Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about environmental forensics and ecology as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of an environmental ecologist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: December 15, 2020 at 4:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Environmental Forensics, Ecology, Conservation

STEMExplore Mentor: Dr. Tiara Moore, Environmental Ecologist and Postdoctoral Scholar at The Nature Conservancy in Seattle, WA.

Originally from Greenwood, South Carolina, Dr. Tiara Moore completed her B.S. in Biology in 2011 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where she developed an interest in marine science during a research trip in Costa Rica. She received her M.S. in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science in 2013 from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, where she conducted research on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay linking sediment oxygen demand and nutrient cycling to the eutrophication of the Bay.

After completing her M.S., she spent 2 months in Bali, Indonesia identifying the diversity and abundance of meiofauna in marine sediments across the coral triangle. Dr. Moore earned her PhD in Biology from UCLA, where she conducted research in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, Carpinteria Salt Marsh, and Upper Newport Bay. In Mo’orea, she observed the effects sedimentation and nutrient pollution have on the proliferation of coral reef macroalgae. In Carpinteria and Newport, she explored the effects of macroalgal decomposition on sediment biogeochemistry and the microbial community using environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess the biodiversity of entire ecosystems with only a soil sample. Dr. Moore is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy using soil eDNA to develop a biodiversity census of Ellsworth Forest to compare species diversity across management treatments over the past 10 years.

Inside and outside of the lab, Dr. Moore hopes her research in biodiversity will translate to increasing the overall diversity in science. She dedicates her time to mentoring minority women in the lab and in afterschool programs. Founder of A WOC SPACE, Dr. Moore aspires to make a safe and inclusive workplace for all women of color (WOC) through WOCShops and individual personal trainings. To round things off Dr. Moore combines her experiences as a WOC Scientist with her upbeat personality in her Academic Standup Shows, both communicating science and the struggles of being a minority in STEM.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about agricultural and biological engineering as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a postharvest scientist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: October 13, 2020 at 4:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Agricultural Science and Engineering, Food Science, Conservation

STEMExplore Mentor: Ratna Suthar, Postharvest Scientist and PhD Student at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

Ratna was born and raised in New Jersey. Growing up she had a love for learning the science behind everyday things including food and medicine. She was studying chemistry as an undergrad at University of South Florida where she got involved in research on food quality and shelf life of fresh produce. They looked at things like how Vitamin C levels change in strawberries as they go through supply chain conditions from harvest to market. It was fascinating that one could quantify quality – a subjective measure of consumer acceptability. Inspired to continue research, she applied to graduate program at UF Agricultural and Biological Engineering where she did a masters and now finishing her PhD.

According to FAO, by the year 2050 our population is going to reach 9 billion, and we will have to increase food availability to meet the demand. One way is to increase food production but another way by is reducing the amount of food loss/waste. Technologies such as controlled atmosphere packaging, edible coatings and finding optimal storage conditions can help alleviate this issue. The problem of food loss/waste has only been exacerbated due to COVID. It is imperative that we continue developing technologies to protect our food from going to waste.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about water conservation and water biogeochemistry as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a water biogeochemist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: December 2, 2020 at 6:30 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Watershed Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Marine Science, Conservation

STEMExplore Mentor: Diana Oviedo Vargas, Watershed Biogeochemist at Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, PA.

Diana's research seeks to improve our knowledge about the elemental cycles in streams, rivers, and estuaries and how they are linked to each other, to the water cycle, and to the terrestrial ecosystem at the surface and the subsurface level. Some of her current research interests include the nitrogen and phosphorus transport and transformation in fluvial systems and how human activities such as agriculture and urbanization can affect these processes; the quantification and characterization of the multiple carbon pools and fluxes in aquatic ecosystems and their role in global climate change; and the effects of emerging contaminants, like pharmaceutical products and microplastics, on the health of streams and rivers. Diana's expertise includes aquatic ecosystems in temperate and tropical zones and along the full river continuum, from headwaters, to large rivers, to estuaries and the coastal ocean.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about fisheries biology and marine biology as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a fisheries biologist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: November 18, 2020 at 6:30 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Fisheries Biology, Ecology, Marine Science, Conservation

STEMExplore Mentor: Dr. Julie Vecchio, Fisheries Biologist at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, FL.

Julie is a marine biologist who has worked in Florida fisheries for over 15 years. She has experience in all aspects of fisheries data collection and analysis as well as being an experienced outdoor educator and scuba dive instructor. Most recently, she used stable isotopes (chemistry) in the eye-lenses of fish to track their diets and movements over the entire lifetime. All data collections and analysis that Julie has contributed to are directly related to the management of fisheries in the state of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about conservation criminology and public policy as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a conservation criminologist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: November 10, 2020 at 4:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Conservation Criminology, Ecology, Conservation, Public Policy

STEMExplore Mentor: Aalayna Green, Conservation Criminology Student at Michigan State University

Aalayna Green is pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Zoology with a focus in Conservation Criminology & Public Policy, and a minor in Women's & Gender Studies at Michigan State University. Aalayna intends on pursuing a graduate degree in global conservation policy and environmental criminology. She has interest in wildlife conservation, indigenous rights, natural resource policy, wildlife crime, feminist political ecology, water sanitation, community conservation and environmental sustainability. In her free time, Aalayna enjoys vegan baking, canoeing, playing with her cats, and traveling.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentors will share their personal journeys and the positive influences that helped them to realize their professional capabilities. Minorities in Shark Science (MISS), is an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in shark science. MISS encourages women of color to push through barriers and contribute knowledge to marine science.

During this 30-45 minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about marine science as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a marine scientist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: October 28, 2020 at 6:30 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Marine Science, Elasmobranch Ecology, Conservation

STEMExplore Mentors: Jaida Elcock, Carlee Jackson, Amani Webber-Schultz, and Jasmin Graham - Founders of Minorities in Shark Science (MISS)

MISS was founded by four Black female shark researchers. We strive to be seen and take up space in a discipline that has been largely inaccessible for women like us. We strive to be positive role models for the next generation. We seek to promote diversity and inclusion in shark science and encourage women of color to push through barriers and contribute knowledge in marine science. Finally, we hope to topple the system that has historically excluded women like us and create an equitable path to shark science. We believe diversity in scientists creates diversity in thought, which leads to innovation.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about marine science as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a conservationist working in fisheries management;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: July 29, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Marine Science, Fisheries, Conservation Management

STEMExplore Mentor: Dr. Karlisa Callwood, Director, Community Conservation Action Program at Perry Institute for Marine Science

Dr. Karlisa Callwood is a marine scientist and educator who focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to evaluating fisheries and conservation management.  Her interests include establishing practices to enhance science education, particularly from those from undeserved communities, and enhancing strategies to better bridge the gaps that exist between scientists, policymakers, and the public through informal science learning and interdisciplinary approaches.

Karlisa has over a decade of experience developing and managing informal science education programming. She has created and overseen the implementation of a variety of science programs and grant projects at organizations like the Frost Museum of Science, the Deering Estate at Cutler, Breakthrough Miami, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, and Pacific Science Center.  This includes the management of several programs focused specifically on engaging students from underrepresented and underserved communities in the sciences.

A native of the USVI, Karlisa graduated from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Marine Science and Biology, an M.S. in Marine Affairs and Policy, and a Ph.D. in Ecosystem Science and Policy, with a focus on interdisciplinary studies of fisheries management, conservation and sustainability.  Her dissertation examined the natural and anthropogenic factors that influence the Bahamian Spiny Lobster fishery, including the role of condos as a collection method, the dispersal and connectivity of spiny lobster larvae throughout the Caribbean, the bioeconomic impacts on the fishery, and the perceptions of all the stakeholders involved, and how all these elements interact to create and define the fishery, including the implications of this convergence on overall management.   Karlisa’s current research is focused on the socio-economic dynamics and fishery perceptions of an emerging parrotfish fishery in The Bahamas.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events. The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about engineering as a career in general;
- Recognize that there are various types of engineering;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a transmission line engineer;
- Learn the benefits of sustainable energy;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Sustainable Energy

STEMExplore Mentor: Shavonti Archer, Transmission Line Engineer at Engineered Design Services LLC & Founder of Systematic Motivation, LLC
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Shavonti Archer is a skilled engineer by trade, advocating for diversity within the engineering community. She founded Systematic Motivation, LLC in 2018, a company whose primary focus is creating more opportunities for minority students to explore their interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs and encourage their desire to pursue a career in STEM. Born and raised in Locust Grove, Georgia where she attended Luella High School, Archer quickly discovered her love for engineering as a 10th grade student. She was instantly captivated by videos of solar and wind farms. Shavonti is a thought leader with a passion for giving back. Systematic Motivation, LLC further supports the idea that engineers are not limited to a certain look or color. Though the industry is dominated by those who are not minorities, there is still room for pioneers from other communities. Systematic Motivation’s aspires to level the playing field & broaden the horizons for all students.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events. The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute Virtual Career Connection, the participants will:

- Learn about engineering as a career in general;

- Recognize that there are various types of engineering;

- Observe the day to day tasks of a structural engineer;

- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;

- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

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Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Structural Engineering

STEMExplore Mentor: Shilpa Botu, Associate Director, Structural Engineering & PSP Signatory at Collins Aerospace

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Shilpa Botu, Associate Director of Structural Engineering, is responsible for sign off as a FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) representative on the final product Collins Aerospace manufactures. Collins Aerospace engineers and creates aircraft interiors for commercial aircraft such as Boeing and Airbus. Shilpa is also responsible for training and development of young engineers that join Collins Aerospace certification group.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute session, the participants will:

- Learn about ocean conservation and marine science as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a marine scientist working in cetacean (dolphin and whale) acoustics;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: July 15, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Marine Science, Cetacean Behavior & Acoustics, Ocean Conservation

STEMExplore Mentor: Dr. Morgan Martin, Marine Scientist, University of Southern Denmark

Morgan is a visiting scientist at the University of Southern Denmark. She has an MSc in Marine Science from the University of San Diego, California, and a BSc in Biology from the University of New Orleans, Louisiana. Morgan recently finished her PhD in Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. From 2015 - March 2019, she was based in Namibia, southern Africa, conducting her PhD research on the underwater acoustics of two species of wild African dolphins: Heaviside’s dolphins and dusky dolphins. She specializes in using underwater acoustics to estimate cetacean abundance and to study animal behavior.

Her PhD research is the first to show that a toothed whale (Heaviside’s dolphins) can produce two distinct types of echolocation clicks, which questions what we currently understand about how toothed whales produce biosonar. Morgan recently completed a fieldwork season in Patagonia to record the behaviour and underwater vocalizations of Commerson’s dolphins and Peale’s dolphins. She has just returned from working in Antarctica recording marine mammals as well as chinstrap, adelie and gentoo penguins. Morgan plans to begin a new project in June which involves tagging bowhead whales in the Canadian Arctic to study the effects of ship noise pollution.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events. The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about coral reef conservation and marine science as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of a coral reef ecologist and marine conservationist;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Biology; Marine Science; Ecology; Coral Reefs

STEMExplore Mentor: Daniela Escontrela, PhD Student, Marine Biology, University of Hawai`i at Mānoa

Dani was born in Venezuela and has always lived within a few hours of the beach. She remembers frequent weekend or summer getaways where she got to explore the coastlines and marine life, and ultimately, fall in love with the ocean. When she moved to Florida, those adventures continued. At the young age of 13, Dani was introduced scuba diving! She started college at the University of Miami in 2011 where she became involved with the shark research laboratory and continued her diving profession, becoming and working as a dive instructor. In her third year of college, Dani studied abroad in the Galapagos. After graduating, she moved to Belize where she worked for a year for the NGO Blue Ventures as a Field Scientist. Shortly there after she moved on to the Philippines where she served as a US Peace Corps Coastal Resource Manager for over two years. Once her time came to a close, she moved to DC where she worked for a philanthropy, The Summit Foundation where she managed grants that were awarded to conservation organizations in Belize, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. Most recently, Dani received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship which gave her the opportunity to go back to school to pursue her graduate studies. Currently, she is at the University of Hawaii where she just completed the first year of her PhD program and where she will be studying coral reefs in Hawai‘i.

Join EarthEcho International as we highlight relatable voices in STEM careers! With STEMExplore, we invite female professionals to share their STEM journey with a live audience during dynamic virtual events.

The conversation will focus on women in STEM and the STEMExplore Mentor will share her personal journey and the positive influences that helped her to realize her professional capabilities.

During this 30-minute session, the participants will:
- Learn about marine science as a career in general;
- Observe the day to day tasks of an elasmobranch ecologist, conservationist, and special project coordinator;
- Gain insight into a STEM career and learn the steps it takes to become a professional in this area;
- Ask interview questions of the STEMExplore expert.

Date: July 1, 2020 at 1:00 PM EASTERN

Topic/Career: Marine Science, Equality, Diversity, Conservation
STEMExplore Mentor: Jasmin Graham, MarSci-LACE Coordinator at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, FL.

Jasmin is a marine biologist specializing in elasmobranch ecology and evolution. Her past research interests include smalltooth sawfish movement ecology and hammerhead shark phylogeny. She received her B.S. in Marine Biology and her B.A. in Spanish from the College of Charleston where she was a member of the Honors College and the William Aiken Fellows Society. Funded by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program she completed a MSc. in Biological Science at Florida State University. She is a member of the American Elasmobranch Society and served on their Student Action Committee for two years. Jasmin completed internships with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Fort Johnson Marine Lab and FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management. She worked as an instructor for the Saturday at the Sea program through the Florida State University Office of STEM Teaching Activities. Jasmin has a passion for science education and making science more accessible for everyone. She is excited to be part of the MarSci-LACE project and help open doors for more underrepresented minority students to join the exciting field of marine science.