Student Fellows Learn from Nobel Physics Prize Winner, Artificial Intelligence Expert, Physical Therapist, and Sea Ice Scientist Via Fellowship Program
Not many high school students get the opportunity to sit down with the range of STEM professionals that Sandra Lee Heyman STEM Career Awareness Fellows meet during the course of their three-semester program.
Just this past fall, in four Zoom sessions, Class 6 Fellows heard descriptions of the work done by – and received practical advice from and posed questions to:
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Eric Cornell who shared his inspiring journey from being a curious student not necessarily interested in science to becoming a pioneer of Bose-Einstein condensates, the coldest matter ever created. The discussion explored Dr. Cornell’s early influences; he was influenced by several high school teachers – though he wasn’t especially interested in science nor was he one of the top member of the math team. The fellows also hear about his academic path (including not initially planning to pursue physics or even science), various jobs (including a break during college to teach English in Taiwan), his “magical moment” when he got a job working in a physics lab at college, and his groundbreaking physics research.
Elham Tabassi, Director of the Brookings Institution’s Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative and a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, has been featured by Time magazine as an AI expert. In a discussion with the Fellows, she shared her path from earning an electrical engineering degree and then specializing in fingerprint analysis and biometrics, to helping shape global AI governance. Drawing on her work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and at Brookings, Tabassi explained how AI is developed and governed, along with issues regarding its trustworthiness, and related aspects of bias, creativity, and workforce impacts. She answered questions about how AI was likely to affect STEM careers overall and stressed the importance of critical thinking. Tabassi also offered practical advice for students considering AI careers, emphasizing the value of strong foundations in math, programming, and problem-solving as the key to thriving in a rapidly evolving field.
Physical Therapist Rachel Miller spoke with the fellows about her 30-year journey from an ankle injury in high school, her initial plans to become a computer major to considering becoming a surgeon, to her eventual decision to pursue physical therapy (PT) and founding her own practice. She described the realities of PT vs medical school, career options, financial planning, and her rewarding work of helping patients recover and thrive. Miller also compared PT’s educational requirements and responsibilities with those for occupational therapy and massage therapy, as well as orthopedic doctors. Miller and offered advice on pros and cons of each, including background and lifestyle implications related to setting up one’s own therapy business.
Ocean scientist Dr. Lynette Boisvert discussed the science of sea ice, climate change, and what life is like as a polar researcher. From earning an undergraduate degree in environmental science and mathematics to her doctorate in atmospheric and oceanic science and later flying over Antarctica with Operation IceBridge to analyzing global satellite data, Boisvert described her work as a NASA scientist. Answering questions posed to her, she also delved into the differences between government and industry research in her arena, the challenges of attracting funding to support her research work, and what being a postdoctoral fellow and then a manager involved. Dr. Boisvert also offered the fellows a raft of education and career advice for aspiring scientists and engineers, regardless of their specific field.
For more information about the Sandra Lee Heyman Fellowship or how to get involved, go to https://www.theslhfoundation.org/fellowship or contact mat@theslhfoundation.org
Fellowship applications become available each October. The Foundation recently announced that 73 class 7 fellows have been selected from 22 high schools around Maryland and from Washington, D.C.