What attracted you to UW–Madison? I came to UW–Madison to join the faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and to direct the department’s new cryo-EM facility that will serve as a resource for all of campus. The Department of Biochemistry’s vision for this facility really drew me to UW–Madison. We are not just thinking about the present state of structural biology and the field of cryo-EM, but about making investments that will shape the next several decades of research in the fields of structural biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and medicine and build a community of investigators across the UW–Madison campus.
Women
Profiles in STEM Diversity: Shedding stereotypes to find my passions and career goals
UW-Madison senior shares her undergraduate experience and how her life and career path changed after joining a student organization.
My transition to college was harder than I expected, emotionally and academically, and I added to the difficulty by being too ashamed to admit I was struggling. I avoided my friends from high school, because I thought they had this image of me as a perfect student, and I didn’t want to tarnish that reputation. I was too young to realize that my grade school friends may have seen me this way because I was one of the only Asian-Americans in a predominantly white town. I had molded myself to fit their stereotype so it would easier for me to fit in. It was hard for me to make new friends, because my previous friend-making model of being in the same classes and activities with people for twelve years where my reputation preceded me wasn’t working anymore. I told my parents that everything was fine – more than fine, great in fact – in every weekly phone call. Even the thought of letting them know their “perfect” daughter was crumbling under the pressure of expectations and barely finding the motivation to get up every morning paralyzed me and kept me from seeking help. We didn’t talk about mental health problems in our family. Years later, my parents told me they knew I was struggling the whole time.
Meet Dr. Erika Marín-Spiotta — Standing up to Bias and Harassment
Today in my series of Science-a-Thon essays, I’ll continue profiling a few of my wonderful colleagues on the board of the Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN). It is a true pleasure to introduce you to Dr. Erika Marín-Spiotta, who is actively improving the culture of science.
Come meet Native leader, Ada Deer–Nov 16th: 9am Biocommons
Join us for a conversation with Native leader and Elder-in-Residence, Ada Deer, at UW-Madison BioCommons at Steenbock Library. November 16th at 9am
Coffee and networking is free!
New UW Collaborative Center for Health Equity (CCHE) Associate Director Named
The UW Collaborative Center for Health Equity (CCHE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Angela Byars-Winston as an Associate Director.
Dr. Byars-Winston is a Professor in the University of Wisconsin, Department of Medicine and Division of General Internal Medicine. She is also Director of Research and Evaluation in the UW Center for Women’s Health Research and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). She is co-investigator on the NIGMS National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) grant in the Mentor Training Core, through which she leads the Culturally Aware Mentorship Initiative. Dr. Byars-Winston is nationally recognized for her research examining cultural influences on academic and career development, especially for racial and ethnic minorities and women in the sciences, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM), with the aim of broadening their participation and success in these fields. She currently leads the National Academy of Sciences consensus study on STEMM mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
