Sceleb | Kasha Patel

Kasha Patel is an American science journalist and comedian. Patel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University in 2012 and a Master of Science degree in science journalism Boston University in 2013.

Patel currently works as a digital storyteller for the NASA Earth Observatory. She has published papers in scientific journals and has been featured in The Washington Post, BBC World News, and the Travel Channel. In 2016, Patel hosted the mini-series "Earth Expeditions" on NASA TV that profiled research on the world's pressing environmental issues.

Patel started doing standup comedy in Boston but moved to Washington, DC in 2013 and continued doing standup across the country. In her own words, Patel "fills the unknown demand of Indian female comics from West Virginia" and focuses her jokes on her life as an Indian-American and science. She has opened for comedians such as Natasha Leggero, Jen Kirkman, Christian Finnegan, Mitch Fatel, and Vir Das. Patel has produced one of the only regularly-recurring science comedy shows in the United States, DC Science Comedy, since 2014.

In 2018, Patel both presented at the AAAS conference as a science journalist and performed as a comedian. That same year, Patel was named one of the "Best Undiscovered Comedians in America" by Thrillist.

Patel was named the Future-ish 2020 Queen of the Smart Set.

Social Media

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>> Facebook | DC Science Comedy
>> Instagram: @kashablanca
>> LinkedIn
>> Twitter: @kashapatel | DC Science Comedy

Additional Reading

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• Ahmed, I. 2019. Stand-up scientists use comedy to reach beyond the ivory tower. Phys.org
• Floyd, T. 2019. Comedian Kasha Patel studies the science of laughter on her D.C. Dream Day. The Washington Post
• Wikipedia

Sceleb | Shayla Rivera

Shayla Rivera promo pic for HBO Latino's "Entre Nos".
Image credit: HBO Latino
Shayla Rivera is a Puerto Rican American aerospace engineer, comedian, and STEM advocate. Rivera also wears many other hats including keynote speaker, Professor of Practice at Texas A&M, and producer. Often described as a renaissance woman, she uses humor to share her own story, as well as to inspire others.

Rivera was born and grew up in Puerto Rico. Her interest in science and engineering started at an early age, along with a keen interest in human behavior. Rivera earned a BS in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M where she also took additional courses in psychology. After graduation, Rivera worked for McDonnell Douglas Space Systems as a rocket scientist, literally, in programs including the NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station. She left NASA after five years to pursue her interest in psychology that eventually led her to corporate training, executive seminars, and motivational speaking. It was in this role that she also discovered her talent for comedy.

She worked with Debbie Allen to create the hit one woman show “Rocket Science and Salsa,” and was honored with a "Best Lead Actress" nomination by the NAACP Theater Awards. For the same production, Allen also received a nomination for "Best Choreography". She went on to participated in many other comedy events, shows, and series and was honored by Latin 2015 as the Finniest Latina Comedian.

Rivera received the Award for Excellence in Public Speaking by the Latino Speakers Bureau in 2010, LA's “Mario Moreno Cantinflas Award” in 2014, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service Participation in 2017.

Rivera was named the Future-ish 2019 Queen of the Smart Set.

NewsFusion | 056

NewsFusion for November 2018

Science...

• Australia government names it's first 'Women in STEM Ambassador' | Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
• Scientists continue to respond to He Jiankui's CRISPR gene editing work | Nature
• After successful landing on Mars, we get to follow the adventures of NASA's InSight as it explores the red planet | NASA

Design...

• SpaceX is sending Trevor Paglen artwork into space | WIRED
• Amy Schumer launching inclusive fashion label | Harper's Bazaar
• Architecture and design are foundation of improving public health | Mashable

Culture...

• Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland become first Native women elected to US Congress | CNN
• Slovenia's Major General Alenka Ermenc becomes first female military leader among NATO countries | BBC
• SpaceX to launch a project of artist Tavares Strachen and LACMA, a tiny memorial satellite containing 24-karat-gold canopic jar with a bust of Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr., the first African American Astronaut | IEEE Spectrum

Miss Next Century 2018 | Kára McCullough

Image credit: Miss Universe
Kára Deidra McCullough is an American physical scientist and emergency preparedness specialist. McCullough is also the winner of the 2017 Miss USA pageant and represented the USA in the 2017 Miss Universe contest where she was a top 10 finalist.

McCullough was born in Naples, Italy to US military family but spent most of her childhood in Virginia Beach. Her mother's role as Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy gave Kára the opportunity to travel and learn about diverse cultures in places like Hawaii, Japan, Sicily, and South Korea.

McCullough often speaks about her interest in science from a very young age. Her interest continued to grow so pursuing a career in sciences was a clear choice for her. McCullough earned her Bachelor of Sciences in Chemistry with a focus on radiochemistry at South Carolina State University where she also first became a member of the American Chemical Society, the Health Physics Society, and the American Nuclear Society. She was also inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society and the National Society of Black Engineers. At the time of the Miss USA pageant, McCullough worked at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response as an emergency preparedness specialist.

McCullough interest in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) led her to create an outreach program called Science Exploration for Kids (SE4K) that she funds herself. SE4k creates interactive activities celebrating and cultivate a passion for STEM subjects among children. As Miss USA, McCullough plans to expand her program throughout the country

McCullough is also a great example of the importance of being well-rounded in interests and activities. In addition to her professional career and her work to inspire young minds to study STEM subjects, her personal love and participation in sports led her to coach a girls youth sports program in while she lived and worked in Washington, DC. She loves cooking Italian and soul food and she's making the most out of her new life in New York city by exploring the Big Apple on her bike or rollerblades.

McCullough was named Future-ish's 8th Miss Next Century in 2018.

Below is a video of McCullough talking about her love for science and starting Science Exploration for Kids (SE4K):

NewsFusion | 026

NewsFusion for June 2016

Science...

• EEK! World observatories reporting highest carbon dioxide levels in 4 million years | Mashable
• Physicists using algorithms to predict ISIS attacks | New York Times
• Big, BIG deal: 3D printer works in space

Design...

• Dezeen crushes on Icelandic architecture and design | Dezeen
• Design thinking is helping business schools innovate | Fast Company Co.Design
• B.YELLOWTAIL COLLECTIVE "Millenia" video fuses fashion, poetry, culture, and ancestry

Culture...

• Colonel Scott McLaughlin shares experience as open LGBT service member and leader in US Air Force | 446th Airlift Wing
• Port Gamble S'Klallam comic book artist Jeffrey Veregge responds to Orlando tragedy: an NDN geek on 'hope' | Indian Country Today
• Seattle's Fred Hutch hosts Rockstar Women in Science event June 22

Sceleb | Segenet Kelemu

Segenet Kelemu is an Ethiopian plant pathologist specializing in plant-insect interactions. Kelemu received her BS in plant sciences at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. She then completed her MS in Genetics at Montana State University in 1985, her PhD at Kansas State University in 1989 in Molecular Biology, and served as a post-doc research scientist at Cornell until 1992. Kelemu then worked in Columbia for several years before returning to research and leadership positions in Africa.

Kelemu is currently the Director General of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kelemu has received numerous awards and honors including The World Academy of Sciences Prize in Agricultural Sciences 2006 and the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award in 2014.

Kelemu was added to ur PISA List in 2014.

>> CNN African Voices video on Kelemu (3 part series)

2014 L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards Video...

Maryam Mirzakhani Wins Fields Medal

The equation for getting young women interested in math just got simplified. In August 2014, Stanford Math Professor Maryam Mirzakhani won the Fields Medal. Considered the Nobel of prize of mathematics, it is the the first time a female has received the award in it's 80 year history, as well as the first time an Iranian has won the medal.

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• Carey, B. 2014. Stanford's Maryam Mirzakhani wins Fields Medal. Stanford News
• Chang, K. 2014. Top Math Prize Has Its First Female Winner. The New York Times
• Coy, P. 2014. How to do math like medal-winning a genius. Business Week
• Dehghan, S. K. 2014. Iranian president tweets bare-headed photo of Maryam Mirzakhani. The Guardian
• Moyer, J. 2014. A woman wins ‘Nobel Prize of math’ for the first time. The Washington Post
• Sample, I. 2014. Fields Medal mathematics prize won by woman for first time in its history.The Guardian

Press | Huff Post Girls in STEM

11.21.13 Huffington Post Girls in Stem blogger Marga Gual Soler (who, in full disclosure, was one of the researchers named on our 2013 Stylish Scientist List) covers the takeover of Seventeen Magazine's #ManicureMonday hastag on November 18, 2013 in her post, On #ManicureMonday and the Sexy/Smart Dichotomy of Girls in STEM. Gual Soler gives a shoutout to Future-ish and notes that, unlike other professions, it is only the sciences that seem to require professionals to choose between being stylish and being taken seriously in their industry.

Stylish Scientist | Heidi K. Smith

Future-ish is excited to promote a project of Olya Yarychkivska on her blog, Lunarka's Treasure Box. Each week, Olya posts a real life stylish scientist. This week, Olya selected UT-Austin behavioral ecologist, Heidi K. Smith. Follow the hyperlink above for more pics and bio.

Culture Icon & Sceleb | Yvette Roubideaux

Yvette Roubideaux, a member of the the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, is a Native American physician and public health administrator. She is currently the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Roubideaux completed her BA degree at Harvard and continued on to earn her MD at Harvard in 1989. She then completed her residency requirement in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 1992 followed by four years of clinical practice. Roubideaux then returned to Harvard to earn a MPH in 1997 and carried out a Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy.

Roubideaux served as assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of Arizona where her research and teaching focused on diabetes in American Indians/Alaska Natives and Indian health policy. She also served in a faculty role at the University of Colorado in the Native Elder Resource Center Native Investigator Program.

Roubideaux's career in IHS started when she served as medical officer and clinical director on the San Carlos Indian Reservation and in the Gila River Indian Community. In was in 2009 when President Obama nominated Roubideaux for the position of Director of IHS and she was confirmed in the position in May of that year becoming the first female to be appointed to the position.

Roubideaux was added to our PISA List in 2013.

Environmental Health Scientist | Vanessa Galaviz

Vanessa Galaviz is an American environmental health scientist.

Galaviz completed degrees at San Diego State University and UC Diego and received her PhD in Environmental & Occupational Hygiene in 2013 from the University of Washington.

She has always had a strong interest in understanding and addressing the environmental health of minority and low-income communities. Her graduate work fell well within this area, researching diesel exposure among pedestrians who cross the US–Mexico border in San Ysidro, CA. The cross-border findings have already helped establish a biomarker for diesel exposure and has already been used by San Ysidro to consider policy changes.

Galaviz has already received multiple awards in her career, including the Casa Familiar ABRAZO Award in 2011, the the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Volunteer Award in 2012, and the Gilbert S. Omenn Award for Academic Excellence in 2013.

In addition to her academic work, Galaviz is very active in the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and is passionate about inspiring high school and undergraduate students, especially minority students, to pursue science as a career. She is famous at for her ability to organize field trips and lab visits for budding scientists and uses any national meeting she may presenting her work at to also network with and recruit prospective students.

Computational Biologist | Holly M. Bik

Holly M. Bik is an American computational biologist. Bik completed her BS in Biological Sciences at Kings College in London in 2005 and her PhD in Biology at University of Southhampton in 2010. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis.

Bik is currently the primary investigator (PI) or Co-PI on multiple projects and has authored a long list of publications. She is an advocate of social media in the sciences and a strong proponent of the Open Access movement. Bik writes for several science websites and also authors Haute Science which connects her interest in art, fashion, and science.

Bik has appeared on our Stylish Scientist List since 2012 and expect to see her there for many years to come.

>> Eukaryotic Ebullience Blog
>> Haute Science Blog
>> Online Lab Book
>> Twitter: @Dr_Bik

Genetics & Development PhD Student | Olya Yarychkivska

Olya Yarychkivska is a Ukrainian PhD student in Genetics & Development at Columbia University. Prior to Columbia, Yarychkivska completed biology degrees at Manor College and Drexel University. In addition to her academic work, Yarychkivska is a musician and artist. She is passionate about environmental issues and volunteers in many community organizations.

Yarychkivska is also the creative mind behind Lunarka's Treasure Box where, among many and diverse topics, she started "Stylish Scientists" a weekly series on stylish researchers she comes across in her work.

Yarychkivska landed on our Future-ish Stylish Scientist List in 2013.

Science Diplomat | Marga Gual Soler

Marga Gual Soler is a Spanish cell biologist turned science diplomat, science advocate, and STEM activist. A self proclaimed "scientist without borders" she is passionate about science diplomacy and promoting women in science.

Gual Soler grew up on the small Spanish island of Mallorca located in the Mediterranean and traces her interest in science back to age 12 when she started reading science books in her villages small library. Gual Soler completed BS and MS degrees in biology at the University of Barcelona and then her PhD in molecular cell biology from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia in 2013.

In addition to her coursework and research with the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, she joined their Science Ambassadors Program. But it was her work after her PhD, with an international NGO that provided science education programs across many countries, that she fully realized her interest in the role science cooperation and diplomacy can play in human health and environment issues in international development. In 2013, she solidified her own science and policy skills by completing a high-level internship with the United Nations in New York City that culminated in opportunities to attend and present at UN agency meetings in Geneva and Paris.

Gual Soler's science activism is most apparent when the topic of inspiring women and girls to pursue STEM careers...she is an eager advocate and networker on the subject and is an expert at channeling the power of social media around the challenge.

Outside of her science diplomacy and promotion efforts, Gual Soler is an international traveler and an avid scuba diver having explored "underwater paradises" of Australia, Bali, Borneo, Cuba and Mexico.

Perhaps most impressive of all, at least for us here at Future-ish, is that she landed the #2 spot on our women's 2013 Stylish Scientist List...in her first year on the list!
Congrats Marga, we can't wait to see the great things you will accomplish in your career!!!

Sceleb | Crystal Dilworth

Crystal Dilworth is an American molecular neurologist. Dilworth completed her BS in Biochemisty at UC San Diego and is currently a Molecular Neuroscience PhD student at Caltech.

Already an accomplished rythmic gymnast, violinist, ballet dancer, and choreographer before college, it was an internship at Scripps Institution of Oceanography that convinced her that science was "cool". Later, while pursuing ballet at the Ailey School of dance in NYC, it was chemistry seminars at Columbia University that made her realize her interest in science as a career.

A true renaissance woman, Dilworth is happy to prove that you can do it all. In addition to her academic work, she continues to dance professionally and has dabbled in acting and edutainment. She is the host of FailLab on TestTube, a Discovery Digital Network and was a lead character in the Caltech student-produced film, PHD Movie. She is also part of the creative team that produces PHD Comics.

One thing that spans all of Dilworth's work is her passion for breaking stereotypes and inspiring young people to pursue STEM subjects. This fact comes across quite well in Dilworth's presentation at the 2013 TedXYouth at Caltech below:



Dilworth debuted on our Stylish Scientist List in 2013. Just a guess but she'll probably be there again in the future. And again, and again, and again.

>> TEDxYouth: The Myth of the Scientist
>> Twitter: @PolycrystalhD

Sceleb | Iva Tolić-Nørrelykke

Image credit: Christopher Ing via Fresh Photons
Iva Tolić-Nørrelykke is a Croatian biophysicist.

Tolić-Nørrelykke earned her Diploma in Molecular Biology in 1996 and her PhD in Molecular Biology in 2002, both from the University of Zagreb in Croatia. Along the way she also conducted research at Harvard and the Niels Borh Institute in Denmark and completed post-doc research at the European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) in Italy. Since 2005, she has worked at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Germany as a Research Group Leader and a Senior Research Group Leader. Her work now focuses on microtubules and motors in cell division.

When not leading experiments or other academic work, Tolić-Nørrelykke can likely be found at the beach, sailing, traveling, or appreciating some good music.

Tolić-Nørrelykke was named on our Stylish Scientist List for 2013.

Bioethics Researcher | Kelly Edwards

Kelly Edwards is an American bioethics researcher. Edwards completed her BA in Philosophy at Occidental College in California, her MA in Medical Ethics at the University of Washington (UW), and then her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, also at UW. She is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioethics and Humanities at the UW School of Medicine and core faculty for the UW Institute for Public Health Genetics. Edwards became Associate Dean of UW The Graduate School in 2013.

Edwards serves leadership roles in multiple centers and studies at the UW including the Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health and the Center for Genomics and Healthcare Equality among others. Edwards is particularly passionate about community-based research practices, biobanking governance, environmental justice, ethics in research and training practice, feminist and narrative approaches to bioethics, science outreach and engagement, and public policy.

Edwards was named on our 2013 Stylish Scientist List.

>> Twitter: @EngagedEthics
>> Website

Sceleb | Pardis Sabeti

Pardis Sabeti is an American computational geneticist. Born in Tehran, Sabeti's family moved to the US from Iran when she was four years old.

Sabeti completed a BS in biology at MIT where she was also class president and a member of the varsity tennis team. She was Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and received a doctorate in evolutionary genetics in 2002. In 2006, Sabeti completed a MD, summa cum laude, at Harvard Medical School. Sabeti is now an associate professor Harvard University in the Center for Systems Biology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. She also holds positions at the Harvard School of Public Health the Broad Institute.

Sabeti's awards include a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, a Packard Foundation award in Science and Engineering, and an NIH Innovator Award. She also received awards from NIAID, TMTI, and the Gates Foundation and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a PopTech Science Fellow, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

Firmly in the 'rockstar scientist' category, Sabeti is also the lead singer and writer for the alternative rock band Thousand Days.

Sabeti also debuted on our Stylish Scientist List in 2013.

SeanChron | Four New Female Heroes

Image credit: Natalia Hawk, Mamamia. Original photos from NASA
Fantastic article by Natalia Hawk on Mamamia.com.au, "Glass ceiling? What glass ceiling?", on the importance NASA's 2013 Astronaut Class. NASA chose eight candidates for 2013 out of 6,300 individuals. Four of those candidates were women...Christina Hammock, Nicole Mann, Anne McClain and Jessica Meir. Hawk's article is not just a call to action to find better heroes for us all, it is a rally cry to celebrate and appreciate smart women. We here at Future-ish are excited to answer Hawk's call to spread the word about these outstanding women.

via mamamia.com.au.

Digital Innovation Researcher | Cathy N. Davis

Cathy N. Davidson is an American English Professor, digital innovation researcher, and institutional change consultant.

Davidson received her BA in Philosophy and English from Elmhurst College in 1970 and then completed her MA and and PhD in English at the University of New York-Binghamton by 1974. Davidson conducted postdoctoral research in linguistics and literary theory at the University of Chicago. She has also received honorary doctorates from Elmhurst College and Northwestern University.

Davidson was a Professor of English at Michigan State University from 1976 to 1989 and served as visiting professor at universities around the world for several years in England, Japan, and Spain. She joined the faculty at Duke University as a Professor of English in 1989. Today, she holds two prestigious chairs at Duke, the Ruth F. DeVarney Professor of English and the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies. Her academic and consulting work focuses the history of technology, collaboration, cognition, innovative learning-applications, virtual communities, digital literacy, and new media.

Davidson has served in leadership positions at Duke and held many external leadership roles as well, including the role of Editor of American Literature from 1989 to 1999. She has received numerous grants, fellowships, and awards which has supported her efforts to bridge the humanities and social sciences with natural sciences. In 2010, she was appointed to a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities after being nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate. In this role she has been a passionate advocate for including the arts in efforts to develop better STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

Davidson was named on our Stylish Scientist List in 2012 and 2013.

>> Twitter: @CathyNDavidson
>> Wikipedia