Fem in STEM: a short podcast series

Senior Project Advisor

Lina Dahlberg

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Keywords

biology, women, feminism, science

Abstract

Did you know that, according to 2021 graduate data from College Factual, Biology at Western Washington University is 75% female? Although this varies from year to year, this is a staggering statistic, especially considering Western as a whole is only 57% female. Being in a female-dominated Biology research lab myself, this experience greatly enriched my time at Western, and I wanted to collect and disseminate the experiences of other women in similar spaces. Through a short podcast series, I set out to explore why so many women are in Biology at WWU, especially in the context of undergraduate research labs. This series consists of four podcast episodes, which all feature women in STEM fields at WWU. In the first two episodes, I interview students in Biology labs to collect their experiences. In the third, I interview some Chemistry students—a discipline which is only 39% female—to compare their experiences with those of Biology students. Finally, I had the opportunity to interview three faculty members—the PIs (principle investigators) of the students I interviewed—in the fourth episode to gather their perspectives. All students spoke fondly of their experiences of being in female-dominated spaces and of the close friendships and working relationships they have fostered along the way. They felt safe and supported in asking the hard questions and felt their PIs were instrumental in creating these inclusive spaces. The faculty, in turn, spoke on their efforts in creating these spaces, and how their own educational experiences often influence how they structure their labs now. Overall, these women acknowledged a huge shift towards inclusivity that is occurring—both at Western and in the STEM field as a whole—and the excitement around their being a part of this shift.

Department

Biology

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS