcast. I would like to thank you for listening and watching. Please subscribe to this podcast if you like what we're bringing to you, and we'll love suggestions too. I don't know it all. We don't know it all, but maybe there are other topics that you want us to cover in the field of STEAM. Thank you, amarita. Have a good day everyone. Bye.

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Dr. Ayo Olufade, Ph.D

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