Women in STEM Friday: Dr. Laura Guertin

‪"#‎365scienceselfies‬ predominates on her twitter page, which is a hashtag I can get behind. Dr. Laura Guertin was inspired to study the sciences and ultimately pursue a STEM career by two grade school teacher in particular, who she in a number of bios thanks by name. Guertin, Professor of Earth Sciences and lone geologist at Penn State, Brandywine, earned her PhD in marine geology/geophysics from the University of Miami. She caught the mentoring bug, and now runs a blog detailing all aspects of her professional life -- from long days in lab to conference panels -- for her students of all ages. She has also spoken in a number of her coworker’s classes about her and her peers’ experiences as a woman in STEM.

HER RESEARCH. She reports on her website, “My research agenda is a pedagogical one, focusing on measuring how new and emerging technologies impact student learning in introductory-level geoscience courses” (1). A current project of hers involves “utilizing geospatial technologies [such as Google Earth] to enhance student learning” (1). In class and on social media, she teaches how learning about scientific discoveries should also involves learning about the scientist and the process of science. This philosophy feeds into so much of her online presence, seen in the form of, for example, #365scienceselfies. This enticing hashtag is dedicated to showing the everyday of a scientist’s life from PCR, to going to the gym when encountering a brain block, to seeing Deadpool with friends at night. Guertin’s classes are mainly geared toward introductory-level and non-science-major students, as she firmly holds that scientific literacy (especially in cases of geography, her topic of choice) should not be limited.

ON BEING A WOMAN IN STEM. In an essay entitled “In Her Own Words: Sharing My Experience as a Woman in STEM: Pass It On,” she documents workplace sexism that she and her peers/advisees have experienced. Opening the essay is a quote from her undergraduate advisor informing her that she would not succeed as a researcher, rather: “drop out, get married and have kids, and not necessarily in that order” (2) Guertin goes on to describe a story from Dr. Danielle Lee, biologist and blogger for Scientific American. She “received an email inquiry from an editor at Biology Online asking her to contribute to their blogging site. Dr. Lee asked several follow-up questions, including if there was a financial compensation for contributions. Upon learning the responses to her questions, she emailed back: ‘Thank you very much for your reply. But I will have to decline your offer. Have a great day.’ The editor from Biology Online responded, ‘Because we don’t pay for blog entries? Are you an urban scientist or an urban whore?’” (2). More stories (with accompanying videos) can be found under “For More Information” source 2. Dr. Guertin is dedicated to presenting everyday realities for scientists, and her writing helps to expose often unheard experiences women in STEM can face.

FOR MORE INFORMATION. http://sites.psu.edu/drlauraguertin/narrative-statement/ http://wihe.com/ihow-sharing-my-experience-as-a-woman-in-s…/ Her blog: http://journeysofdrg.org/ About her: https://about.me/drlauraguertin About #365scienceselfies: http://blogs.agu.org/geoedtrek/2016/…/30/365scienceselfies/… Her twitter: https://twitter.com/guertin

More questions? Contact Dr. Guertin at uxg3@psu.edu.

WiSF-UL THINKING. "

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