
SLI Events
Past STEM Equity Seminars for Owls
School Year 2021-22 Talks
We have finished up our talks for the 2021 - 22 school year. Join us back in fall 2022 for our next series!
In order to ensure a secure Zoom environment, we will be using a waiting room and only admitting participants with a first and last name. Additionally, we will close the Zoom room at 10 minutes past the starting time and only admit participants who contact the Dean (note will be included in the waiting room).
Dr. Kellie Ann Jurado, Presidential Assistant Professor of Microbiology at University of Pennsylvania: 11/12/21
Lessons from Viral Inflammation
Friday, 11/12/21 from 11am - 12:30pm
Kellie Ann Jurado is a Presidential Assistant Professor in the Microbiology Department
at University of Pennsylvania. Her research program is interested in emerging viral
pathogenesis and in delineating antiviral immune control mechanisms at the maternal-fetal
interface and in the central nervous system. She completed her postdoctoral training
in Immunobiology with Akiko Iwasaki at Yale University and earned her PhD with Alan
Engelman at Harvard University. She is the recipient of many prestigious grants and
fellowships, including the L’Oreal for Women in Science Award and mostly recently
being named a Pew Biomedical Research Scholar.
Link to the Jurado Lab's website
Dr. Mireille Kamariza, Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows at Harvard University: 1/28/22
The power of solvatochromism: using environment-sensitive probes to diagnose tuberculosis
Friday, 1/28/22 from 11am - 12:30pm
Born in in Burundi, Dr. Mireille Kamariza faced many barriers to becoming a scientist.
It was only after immigrating to the United States and later when she started her
undergraduate schooling at San Diego Mesa College that her scientific journey began.
Given her background and personal interests, Dr. Kamariza's scientific research has
since grown to focus on tackling important questions in infectious disease research,
especially those that may have direct impact in her country of origin.
In her talk, Dr. Kamariza will describe her work developing novel reagents to rapidly detect tuberculosis in low-resource settings.
Beyond her research duties, Dr. Kamariza is dedicated to increasing diversity in STEM. She has founded and launched several student groups that have gone onto becoming pillars of diversity initiatives during her undergraduate and graduate career. Additionally, she has developed programming to inspire the scientific community to push towards more inclusive research practices and academic agendas. Ultimately, Dr. Kamariza intend to continue leveraging equity and inclusion in social practices and in scientific designs of academic research.
Check out this short video about Dr. Kamariza and her work on PBS Newshour.
Dr. Wendy Todd (Smythe), Dr. Henry Higholt Endowed Professor at University of Minnesota, Duluth : 3/4/22
Indigenous Geoscience Community: Creating Capacity & Safe Spaces for Diverse Scholars
Friday, 3/4/22 from 11am - 12:30pm
Dr. Wendy Todd (Smythe) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth
and holds a joint appointment between the Departments of American Indian Studies and
Earth & Environmental Sciences. She was the 2019 Professional of the Year by the American
Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) for her interdisciplinary research
in geoscience, Native Education, and policy, in 2020 she was elected to the AISES
Board of Directors. She was just awarded the Dr. Henry Higholt Endowed Professorship.
Dr. Todd is Alaska Native Haida.
This discussion will introduce the Indigenous Geoscience Community whose goals are to address the importance of diversity in the geosciences and will consider Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, education equity, the elements of Place, Belonging, and Identity, that collectively create a Secure space for diverse scholars.
Frank Cascarano and David Marasco, Physics Instructors at Foothill: Friday, 5/20/22
From Foothill and the Physics Show to the SOFIA
Friday, 5/20/22 from 1pm - 2:30pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1flS4RV3w
Frank Cascarano is a physics instructor at Foothill where he has been teaching since 2003. He did
his undergraduate studies at UC Davis in physics and received an M.S. degree from
UC San Diego, also in physics. Before coming to Foothill, Frank taught Physics and
Astronomy at Hartnell College in Salinas, and prior to that he worked for ten years
as a Process Engineer and Manager in the semiconductor industry. Frank’s interests
include cooking, beermaking, woodworking, home improvement projects, and watching
his sons play roller hockey.
David Marasco has taught physics at Foothill since 2004. He did his undergraduate studies at UC
San Diego in physics and philosophy and went on to Northwestern for his Ph.D. David is involved equity efforts in physics through organizations such as the American
Association of Physics Teachers, and has been involved in organizing the local chapter
for over a decade.
Together Frank and David have been running the Physics Show since 2007, educating young children and their families about science and physics and especially committing to sharing this performance with children from local Title I schools. The Physics Show has gotten much local praise and acclaim bringing together science with entertainment akin to a magic show with lots of “wow” moments. They have involved Foothill students in these shows, providing them a chance to share their knowledge and engage in community service.
David and Frank will share more about their personal journeys to where they are currently as well as about a recent trip they took on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which is a Boeing 747SP aircraft which carries a 2.7 meter reflecting telescope. They will share about their trip, what they learned and gained, and what they hope to apply in their classes and teaching.
Spring 2021 Talks
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