The Story Collider

This week we present two stories of the children we used to be and how they grew up.Part 1: As a sixth grader, Anna Neu decides she's going to fall in love at science camp.Part 2: At age nine, Anicca Harriot plans to study both the heart and space, but as she gets older, that plan becomes more challenging than she expected.Anna Neu has several interests including improv, sketch  comedy and voiceover work. She is a trained dancer and Michael Howard  Studio Conservatory taught actor. She performs at the Magnet Theater on  weekends in shows such as The Armando Diaz Experience and has been on  several house teams there. Her voice can be heard on a handful of  episodes of The Truth Podcast. Also a Moth Story Slam winner.  Anicca Harriot is currently working on her PhD in  Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Maryland  School of Medicine. Her research focuses on mechanotransduction – the  science of how mechanical stresses and physical forces, like gravity,  affect cell signaling and function. Anicca plans to use her degree to  explore the effects of long duration space missions on the human body  and hopes to someday venture out into the final frontier for herself.  Anicca is also the Social Media Coordinator & LGBTQ+ Engagement  Specialist for #VanguardSTEM: Conversations for Women of Color in STEM, a  non-profit dedicated to lifting the voices of women and non-binary  people of color in STEM. In her free time Anicca volunteers with  #Popscope, “popping up” with a telescope around Baltimore to promote  public astronomy and encourage curiosity.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two stories about scientists who became the face of the scientific community.Part 1: When conservation scientist Laura Kehoe writes about a surprising chimp behavior, the media takes it wildly out of context and the situation spirals out of control.Part 2: When The Colbert Report calls about her research, marine biologist Skylar Bayer finds an unexpected collaborator and friend in the fisherman helping her get scallops.Laura Kehoe is  a post-doctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia & University of Victoria, where she's busy developing a cost-effective conservation plan for the over 100 species of concern in the Fraser  River estuary, Vancouver. Laura’s research has the overall goal of  finding pathways to balance human resource use with the conservation of biodiversity. To do this, she develops & applies approaches grounded  in spatial statistics, spatial ecology, & conservation decision  science. Laura is the founder of a campaign to regenerate degraded farmland via planting trees.To date, her initiative has planted over  100,000 trees (visit 400trees.org to find out more). This story is about her first job in conservation with the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation in Guinea.    Skylar Bayer is a marine biologist, a storyteller, and a science  communicator. She completed her Ph.D. in the secret sex lives of  scallops, a subject that landed her on The Colbert Report in 2013. Since  then she has dabbled in a diversity of science communication  activities, all of which you can read about on her website. She's an  alum of the D.C.-based Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship  program. Currently, she is a National Academy of Sciences NRC  post-doctoral Research Associate at the NOAA Milford Laboratory and is  the Secretary of the Ecological Society of America's Communication &  Engagement Section. Her heart, husband, house, two dogs and a grumpy cat all reside in Maine. She also enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the gentle  art. Follow her on Twitter @drsrbayer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The week we present two stories of people being confronted with chaos and looking for peace.Part 1: Overwhelmed by setbacks as she pursues her academic ambitions, Tricia Hersey discovers an unexpected solution to her stress.Part 2: Cell biologist Sarah Hird's first pregnancy becomes a crisis in her scientific faith when doctors warn her that there may be something severely wrong with her baby.Tricia Hersey is a Chicago native living in Atlanta  with over 20 years experience working with communities as a teaching  artist, poet, performance artist and community activist. She believes  impromptu spectacles and site specific installations can bring awareness  to social justice issues that paralyze our communities. Tricia has  research interests that include black liberation theology, womanism and somatics. Her work has been seen with Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Columbia College Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre, United  States Peace Corps and Google Chicago. Tricia has a Bachelor of Science  in Public Health from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her current project is The Nap Ministry, a community installation that  examines that liberating power of rest by curating safe spaces for community to nap together.  Sarah Hird is an Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cell Biology at  the University of Connecticut. Her primary research interest is in how the microbiome has interacted with avian evolution. What role have microbes played in bird diversification and does this role differ from other major branches on the tree of life? She is also interested in how  we can diversify and democratize the STEM fields and Academia. Dr. Hird holds a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho and a PhD from Louisiana State University. She was a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow  at the University of California Davis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two stories about being the new one in a new place.Part 1: After moving to a brand-new school in the seventh grade, Edith Gonzalez struggles to maintain her straight-A status with a new, scary biology teacher.Part 2: When social scientist Meltem Alemdar leaves her home in Turkey to pursue her education in the US, she struggles to find her identity.Edith Gonzalez is a native Nuyorican with four graduate degrees in various sub-disciplines of anthropology. By day, she is an historical  archaeologist studying bio-prospecting in the 18th-century English-speaking Caribbean. By night, she has a "slight" obsession with Lord of the Rings, and the dance intersection of late 70's disco and early 80's punk.  She is a veteran of MOTH and Take Two Storytelling  (among others). As a two-time Smut Slam champion, she also enjoys telling dirty stories to a room full of strangers.  Meltem Alemdar is a social scientist and native of Ankara, Turkey. She came to Atlanta in 2000 to attend Georgia Tech's Language Institute,  then decided to pursue a Master's, and then a doctoral degree.  Dr. Alemdar earned her PhD in Education Policy, with a concentration in  Research, Measurement, and Statistics, at Georgia State University in 2009. She is Associate Director and Senior Research Scientist at Georgia  Institute of Technology’s Center for Education Integrating Science,  Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC). Her research focuses on improving  K-12 STEM education through research on curriculum development, teacher  education, and student learning in integrated STEM environments. Dr. Alemdar has led numerous NSF-funded research projects that spans on project-based learning, STEM integration, engineering education, and  social network analysis. She is passionate about improving K-12 public  education system through her research.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we are presenting two stories from people who took to the open ocean.Part 1: As an irresponsible 17-year-old, Brian D. Bradley volunteers to spend two days living at the bottom of the ocean for a research study.Part 2: As an undergrad, Beryl Kahn takes a semester at sea after a bad breakup and gets rocked by the swells of the sea -- and her emotions.Brian Bradley started writing because he couldn’t draw.  At first he wanted to be a poet, but he quickly discovered that poems  are pretty difficult. Next, he tried dramatic stage plays, but the  results were kind of embarrassing.  Finally, he gave up and started  writing television for shows like MadTV, Scrubs and Happy Endings. He  co-created for television Uncle Buck for ABC and is the writer/producer  of a number of TV pilots he’s very proud to have been paid for, but that  you will probably never see. He’s very pleased to have a chance to  share a story for Story Collider and he still can’t draw.  Beryl Kahn is finishing up her second year as a Masters' student at  Columbia University's department of Ecology, Evolution, and  Environmental Biology, or E3B, where she's been studying the genetics of  pollution resilience in oysters. Prior to starting grad school, she  worked as an educator and restoration tech at Randall's Island Park in  New York City, which cemented her niche as an urban marine ecologist.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part 1: A power outage on campus leads physics student Zoya Vallari to take a stand against her university's female-only curfew.Part 2: Firefighter Nick Baskerville is eager to prove himself when he arrives on the scene of his first fire.Zoya Vallari is a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech where she studies  fundamental particles called neutrinos. She received a PhD in particle  physics from Stony Brook University in December 2018. She's the  winner of Three Minute Thesis competition at her graduate school and was  awarded the International fellowship by American Association of  University Women. Physics and dance are the two most important ways  in which she relates to the world, though books come a close third. She  loves mangoes, wine and sunshine. She is proud of her ability to lucid  dream.  Nick has had the honor of serving in the United States Air Force for a  total of 14 years. He has 19 years of fire service time, with 16 years  of that being in a career department in Northern Virginia. Nick is a  state certified instructor for the fire service in Virginia where he  teaches classes ranging from basic fire fighter skills to Cancer  awareness for the Firefighter Cancer Support Network (FCSN). Nick is  also a member of Better Said Than Done, a storytelling organization in  Northern VA. His stories have been featured there, The Moth, Storyfest  Short Slam, Secretly, Ya’ll and Perfect Liars Club. Nick has started a  blog, Story Telling On Purpose (www.stop365.blog), as a way to connect the storytelling community with the rest of the DC, MD, VA area.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we present two stories about times in which everything came full circle.Part 1: In the middle of a school day, science teacher Brittany Beck passes out in her classroom, leading her to reflect on what got her here.Part 2: Inspired by her grandfather, Kitty Yang becomes a math teacher, but soon realizes she misses being a student.Brittany Beck is a science teacher at the High School of  Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Brittany  is also her school’s Coordinator of Student Activities and lives for  event logistics, fundraising and trip organizing, and the facilitating  of many student groups including Women in Science Club and Student  Government. You can follow Brittany on twitter at @brittanbeck. Brittany  has been an MfA Master teacher since 2015.  Kitty is a doctoral candidate in mathematics at Northwestern University,  studying dynamical systems and ergodic theory. She grew up in  California and went to college in New York, and attending school on both  coasts, is now enjoying studying the midwest. She spends her non-math  time tap dancing, running, baking, and watching baking shows. She is  also a labor activist, as an organizing committee member of the  Northwestern University Graduate Workers.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Part 1: As a brand-new professor of physiology, John Redden is eager to help students, but soon realizes it’s more complicated than he thought.Part 2: Biologist, Sarah Fankhauser’s relationship with her adviser changes when she joins her lab as a grad student.John Redden is an Assistant Professor in the Department  of Physiology and Neurobiology. His research focuses on understanding  the molecular basis of cardiovascular diseases. He teaches human anatomy  and physiology to pre-health majors, as well as a course in plain  language science communication.  Through his teaching, he pursues his  other passions – improving science literacy among the general public,  and building engaging, inclusive, and equitable STEM classrooms. He’s a  first generation student with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology and  toxicology, and a Ph.D. in biomedical science. He currently serves as  an education mentor for the HHMI/National Academies Summer Institute on  Scientific Teaching, and is the lead author of Anatomy and Physiology in Context. John is originally from Buffalo, New York, the land of chicken wings,  always winter, and generally nice people. He now lives in Connecticut  with three dogs, three cats, and (thankfully), a robot vacuum cleaner. You can find him on twitter @reddenjm tweeting about science, highered, scifi, and diversity issues.  Curious and investigative by nature, Sarah Fankhauser  has always been a lover of all things science. Sarah received her B.S.  in biology from Ga Tech and her PhD in microbiology and immunobiology from Harvard University. Sarah is one of the founders and the board  chairman of the science journal and education non-profit, Journal of  Emerging Investigators. She is also an assistant professor of biology at  Oxford College of Emory University where she shares her thrill and  passion for science with her students. Both in her professional and  personal life Sarah advocates for effective and clear communication of  science with the public.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re presenting two stories from scientists about the people and places that inspired them.Part 1: Just before she leaves for her dream opportunity to teach marine science on the Red Sea, Latasha Wright gets a call that puts her plans in jeopardy.Part 2:  Growing up, Sheena Cruickshank's teenage older brother inspires her love of science, but then one summer he returns from university with a lump on his arm.Latasha Wright received her Ph.D. from NYU Langone Medical Center in Cell and Molecular Biology. After her studies, she went on to continue her scientific training at Johns Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has co­authored numerous publications and presented her work at international and national conferences. In 2011, she joined the crew of the BioBus, a mobile science lab dedicated to bringing hands­on science and inspiration to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The BioBus creates a setting that fosters innovation and creativity. Students are encouraged to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and design experiments. Through the BioBus, Latasha was able to share her love of science with a new generation of potential scientists. Everyday that she spends teaching students about science in this transformative environment helps her remember that science is fun. She loves sharing the journey of discovery with students of all ages. In 2014, the BioBus team launched an immersive, un­intimidating laboratory space called the BioBase, a community laboratory model. At the BioBase students are encouraged to explore their scientific potential through in­-depth programming and hands­-on experimentation. Latasha has lead the efforts in establishing this community laboratory model, and hopes to build on its success in other communities. The efforts of the BioBus’ team to promote science   education to all communities in New York City has been recognized by numerous news outlets, including the WNYC science radio program Hypothesis. Additionally, Latasha has been featured as NY1’s New Yorker of the Week.   Sheena Cruickshank graduated in Biochemistry and Immunology from the  University of Strathclyde and did a PhD in Immunology with Cancer  Research UK at the University of Leeds. She is now an immunology  Professor  in the University of Manchester and also is their University Academic  Lead for Public Engagement. Her research aims to understand how the  immune response distinguishes harm from benefit e.g. parasitic  infections versus the friendly bacteria that live in and  on our bodies. She has a focus on using her research to help develop  tools to improve patient diagnosis and management. Sheena is passionate  about communicating her research with the public and her public  engagement work is very closely linked to her research.  She co-developed resources to help educate about parasite infections  and their impact with a set of resources called “the Worm Wagon” and  focuses on enabling access to science for non-native English speakers.  She also co-developed a UK nationwide citizen science  project to understand allergies and the impacts of pollution  (@BritainBreathing). She was a AAAS Leshner Fellow and has received  awards and commendations for her outreach from organisations such as the  Royal Society of Biology, BBSRC and NCCPE and has presented  her work in the media including the radio and television.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we present two stories about people understanding their links to their past.Part 1: A question that Laura Spink asked her parents as a kid comes up again when her own child begins to ask similar questions.Part 2: After Denise Coberley brings up her doubt in the Bible to her adoptive religious parents, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery.Laura Spinkis a  vocalist/percussionist in the Toronto-based duo, The Young Novelists.  She has toured Canada, the United States, and Europe, and the band has  won a Canadian Folk Music Award for New/Emerging Artist of the Year.  Besides working full-time in music, Laura graduated with a Geochemistry  degree from the University of Waterloo and works part-time at the  Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. She is also  the proud mom of an amazing 7-year old son.  Denise Coberley has been a science educator for  twenty-three years. She is now pursuing a Master’s in Science  Communication with a minor in Linguistics and Neuroscience. Her  acceptance to the graduate program at Greenlee School of Journalism at  Iowa State University allowed her to reconnect with her academic roots.  Coberley’s goal is to understand how people react and develop science  identities and opinions based on their interactions with media,  including social, print, and news. Her husband, who works at ISU, and  her children, who attend ISU, are her biggest cheerleaders.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.