Grad students share their science journey

Rose Martin recently stood before a group of about 45 Woonsocket middle school students, looking nothing like the stereotypical scientist.

She is, after all, a woman.

Although women comprise nearly half the country’s workforce, only 26 percent work in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. And, gender is not the only disparity — minority groups, particularly Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino, post even more dismal STEM percentages.

To help dispel any lingering myths and encourage all students to consider a STEM career path, Martin and her cohort, Francoise Morison, are visiting several schools this academic year, sharing their stories and their science with Rhode Island youngsters.

Both are grad fellows with Rhode Island NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). They are pursuing their doctorate degrees — Martin, in biology, and Morison, in oceanography — at the University of Rhode Island.

“I’m not the kind of scientist who wears a lab coat and works in a lab,” Martin told the group. “I’m usually out in the field, and I’m using science to solve problems. Sometimes I’m working in greenhouses or working at the beach, or in the salt marshes.”

Raised in Rhode Island, Martin is investigating ways in which human-induced stressors such as climate change impact salt marshes and cause the emission of greenhouse gases.

Morison, who grew up in France, focuses her research efforts on the microscopic marine organisms known as plankton, working to understand the relationships within the food web and how the dynamics are affected by climate change.

Importance of outreach

The Woonsocket students attended the Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR outreach event through the Educational Talent Search (ETS) and College Crusade, both programs that serve youth from low-income families in the state’s urban centers.

ETS provides monthly, in-school sessions with varying themes that range from study skills to time management, decision making, test taking, school course selection, college application preparation, financial aid and career information.

A member of a family of TRIO programs funded by the US Dept. of Education, ETS also takes participants on educational trips to colleges or universities.

The College Crusade of Rhode Island works to reduce high school dropout rates and increase educational and career success for low-income urban youth. Each year, the program serves about 3,500 Crusaders from Rhode Island’s most economically disadvantaged families in Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, and Cranston.

“The partnership with EPSCoR is vital to our organizational and legislative goals, and community outreach,” said April Brown, ETS counselor.  “The feedback from students is always positive and constructive, particularly when we travel to the university campuses.  This experience is often the first time these young people can wrap their minds around the possibility of attending a post secondary institution.

Tim Pelletier, EPSCoR outreach coordinator, said the classroom visits were part of an ongoing effort to broaden the STEM pipeline in Rhode Island and increase the number and diversity of students pursuing degrees and careers in the STEM fields.

“We want to introduce students to opportunities in marine biology as well as in other areas they may not know about,” he said. “We show kids that there are really cool things to do in the sciences and that there is a place for them, whether it’s designing a remote operated vehicle, being thrown off the side of ship to explore the ocean floor or doing research in a lab.”

Why science?

Explaining the key role science plays in society, Morison told the students: “We need science to help us understand the world around us, because these natural resources are important to our well being. We need to manage our resources in order to make sound decisions, so it’s important understand the science.”

For Martin, science did not immediately present itself as a viable career path, although she was drawn to science at an early age. She talked about growing up in Rhode Island, and not having anyone in her life involved in the field. She didn’t know any scientists. Worse yet, she said, math always posed a challenge.

“But,” she said, “You don’t have to be a math whiz. You just need to know the basics. So try and accept that math is very important and work your hardest. Math is going to help you in every area of life.”

Contrary to preconceived notions, Martin added, research is not a solitary pursuit: “Science is a social activity. The stereotype of a nerdy scientist hiding in a lab is not true. Science has allowed me to travel and see places I never would have gotten the opportunity to go to. It’s a great career.”

Morison, too, shared her joy of going to the varied and unique locations science has taken her, including work on the research vessel, the Meteor, which belongs to the University of Hamburg.

Even if science is not their chosen path, Pelletier emphasized to the students the importance of gaining greater awareness about how their daily actions impact food and water sources: “The more knowledge you have, the more affect you have on policies and decisions. Even if you don’t choose a STEM career, your community and state will be better off.”

An opportunity for growth

Taking a break from academics and research, both Martin and Morison said they enjoyed the opportunity to spark interest in the next generation of scientists.

“The outreach experiences have been very fulfilling,” Martin said. “It’s a very positive experience for me to reach out to students here in Rhode Island, my home state.”

Despite her strong interest in science from an early age, Martin said she had only a vague idea of how the science career path worked.  For her, she said, the outreach offered a chance to clarify that process for those students interested in science as well as inspire others who may not yet see the importance of science in their day-to-day life.

Morison agreed: “It is important to reach out to the kids, to sensitize them to the importance of the natural environment to our well being.”

She also emphasized how important it is for people — not just scientists — to understand how nature works so that they can make informed decisions regarding the management of natural resources.

“What I get out of sharing my research is experience with explaining complicated concepts in ordinary terms, and when I try to teach science, it helps me reinforce my own understanding and identify gaps in my knowledge,” Morison said.

Stories and photos by Amy Dunkle