Sowing Seeds of the Future in STEM

Introduction

  • Welcome to the panel titled "Sowing Seeds of the Future in STEM."

  • Acknowledgment of the panelists and anticipation for engaging discussions.

Event Logistics

  • Event Timeline:

    • 30 minutes for main discussion with panelists.

    • Audience encouraged to listen and identify panelists to engage with.

    • Breakout rooms for smaller group discussions after the main session (20 minutes each).

  • Encouragement to interact with multiple panelists.

Panelist Introductions

Dominic Magglio

  • Education:

    • Attended San Francisco City College and Santa Clara University.

    • Currently working at Google as an engineer.

  • Additional Role: Board member at Elevate Tutoring.

Gabriella Amber Chan

  • Current Position: Associate Director for the Access Program, researcher in Professor Phil Cruz’s lab.

  • Education:

    • Bachelor's in Art History and Chemistry from Mills College.

    • PhD in Chemistry from UC Santa Cruz.

Gerald Fo

  • Current Position: Associate Director for the Access Program, researcher.

  • Education:

    • Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

    • PhD in Neuroscience from MIT.

Lisa Valance Layla

  • Current Position: Pediatric endocrinologist.

  • Education:

    • Started at Emerson College, transferred to UC Davis for bachelor's.

    • Medical school and pediatric residency completed at UC Davis and Stanford, respectively.

Ritu Nigam

  • Current Position: Registered dietitian.

  • Education:

    • Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis.

    • Master of Public Health in Nutrition and Diabetes from Loma Linda University.

Panelists' Typical Day

Dominic Magglio's Day

  • Overview: Early in career, managing schedule of meetings and project work.

  • Daily Routine: Balancing meetings with time blocks for focused project completion.

Gabriella Amber Chan's Day

  • Overview: Focused on research and assisting undergraduates in the lab.

  • Responsibilities: Preparing students, writing papers, and contributing to grant writing.

Gerald Fo's Day

  • Overview: Data scientist role focusing on data handling and project communication.

  • Day Activities: Cleaning and analyzing data, building algorithms, stakeholder meetings.

Lisa Valance Layla's Day

  • Overview: Day varies between inpatient and outpatient settings.

  • Responsibilities: Seeing patients, teaching medical students, and conducting research.

Ritu Nigam's Day

  • Overview: Patient care and education in a dietitian role.

  • Daily Activities: Documenting visits, teaching diabetes education classes, and patient consultations.

Motivation to Enter STEM

Dominic's Motivation

  • Non-traditional student experience led to exploration of high-demand fields.

  • Successes in college sparked interest in STEM.

Ritu's Motivation

  • Personal connection to diabetes and the transformative role of nutrition.

  • Encouraged by a counselor to pursue a dietitian career.

Gerald's Motivation

  • Passion for solving puzzles and building things from an early age.

  • Early experience with robotics solidified interest in STEM.

Gabriella's Motivation

  • Shift from pre-med to chemistry after engaging research experiences.

  • Inspired by mentorship and a passion for organic chemistry.

Lisa's Motivation

  • Interest in healthcare led to overcoming intimidation by organic chemistry.

  • Positive mentorship and volunteer experiences in clinical settings fueled passion.

Advice for Students

Dominic's Advice

  • Emphasizes diverse paths to fulfillment in education and careers.

  • Encourages exploration and connection with diverse individuals during undergraduate years.

Ritu's Advice

  • Importance of granting oneself permission to fail, particularly in early education.

  • Highlights that setbacks are part of the learning process.