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About Beata Mierzwa Beata Mierzwa studies how human cells divide and shares the beauty of science through art and fashion. Her postdoctoral research aims to advance the world’s understanding of cell division and improve cancer therapy. Beyond her academic career, Beata creates science-themed drawings and clothes. Her hand-drawn illustrations use metaphor to portray scientific concepts in intuitive ways, while her microscopy fashion celebrates the beauty of the molecular world. She also created a science video game, Microscopya, that invites players to explore the beauty inside our cells. Through her AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadorship for science outreach and her work with Young Women in Bio – Southern California, she aims to inspire creative students to pursue careers in STEM. For more information, please visit www.beatascienceart.com or follow @beatascienceart on social media. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? The most important thing that I learned is that it’s never too late to try new things and do what you’re passionate about. When I was in high school I loved both science and art, but I thought I needed to choose between these passions. It took me many years to realize that I can combine them, and I would have never dreamt that one day I would be able to use art to communicate science and inspire students to pursue careers in STEM. Though starting a new endeavor can feel challenging, I learned that there is no point in waiting until you feel ‘ready’, but rather to take one step at a time and be open to new opportunities. I also learned the huge impact that role models can have on someone’s life and future career. Though I always loved both art and science, I didn’t have a role model when I was younger to demonstrate that combining them was a possibility. I want to make sure that girls with unique passions have access to role models that highlight diverse careers in STEM so that they can find paths where they can thrive as their unique selves. What has been a critical factor in your success? Two critical factors have been connecting with the community and being open to opportunities. Sharing my work with others and making connections has led to lots of unexpected opportunities – from lab internships abroad to drawing mission patches for research in space, and even creating a video game! Almost all of these projects have brought me out of my comfort zone and have taught me so much. I try to treat each project as a learning opportunity, remembering that challenges are part of the process and that each of them might open up new and exciting opportunities. What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? Whatever your dream is – whether it’s science, art, or combining your own unique passions – I want to encourage you to treat your passions like a fun experiment that can lead to exciting adventures and maybe even a new career. Be open to new opportunities and take one step at a time. Connect with like-minded people and reach out to your role models and mentors. There is no need to hesitate to ask for advice or support from people who inspire you. Most of them will be happy to support you, but they can only help you if you reach out and connect with them. And remember that no dream is too big to pursue. Being a scientist doesn’t need to be an all-encompassing definition of who you are, you can have fantastical ideas, fascinating hobbies, and still be an amazing scientist as well!

About Siobahn Grady Siobahn is the first woman Computer Science Ph.D. graduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (2018). She is an Assistant Professor of Information Science/Systems in the School of Library and Information Science at North Carolina Central University and an Office e-Learning Faculty Fellow at North Carolina Central University. Her research focuses on utilizing machine learning to identify sources of misinformation on social media and toward improving fault detection in autonomous vehicles. Dr. Grady advocates increasing the number of women and minorities in computer science. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? I have learned and continue to learn numerous lessons throughout my STEM journey. One significant lesson that I have learned is trusting and appreciating the journey. When I think about all that I have been through to get to this very point in my career, the ups and downs were paramount to building my character. My past experiences prepared me for my future in STEM. Although the downs were often grim, they taught me resilience. Possessing resilience and tenacity have allowed me to push through those moments in my STEM journey, ultimately leading me to my breakthroughs. What has been a critical factor in your success? Having a solid work ethic has been crucial to my success. Over the years, a quote has stuck with me: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard" by Tim Notke. Success isn't resting on your laurels. To be successful, you must continuously strive. What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? Keep striving! The work you do today will result in the rewards you benefit from in the future.

About M. Nia Madison Dr. M. Nia Madison earned her B.S in biology with honors from East Texas Baptist University in 2000 and her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences, summa cum laude, from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN in 2008. She is an associate professor of microbiology, general biology and anatomy and physiology at Miami Dade College, Homestead Campus in South Florida where she is also the Director of HIV research. Her research focus is on elucidating the identities of host-derived inhibitors and enhancers of HIV infectivity. She mentors undergraduate research interns in HIV research, laboratory techniques and research philosophy each semester. She utilizes her teaching platform to guide students on how to decrease their carbon footprint, decrease climate change and increase sustainability. She is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization 24/7 STEAM Works, Inc. She annually hosts a STEAM workshop for 5-12th grade girls featuring research and lecture components by STEAM-oriented, professional women as part of her goal to diversify STEAM fields and inspire young girls to undertake STEAM education and earn a terminal degree followed by a STEAM oriented career. She is the winner of the Faculty of the Year Award, the service learning rookie of the year award, the MDC President’s Excellence award, the MDC President’s Innovation Award, The AAUW STEM Ambassadorship, the Bob Graham Distinguished Faculty Award from the Florida College System Activities Association and the East Texas Baptist University, Young Alumnus Award. Her objectives also include establishing a legacy of generational wealth for under-served, marginalized and minoritized communities. In her private time, she enjoys reading, traveling, exercising and spending time with her husband of 17 years and their 6-year-old daughter. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? There will be peaks and valleys in your education and in your career and in your life in general. Embrace them all. A valley is a launching pad to a higher peak, the lessons you learn in the valleys make you more resilient, determined and ambitious. Nothing worth having in life is easily obtained, it is how your respond (not react) to the valleys that matters most. You will certainly reach your peaks with a well thought out strategy for relentlessly pursuing your established goals and objectives in life. Set your eyes on the prize and don’t let life’s distractions detour you. Recognize that sometimes failures are blessings in disguise. They are like detour signs alerting you to avoid a pitfall, take a shortcut or take the road less travelled to reach your goal. If it is meant for you, it will be yours in divine purpose and divine timing, just do your work to pursue the goal. Also, you don’t have to be a math wiz to be a professional in the technology, science or engineering fields. When you plot your data into an excel file it does the math and statistics for you. Know how to operate Microsoft excel and other software and take a statistics course. If you are not good at math, don’t let that stop you from pursuing the career of your dreams. What has been a critical factor in your success? A bucket list/list of goals I developed since I was a teenager and a plan to pursue those goals has been critical to my success as well as ambition, resilience, determination and mentors/role models. My mother and my great grandmother are my role models. My mother, Mary Madison, is a missionary, a minister, a counselor, a community activist and a philanthropist. She is also an entrepreneur and the President of Children & Families First, a nonprofit organization she founded in 2004. Children and Families First has as its mission to promote positive healthy family relationships through life skills coaching, mentoring, literacy, health initiatives and scholarships. She helps families at risk for homelessness by providing parenting workshops, coaching women to set goals great and small that will move the individual and families forward self-sufficiency. She finds resources that will help families with budgeting, finding child care, locating employment and developing social skills that promote positive growth in the market place. Children & Families First has orchestrated community volunteers to come together to serve hot healthy meals to over 10,000 people. My mom was first in her family to get a college degree and now she has a bachelor’s, two masters and many licensures and certifications. She is the sweetest, kindest, most selfless person I have ever met and she taught me to treat others how I wish to be treated and to honor God by service to mankind. My great grandmother, Dr. Lena Edwards Madison, was a gynecologist and obstetrician, a teacher and a philanthropist, who received the Medal of Freedom, the government's highest civilian honor, in 1964 for her medical services to migrant laborers in Texas. She used her own savings and raised money to build a maternity hospital and provide medical care to the migrant workers so that they would no longer have to give birth to their babies in the fields where they worked. She accomplished so many things during a time of social and civil injustice and segregation in the US. She taught me that I have tall shoulders to stand on and that if she could accomplish her divine purpose in life during such challenging times in the world, I can certainly accomplish my goals too. What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? If you are interested in STEM but don’t know what field to pursue or if you will be good at it, think about what your interests are, review YouTube videos about what different people in STEM do for a living, determine whether you would like to do something along those lines, seek out opportunities to get experience in that field by volunteering, applying for internships/fellowships and participating in STEM camps. You can enroll in free summer/winter/after-school camps and programs to get some hands-on experience and network, apply for fellowships, internships or shadowing experiences. Ina shadowing experience you follow a professional around during his/her workday observing the actions and skills required in their field. This is an effective and cost-effective way for students to gain relevant ‘real-world’ experience prior to completing college. To get shadowing experience, find out what field you are interested in, do some research online to find out who is practicing that field near you and call them or send them an email to introduce yourself and ask if you can shadow them. You can also look at virtual job shadowing video’s online (but you don’t get to network that way) or go to https://www.virtualjobshadow.com/ or https://www.prehealthshadowing.com/. Furthermore, in high school, participate in clubs, camps, fellowships, internships, volunteering/community service and shadowing experiences in the sciences to make you a well-rounded candidate for college, get a bachelor’s degree in the sciences, you can go straight into a doctoral program which I recommend (instead of getting a master’s degree first, which is optional), consider a dual MD/PhD degree (I highly recommend this, it gives you more job options, more money and more prestige), after grad/med school do a postdoctoral fellowship and or medical residency to solidify your experience. If you can handle school and work, make sure the job you have during school is in line with your future career choice and it is giving you experience in that field. For example, if you want to be a scientist you can start out as a lab technician or lab assistant while you are earning your degree. It is never too late to decide or to change your mind. The earlier you decide the better, which is why I recommend shadowing experiences so you can get exposure to the career field you think you want. You may change your mind after a few days of shadowing a person who actually does what you think you want to do. Regardless, it is never too late. Let’s say most people live to be 80-90 years old and you are 16. That means you potentially have at least 64 years to perfect your skills. For that reason, don’t be turned off by spending 12 years to get training for a PhD or MD. You are going to be 12 years older anyway, you should spend those years doing something productive and perfecting your trade/skills. You don’t want to change your career every year for 64 years. By shadowing you can avoid too many career shifts and lock down a career that makes you happy, bring s your life joy and purpose, pays you very well, offers many benefits, has job security, etc.

About Kim Swennen Kim Swennen's adventurous career path has included everything from walking Hollywood red carpets and performing in London theatre to teaching girls to code in Namibia and engineering at Google. Kim received her MS in Computer Science from UCLA in 2014, after having earned a BA in Theatre Studies from Yale and a Masters in Classical Acting in London. Before her life as an engineer, she spent almost a decade in Hollywood as an actress, starring in a number of stage productions and appearing in many popular TV shows like Gilmore Girls, Mad Men, Chuck, and NCIS:LA. She is now a Senior Software Engineer at Google, where she worked on YouTube Channel Subscriptions for many years and now works on Google Arts and Culture in London. Kim is also passionate about inspiring young girls and underrepresented boys to explore and engage with STEM. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? I used to be terrified of breaking things, but I've learned that "failure" or "mistakes" can actually be a valuable part of the iterative process. They often indicate that you've pushed outside your comfort zone to try something new or less familiar, and as long as you learn from them, they're a critical step in growing as an engineer and in making a system better. Being a software engineer does not imply the stereotypes prevalent in the media. For example, it's so much more collaborative than I imagined and - although there's still a long way to go - so much more diverse. I used to think that if I didn't want to go home and write a compiler for fun in my spare time, I would never be able to "hack it" as an engineer. But engineers have all kinds of interests, backgrounds, and individual strengths, and all are vital to building great things. Lastly, a lot of other people have impostor syndrome too! :) What has been a critical factor in your success? My curiosity and drive to understand things in depth have been essential in my success as a software engineer. In school, I was deeply committed to making sure I could wrap my head around the details and the underlying patterns in what I was learning, and that (sometimes arduous) mining for "aha!" moments created a strong foundation on which I could then build in the industry. What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? Be curious and ask a lot of questions! Liberally ask for help/mentorship/guidance - most people will be generous in their encouragement and assistance if they know what you need. And of course... test your code :)

About Sarah Wilson Sarah Wilson is an interdisciplinary engineer with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines and an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Denver. Her career has spanned professional skiing to sports biomechanics to agricultural robotics to data engineering. As a person who is curious about lots of different topics, Sarah has embraced her tech career to transition between different industries and never get bored. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? There’s a lot of talk in STEM right now about ‘embracing failure’ and learning from it. I’ve always struggled with the word failure, and instead have chosen to reframe challenging moments around the small wins. Did I learn what didn’t work, or how to do it better next time? Did I increase performance from a baseline or average, even if it didn’t hit the goal I set? When I pivoted from academic research into the startup world, I struggled for several months because my definition of success was much more in line with an environment that checks its statistics eight times before publication while scouring data for the minutest trends. I couldn’t keep up with the pace of startup life until I adjusted my definition of success to mean, “I got 6 hours of sleep and ate three meals and didn’t get hurt even though a robot caught on fire today.” That battery wasn’t a failure - my team got better at managing crises, and we all learned something about electrical systems, and now we know how to prevent these situations in the future. What has been a critical factor in your success? The most critical factor in my success has been my courage to speak up when things aren’t working for me, and to ask directly for what I need to thrive. While there are certainly many incredible leaders out there in the science and engineering space, there are also plenty who have been promoted for their technical skills rather than their leadership abilities - who don’t always intuitively know what their employees need. By directly asking for specifics – like to be able to work from home one day a week, to work on specific types of projects, to adjust the field travel schedule to accommodate personal needs, to structure check-in meetings in a certain way, to work with specific mentors on specific teams – I have been able to thrive faster and set a precedent for my teammates to also be able speak up about what is or isn’t working for them. It can be uncomfortable and scary to say “I need X to be successful here,” but it rarely ends poorly (and if it does, it’s probably not a company culture worth sticking around for). What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? Do what you love, but when what you love changes, don’t be afraid to change with it. It can be exhilarating, highly rewarding, and extremely productive to work on projects that overlap with your personal passions, but be cautious about tying your professional identity to any one job title or company. Especially if you’re someone with a track record of changing your mind or being curious about solving different kinds of problems, your role and your employer are likely to change over the course of your career. Redefining your sense of self can be a lot harder than just finding a new job.

About Paula Garcia Todd Paula Garcia Todd has made significant contributions in drug delivery through her work at Dow Chemical, DuPont, and now IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances) for the past 19 years. She is a Global Strategic Marketing Manager at IFF, responsible for a $500 million portfolio of pharmaceutical ingredients. She is originally from Brazil, born from Chilean parents, so she has contributed to helping Latinas like herself going into STEM fields. For her devoted work in STEM outreach, Paula received a “Woman of the Year in Engineering” award by Women in Technology and a “Luminary award” by Great Minds in STEM. Paula holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. She and her husband have 3 children and live in Georgia. What lessons have you learned in your STEM journey? I have been surprised by the career pivots and twists that a solid engineering background has allowed me to take. I never pictured myself as a marketer, without ever pursuing my MBA, but my technical background has proven to be very valuable in these market-facing roles. After many years in production and doing research, I stepped into marketing and realized how valued it was to understand our customers and products in the pharmaceutical space and work in a function that allows our business to grow by influencing our innovation pipeline. A career is a marathon more than a sprint – a strong educational foundation in a STEM field allows you to morph your career in more ways than you can imagine. What has been a critical factor in your success? I learned in my college years the importance of building a community of supporters. Organizations like Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Society of Women Engineers allowed me to find others who looked like me, so I felt seen and accepted into engineering. I was very involved in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as well, finding a group of friends and supporters, where we all helped each other through those difficult classes and projects. The same has held true throughout my career. Some folks call it having a personal “Board of Directors”, supporters who can help you make career decisions. I can’t say I’ve had just one mentor who really pushed me, I’ve had mini mentoring sessions with many influential folks who have helped steer my career. When I join new teams, I instinctively find a few personal connections that end up as my support group, wherever I go – finding a community has been essential for me. What advice do you have for students and young professionals in STEM? Just because something feels hard it, doesn’t mean you weren’t meant to do it. This is true for anything you encounter in your life, really. We’re naturally drawn to the things that come to us without much effort, but not everything will feel that easy. You will encounter challenging courses or projects; you will encounter difficult problems to fix… When something feels hard, I think that’s when we do the most learning, and it’s when grit and perseverance really pay off. I know it’s easier said than done, but stick to it when things get tough, the reward will be well worth it.

The AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador program, managed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, brings together 125 women from a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers to serve as high-profile role models for middle school girls. These STEM professionals use their skills in many fields – including research and development, sports and recreation, finance, fashion, gaming, engineering and manufacturing, entertainment, healthcare, retail, music, and more. IF/THEN® is part of Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature. IF/THEN® seeks to further advance women in STEM by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Rooted in a firm belief that there is no better time to highlight positive and successful female professional role models, IF/THEN® is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by: (1) funding and elevating women in STEM as role models, (2) convening cross-sector partners in entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia to illuminate the importance of STEM everywhere, and (3) inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences to pique their interest in STEM careers. The ambassadors are involved in various outreach programs throughout the country; you can find them in classrooms and museums across the country. In March 2022, they were featured in an exhibit featuring 3D printed real-life statues of themselves at various Smithsonian museums in Washington DC, in honor of Women’s History Month – or better yet, Women’s Futures Month. After learning that in the top 10 US cities there are only 6 statues of real-life women found in public spaces, IF/THEN® decided to create an exhibit highlighting the greatest number of women displayed at one time ever – and they are all women in STEM! Here we highlight just a handful of women making a difference in their fields and in STEM outreach and education. We were truly honored to share their stories! You can read their background and contributions to the STEM disciplines below by clicking on their respective headshots below.

The Importance of Representation and Paying It Forward How I Broke Into The Healthcare Industry and Started My Career As A Data Analyst by Ashley Scott Why is representation in the workplace critical to one's upward mobility? Growing up as a first-generation college student with Caribbean parents, there was a strong emphasis on getting a "good" job after college. Despite graduating with a public health degree with honors, working up to three jobs at one time while in college full-time, I struggled to land a "good" job in healthcare. I felt uneasy about sharing the news to my parents because it might raise questions about my degree’s credibility in the workplace. Luckily, my saving grace was my decision to reach out to people in the healthcare industry for guidance and mentorship. I created meaningful relationships and learned how to re-strategize my career search. It was interesting to note that my mentors who identified as women of color emphasized the importance of having at least one graduate degree. I always aspired to pursue an MBA and took a leap of faith by enrolling in a 1-year MBA program. In business school, I noticed analytical skills were becoming more sought out in the competitive job descriptions. I continued taking more analytics courses, but I began to feel bittersweet again about my career trajectory. I needed to niche down my industry and core skills, which led me to build my data portfolio and reposition myself as a data professional in the public health space. My journey reminds me why I started my social media platform, Data Girl Ash, during the COVID-19 pandemic. I understand firsthand that navigating your career path can feel challenging when you are changing career paths or don't have access to specific educational resources and support groups. As I expanded my network, I found a poor representation of women in these careers in the media and workplace. According to the Boston Consulting Group, 15 to 22 percent of today's data science professionals are women. Forbes reported that women who are data analysts do not usually hold managerial roles, considering 18 percent of leadership positions are at premier tech companies. Women in these fields have often reported mistreatment, bullying, gender pay gap, and lack of mentorship as leading reasons for leaving the industry. The lack of high retention rates of women and underrepresented groups encouraged me to share my story at the pandemic's peak, stay motivated, and educate other non-traditional data enthusiasts before they are discouraged from applying to the field. We can attest that applying for jobs is a job in itself. Luckily, there are more ways to make that job less of a hassle by receiving personalized job recommendations via email, job posting websites, recruiting events, apprenticeships, and more. My goal is to provide more motivation and tips to data enthusiasts who are interested in pivoting into an in-demand field in technology and data without a technical background. By supporting college students, post-graduates, career changers, and working professionals, I hope to be a small part of their journey to exceed their career goals and enhance their data awareness in and outside the workplace. In my #DataGirl social media campaign, I posted educational content to increase the awareness of data careers by sharing my experiences. The campaign reached international recognition with customers across the United States, Canada, and Ireland which inspired me to create my data-inspired apparel and accessories collection. A portion of the proceeds supports local women-minority-owned businesses and helped to launch my Data Girl Scholarship in partnership with the New York Urban League. There is strength in numbers. Remember, small steps over time is a testament that paying it forward helps diversify the talent pipeline and cultivates new ideas to elevate more leaders to adapt to a data-driven economy. If you are interested in joining the movement and connecting with Ashley, visit www.datagirlash.com. Sources: https://www.analyticsinsight.net/women-data-science-acknowledging-gender-gap-job-market/ https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/what-keeps-women-out-data-science https://www.forbes.com/sites/markminevich/2020/03/16/women-are-the-key-to-scaling-up-ai-and-data-science/?sh=56555e7c5ac8

How do you read a job description and things to look out for… I don’t know about you but nobody taught me how to read a job description. It’s something I’ve had to learn on my own. Job descriptions can be very overwhelming but like anything else, it will take time to learn. If you're on the job search, make sure your ability to read a job description is at its best. Here are a few things to look out for: Make sure you understand and are differentiating between the HARD skills (technical knowledge/training) and SOFT skills (personal habits and traits). Look for word/phrase repetition. This will give you insight as to what the hiring manager deems important about the role. Make sure to distinguish between “must have”, “preferred” and “nice to have” language. Include the key words and skills throughout your profile so you can show up in searches. If you have LinkedIn premium, don't be discouraged by all the applicant data. Be confident in your abilities and apply! Say no to self rejection. What advice do you have regarding job descriptions? Leave us a comment below. Calicia Johnson is a Senior Program Manager at Xbox with Microsoft Corporation, where she works with various teams creating the future of cloud gaming that combines Xbox and the power of Azure to empower everyone on the planet to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. In her role, she works with cross functional teams to identify ways to utilize Xbox servers during nonpeak gaming hours to reduce streaming cost. She is the Founder of Student Career Studio, Incorporated, a nonprofit organization providing access and exposure to minority collegiate students to scholarships, internships, and leadership opportunities. Her goal is the bridge the gap between opportunities and students. She also provides assistance with resumes, networking and professional and career development. In her spare time, Calicia also educates individuals on how they can maximize their opportunities on LinkedIn. She provides specific LinkedIn strategies to help individuals connect with recruiters, build their personal brand, expand their network and achieve their career goals. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Calicia received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University and her Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University. Connect with Calicia: beacons.ai/calicia

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” ― Frederick Douglass About Shedrick Stephens Shedrick Stephens is a retired Senior Process Automation Technologist who has enabled the success of so many young, talented engineers and technicians. He started his STEM journey as a process operator for The Dow Chemical Company, now Dow Inc., and through his discipline, thirst for knowledge and fundamental belief that anything is possible, he rose to the ranks of a regional Triconex subject matter expert, supporting some of the most critical safety control systems across the gulf coast. Shedrick was born and grew up in Grand Prairie, Louisiana along with his eight brothers and sisters. He had a natural passion for electronics and troubleshooting, so he decided to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree at Southern University in Baton, Rouge, LA. It was there that he realized that he could have a prosperous career within the STEM disciplines. During his matriculation, he was offered an internship at Dow which further led to a full-time offer. In his spare time, Shedrick tinkered with small electronic devices and appliances, until he eventually partnered with a friend to open up a small business focused on this passion. This opportunity eventually opened up the door to innovate. He designed and built an audio filtering technology in where a remote deice could automatically detect and filter profanity and other offensive phrases while you watched movies or television shows. As a personal project, essentially it was a smart remote control for your TV that automatically muted foul language. Because he put his family before his career, Shedrick wasn’t able to complete his bachelors degree. He made a difficult decision to put his engineering career on hold and to focus on his new job and growing family. Throughout the next 30 years he created opportunities for his children to be exposed to many enriching opportunities. Shedrick also mentored several engineers and scientists throughout his career (including four of his own brothers and sisters) and served as a STEM/Science fair judge for the local community schools, all while implementing control system technologies that enabled tremendous value for Dow. Shedrick was chosen as a STEM Pioneer for black history month, because if it wasn’t for his sacrifice, guidance and tough love, many professionals would not be who they are today. Nearly 40 years after his start in electrical engineering, Shedrick's legacy came full circle as he joined his son (pictured above) to celebrate a career milestone; Shadrach’s Southern University Alumni 40 under Forty award ceremony.

"Dr. Kelley's life illuminated and rekindled the lives of many youths through the zeal and fortitude she used in developing, managing Timbuktu Academy and Honors College programs at Southern University." ― A Timbuktu Parent About Dr. Ella Lee Kelley Dr. Ella Lee Kelley, a trailblazer in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education was a nationally recognized educator and advocate for STEM education and research. She was an administrator, mentor, motivator and director, with a passion and dedication for STEM and students pursuing STEM degrees. The many lives that have been touched by this incredible woman is a testament of her ability to connect with all STEM scholars including Ph.D. students, Ph.D. /M.D. students and B.S. degree students. Throughout her more than 30 years with the Timbuktu Academy, she demonstrated a strong passion for pre-college students through her work with the pre-college summer programs—Getting Smatter at the Timbuktu Academy (GeSTA), Summer Science Institute at the Timbuktu Academy for Middle School - SSI-M, Challenge 2000 and Summer Science Institute (SSI). Dr. Kelley was born October 05, 1948 in Monroe, LA to Mary Magdalene Elmore Kelley of Calhoun, LA and William Cicero Kelley of West Monroe, LA. She began to thrive academically at an early age; her gifts were encouraged by family, teachers, and the church family of Trenton Baptist Church, West Monroe. As the valedictorian of the Richardson High School Class of 1966, Dr. Kelley left home at 17 to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Northeast Louisiana University. She later went on to earn a Master's degree in Chemistry, from Southern University and A&M College, and a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biochemistry, from Louisiana State University, both in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Kelley joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge in 1983. Throughout her more than three decades at Southern University, she served as Co-Director of the Timbuktu Academy (1990-2015) with her husband, Dr. Diola Bagayoko, since the Academy’s inception. She rose through the academic ranks to hold a number of administrative positions including chair of the Department of Chemistry, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College. In 2003, Dr. Kelley received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (US- PAESMEM). During her tenure as professor of chemistry, she authored over a dozen refereed technical publications in biochemistry, teaching, mentoring, and learning strategies. She was also the co-principal investigator of the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation (LS-LAMP) and campus coordinator of the Southern University LS-LAMP program. Posthumously, Dr. Kelley received the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). She personally mentored (with some assistance from other colleagues) 47 chemistry undergraduate students at SUBR, 29 of whom have earned or are successfully pursuing graduate degrees, including 13, four (4) and one (1) holding the Ph.D. in Chemistry, the doctorate in medicine, and the jurist doctorate, respectively. In addition to her professional successes, she was a committed wife, a proud mother of three to Dr. Namory Bagayoko, an orthopedic surgeon; Kelley Bagayoko Adams, an attorney; and William Bagayoko, a computer specialist; and grandmother of twins, Ella and Nawali Djibri.

"I just have my own attitude. I’m out here to get the job done, and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that’s where my focus was." ― Annie Easley About Annie Easley Annie Easley was a computer scientist, mathematician, and rocket scientist. She worked for the Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Easley was a leading member of the team which developed software for the Centaur rocket stage, and was one of the first African-Americans to work at NASA. She was posthumously inducted into the Glenn Research Hall of Fame in 2015. Easley was born to Samuel Bird Easley and Mary Melvina Hoover in Birmingham, Alabama. Before the Civil Rights Movement, educational and career opportunities for African-American children were very limited. African American children were educated separately from white children, and their schools were most often inferior to white schools. Annie was fortunate in that her mother told her that she could be anything she wanted but she would have to work at it. She encouraged Annie to get a good education. From the fifth grade through high school, Annie attended Holy Family High School, and was valedictorian of her graduating class. After high school she went to Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was then an African-American Roman Catholic University, and majored in pharmacy for about two years. In 1954, she returned to Birmingham. As part of the Jim Crow laws that established and maintained racial inequality, African Americans were required to pass an onerous literacy test and pay a poll tax in order to vote. She remembers the test giver looking at her application and saying only, "You went to Xavier University. Two dollars." Subsequently, she helped other African Americans prepare for the test. In 1955, Easley began her career as a “human computer,” doing computations for researchers. This involved analyzing problems and doing calculations by hand. When hired, she was one of only four African-American employees at the Lab. In a 2001 interview she said that she had never set out to be a pioneer. “I just have my own attitude. I’m out here to get the job done, and I knew I had the ability to do it, and that’s where my focus was.” Even in the face of discrimination, she persevered. “My head is not in the sand. But my thing is, if I can’t work with you, I will work around you. I was not about to be [so] discouraged that I’d walk away. That may be a solution for some people, but it’s not mine.” When human computers were replaced by machines, Easley evolved along with the technology. She became an adept computer programmer, using languages like Fortran and the Simple Object Access Protocol to support a number of NASA’s programs. She developed and implemented code used in researching energy-conversion systems, analyzing alternative power technology—including the battery technology that was used for early hybrid vehicles, as well as for the Centaur upper-stage rocket. In the 1970s, Easley returned to school to earn her degree in mathematics from Cleveland State, doing much of her coursework while also working full time. A firm believer in education and in her mother’s advice “You can be anything you want to be, but you have to work at it,” Easley was very dedicated in her outreach efforts at NASA. She not only participated in school tutoring programs but was a very active participant in the speaker’s bureau—telling students about NASA’s work and inspiring especially female and minority students to consider STEM careers. Later in her career, she took on the additional role of equal employment opportunity counselor. In this role she helped supervisors address issues of gender, race, and age in discrimination complaints at the lowest level and in the most cooperative way possible. In addition to her technical and outreach activities, Easley was a champion of employee morale. She was a founding member of the Ski Club and was very active in the annual children’s Christmas play, Center athletics, and the Business & Professional Women’s association. Easley would humbly state that she never set out to be a role model or trailblazer. Many who knew her would say that it was not just the work that she did that made a difference; it was her energy and positive attitude that had a tremendous impact on the Center. In the 35-page transcript of her 2001 NASA oral history interview, Easley consistently emphasizes the importance of teamwork and expresses appreciation and admiration for those she worked with. There are many illustrations throughout her career of her determination and discipline, kindness, and generosity. Her work with the Centaur project helped lay the technological foundations for future space shuttle launches and launches of communication, military and weather satellites. Specifically, it contributed to the 1997 flight to Saturn of the Cassini probe, the launcher of which had the Centaur as its upper stage. Easley retired in 1989, but she remained an active participant in the Speaker’s Bureau and the Business & Professional Women’s association. Annie Easley passed away on June 25, 2011.