STEMinism
27 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsOur podcast seeks to highlight women in STEM historically and currently. We use female voices from the past and their stories to celebrate contributions by women in science. There is still so much work to be done for true gender equality in academia. We hope that by talking about these issues we can raise awareness and help new incoming, current and former students to navigate difficult situations, such as gender bias and discrimination, and still be successful. Our intent is not to trash men, so we intentionally leave out names of perpetrators (who are still alive), but instead focus on the success stories of women and their research. Follow us on instagram @steminism.podcast and twitter @steminismpod
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Episodes
Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon
November 02, 2021 02:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBHi everyone! A little late for national Indigenous day in the USA, but today we are talking about Dr. Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon, who was a Mohegan medicine woman, anthropologist, author, tribal council member, and elder. She was devoted to help minoritized women as well, so we think she was one of the first Steministas! Shoutout to the Smithsonian Instagram, who inspired this podcast episode. Also check out the Google website today, which is in honor of an Indigenous person, We:wa, a Zuni Na...
Trota of Salerno
October 25, 2021 23:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBLittle is known about Trota of Salerno - and some of what is may be false! What is true: she was a medical practitioner in the 11th and 12th centuries and wrote Practica Secundum Trotam (Book of Practical Medicine). What is false: she did not write the Trotula! Listen in to this episode to learn more facts and misinformation about Trota. References Benton, John F. “Trotula, Women’s Problems, and the Professionalization of Medicine in the Middle Ages.” Humanities Working Paper 98 (November ...
Maria Sibylla Merian
October 10, 2021 20:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBHi everyone, it's been a while again. Oh boy we've been busy. I bet you were too! We're back though with a new episode, this time a German/Swiss naturalist, entomologist (one of the first) and botanical illustrator. Because of her we now know that insects don't just spontaneously emerge from poop. She also...you won't believe it, is responsible for coining the name (we think) Vogelspinne, which means tarantula in German! She was a world traveler and appeared to be good hearted, always acknow...
The Matilda Effect
September 20, 2021 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBInstead of covering a specific woman in STEM this week, Ellen and Susi discuss the Matilda Effect. The Matilda Effect, coined by Margaret Rossiter in 1993, is the phenomenon where women in STEM are under- or unrecognized for their contributions to STEM fields. Listen in to learn more about this phenomenon, and who Matilda is. References Dominus, Susan. “Women Scientists Were Written Out Of History. It’s Margaret Rossiter’s Lifelong Mission to Fix That.” Smithsonian Magazine, October 2019. ...
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkins
September 06, 2021 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MBHi everybody, we're back with a new episode on one of my favorite woman we've covered so far, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkins. Dorothy discovered the 3D structure of penicillin and many essential biomolecules. Penicillin is an antibiotic that was discovered in fungi, which saved many lives, especially during the war. Dorothy's whole family is fascinating, we hope you enjoy her story as much as we did. Also check out the Netflix mushroom documentary Fantastic Fungi!!! References https://www.bbvaop...
Henriette Avrum
August 31, 2021 02:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBHenriette Avrum was a computer programmer who revolutionized libraries with her creation of Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) for the Library of Congress. Listen to Ellen gush to Susi about how important MARC is to librarians on this episode of STEMinism!
Rosalind Franklin
August 15, 2021 14:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBHi friends! You probably missed us last week :) Ellen and I decided we will take one week out each month to take a well deserved break. It may not seem as much, but each episode takes a bunch of work for research, recording and cutting :) But we're so glad to be back. This week with Rosalind Franklin, the mother of DNA. Rosalind and her PhD student took the first picture of DNA, which was then swooped up by 3 men, who went and received a Nobel Prize for their discovery of the structure of DN...
Nettie Stevens
August 02, 2021 03:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBLet's talk about sex...chromosomes! Nettie Stevens is known for discovery the Y sex chromosome and the part it plays in genetics, but often is unrecognized for her contributions. Listen to learn more! References Bainbridge, David. The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003. Brush, Stephen G. "Nettie M. Stevens and the Discovery of Sex Determination by Chromosomes." Isis 69, no. 2 (June 1978): 163-172. Cross, Patricia C. and John P...
Hypatia of Alexandria
July 25, 2021 12:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBToday we are discussing Hypatia of Alexandria, a female philosopher from 370 AD who was a teacher of astronomy, mathematics and philosophy, and who influenced many important people of her time. However, because of her public speeches, her believes and probably because of her intellect, she experienced a violent and totally unnecessary death. She reminds us that sexism is very very very old, coming from a long line of men, like Aristotle, perpetuating the thought that women are of less worth ...
Eloise Gerry
July 18, 2021 16:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBEloise Gerry was the first woman professional staff hired at the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI. She was a research scientist from 1910 to 1955, and one of the few women allowed to work in the field. Also, her and Susi have similar dissertations! References "How a Northern College Girl became Interested in the Naval Stores Industry." Naval Stores Review 31, no. 27 (October 1, 1921): 10, 15, 34. Graduate Women in Science. "Dr. Eloise Gerry Endowment." J.M.C. "'Bars of Sanio' in...
Ellen Swallow Richards
July 11, 2021 18:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBHi friends, today we are talking about Ellen Richards, the mother of modern hygiene, if you will. Yes, apparently until 1890, Americans and the world were living in filth, until Ellen and her power women at MIT came along, analyzing food and water for environmental and intentional contaminants. She made some amazing contributions to human society, however she was not perfect. Her world view was tainted by the racism of her time. We think it is still important to talk about her, while pointin...
[Interview] Angie Hall, aka Mzzzzz Hall
July 04, 2021 23:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBHey y'all, today we have a special guest for you all. Angie, to Mzzz Hall is a grade school teacher here in Madison and she's telling us about what guided her to become a teacher, the steps involved and what she learned throughout this journey. We talk about teaching strategies and food for thought, like, should Highschool teachers study different strategies to communicate STEM and could the type of training in college education perpetuate gender inequalities in STEM fields later on? Happy l...
[Interview] Angie Hall, aka Mzzzzz Hall
July 04, 2021 23:00 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBHey y'all, today we have a special guest for you all. Angie, to Mzzz Hall is a grade school teacher here in Madison and she's telling us about what guided her to become a teacher, the steps involved and what she learned throughout this journey. We talk about teaching strategies and food for thought, like, should Highschool teachers study different strategies to communicate STEM and could the type of training in college education perpetuate gender inequalities in STEM fields later on? Happy l...
María Andresa Casamayor
June 28, 2021 13:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBMaría Andresa Casamayor as an 18th century Spanish Mathematician. Her only work published, Tyrocinio Arithmético, was intended to be a reference guide for the merchants that lived in Zaragoza and traded with other territories. Listen in as Ellen tells Susi more about María Andresa and how incredible she was. References Jochim, Mark Joseph. "News issues 2020: Spain (Women in Science)." Philatelic Pursuits, June 20, 2020. Practica Español. "The story of the woman who dreamed of numbers and h...
Hilde Mangold
June 20, 2021 05:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBHowdy folks, today we are talking about Hilde Mangold, a German geneticist who discovered the "organizer", which is a group of cells that are responsible for the induction of the neural tissues during development in amphibian embryos. We're furious, because Hilde did not get to be the first author on her own doctoral dissertation. She also lived in an interesting era, between the First and Second World Wars. Happy listening! References Doty, Maria, "Hilde Mangold (1898-1924)". Embryo Projec...
Marian Ewurama Addy
June 13, 2021 15:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBHi everyone! Apologies for being a week late, but work has been busy. This week we are featuring Marian Ewurama Addy who was a Ghanaian biochemist and the first host of the National Science and Maths Quiz. She was also the first Ghanaian woman to become full professor of natural science, all of which made her a role model for school girls and budding female scientists in STEM. This will be our last episode with Maia, because she's been busy with fieldwork, so from here on out Ellen and Susi ...
Marie Curie aka Maria Salomea Skłodowska
May 30, 2021 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBHi everybody, we're back with a new episode, this week on Marie Curie. We know, Marie needs no introduction and you're probably thinking, aaah, I know that one. Marie had a fascinating life and we promise you, you'll be surprised. If anything, listen to fascinating facts about the Nobel Price, which's origin are less noble than you might think. Marie was the first woman to win a Nobel price, the first woman to win it twice, the first human to win it in two categories, the first woman to get ...
Angélique Marguerite Le Bousier du Coudray
May 23, 2021 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBAngélique Marguerite Le Bousier du Coudray was a midwife in 18th century France. She traveled the country for 30 years, teaching women and men how to properly and safely deliver babies. Despite her huge contribution to the country, not much is known about her personal life, but the mystery seems to only add to our fascination! References Campbell, Olivia. "How a French Midwife Solved a Public Health Crisis." JStor Daily, March 25, 2020. Gelbart, Nina Rattner. "Midwife to a Nation: Madame ...
Florence Merriam Bailey
May 15, 2021 20:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBFlorence Merriam Bailey was an ornithologist and author who created the first modern field guide to birds. She is best known for her detailed guide to the birds of New Mexico, which she wrote after years of field studies and travels in the early 1900s. Her approach to field ecology and bird conservation were unique and, we think, still relevant almost one hundred years later! Listen in for some discussion on shotgun ornithology, the formation of the Audubon Society, and the experiences of wo...
Episode 7: Florence Merriam Bailey
May 15, 2021 20:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBFlorence Merriam Bailey was an ornithologist and author who created the first modern field guide to birds. She is best known for her detailed guide to the birds of New Mexico, which she wrote after years of field studies and travels in the early 1900s. Her approach to field ecology and bird conservation were unique and, we think, still relevant almost one hundred years later! Listen in for some discussion on shotgun ornithology, the formation of the Audubon Society, and the experiences of wo...
Fannie Lou Hamer
May 09, 2021 16:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBToday we are discussing the story of Fannie Lou Hamer. Fannie was an impactful civil rights activist. You might be thinking now, wait a minute, what does that have to do with STEM? Well she also founded Freedom Farms, which was a local agricultural community that provided food, housing and education to her local people who were struggling to survive, especially because of practices like sharecropping, as well as retaliations by landowners for trying to pursue their right to vote. She has bee...
Alice Augusta Ball
May 03, 2021 01:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBThrough her groundbreaking work as a chemist, Alice Ball changed the lives of thousands of people. She was the first black women to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawaii and she became a professor at the age of 23. However, her story was very nearly lost to history. We are excited and honored to be among the people now celebrating her achievements and role as a pioneering STEMinist in the 1920s.
Annie Jump Cannon
April 26, 2021 00:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBAnnie Jump Cannon was an American astronomer whose work as a computer and star identifier was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification. Her system of ranking stars as O, B, A, F, G, K or M, with "O" being the hottest stars and "M" the coolest is still used today. References Payne Gaposchkin, Cecilia. “Annie Jump Cannon.” Science, 1941, 93:2419, 444 Mack, Pamela Etter. “Women in Astronomy in the United States 1875-1920” (1977). Publications. 7, 21 Welther, Bar...
Eunice Newton Foote: Scientific ladies – experiments with condensed gases
April 17, 2021 07:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBWe are super excited to bring this story to y'all! In this episode we are discussing the story of Eunice Newton Foote, a true scientist (not an amateur scientist) who was a pioneer of Climate Change research. Her discovery of the Greenhouse effect that occurs with the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere was groundbreaking, but was almost left unnoticed. She found that higher levels of atmospheric CO2 trapped more heat from radiation. Even though her research was published as short papers in se...
Episode 2: Watch with us! Picture a Scientist
April 10, 2021 14:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBHi everyone. It's been a while since episode 1, but episode 2 is finally here. In this episode we were watching the documentary "Picture a Scientist" a film by Sharon Shattuck and Ian Cheney. You can find more information on their official website here. The movie follows biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring through their stories of gender bias, discrimination and harassment. But it also shows how these women endured and overcame these difficult sit...
Watch with us! Picture a Scientist
April 10, 2021 14:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBHi everyone. It's been a while since episode 1, but episode 2 is finally here. In this episode we were watching the documentary "Picture a Scientist" a film by Sharon Shattuck and Ian Cheney. You can find more information on their official website here. The movie follows biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring through their stories of gender bias, discrimination and harassment. But it also shows how these women endured and overcame these difficult sit...
Introduction - Welcome to the STEMinism world!
March 28, 2021 02:00 - 25 minutes - 16.4 MBWelcome to STEMinism, a podcast where we highlight female voices. We are Susi Wiesner, Maia Persche, and Ellen Faletti, excited to introduce ourselves and talk about our vision for this podcast. In future episodes, we'll be telling the stories of women in the STEM fields, focusing on what they have endured and what they have contributed to our knowledge of the universe. We hope that through open conversations about STEM, we can help build a foundation of justice, honesty, and equality for th...