Science Cheerleader

Dr. John here… If you were to passively glance at the above photo, you may assume that I have a lot in common with today’s Science Cheerleader guest, Sami, a clinical research coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)’s Eye Center.

Sami has a bachelor’s degree in biology (like me) from Washington & Jefferson College, and she is currently involved in scientific research investigating the retina (so was I). Even crazier is that her favorite team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and my favorite team, the Arizona Cardinals, recently lost to those same Steelers on a devastating, unforgettable, and life-altering last-second play in the Super Bow!

What you wouldn’t know is that (unlike me) Sami is also an All-Star collegiate cheerleader with ten years of experience cheering for football, basketball, wrestling, and soccer teams  – pretty much every high school and college sport except quidditch. Best of all, she’s a high achiever who was named team captain at multiple levels of competition and will be pursing a Masters and PhD in genetics.

How did she manage the rigors of two challenging fields like science and cheerleading? You’ll find out in the interview below! Thanks to Sami for supporting our continuing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes and inspire young women to consider careers in science.

Sami, what type of scientist are you, and what is your current position?

I am responsible for all retina studies conducted at the UPMC Eye Center, which means checking study patients’ vision and eye pressure before the doctor examines them, recording data, prepping patients for injections when necessary, and maintaining the regulatory binders for each study. (A regulatory binder is a binder, or often set of binders, which has all of the essential documents required for a study. One major document in every “reg binder,” is the protocol, which details every aspect of the study such as who can participate, what is being researched and why, and how the data will be analyzed.) It’s a great fit for me because it combines my biology background with my interest in the biomedical field , my annoying over-organizational skills, and my love of working with people.

Which teams have you cheered for?

I began cheering for my community recreational squad, the Lil’ Macs, at the age of 12. After cheering for them my 7th and 8th grade years, I became a member of Canon-McMillan High School’s (Canonsburg, PA) Junior Varsity squad. I landed a spot on the Varsity squad my sophomore year, and continued cheering for the Big Macs through my senior year (2005-2006), when I was named one of the captains.

I pursued my love of cheering in college, cheering for the Washington &  Jefferson College (W&J) Presidents all four years of my undergraduate work. I had the pleasure and privilege of serving as co-captain of this squad my junior year (2008-2009) and captain my senior year (2009-2010). During my senior year, I was also selected as a UCA all-star. I have cheered for football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, as well as participated in a number of parades during my 10 years as a cheerleader, and I have performed all stunting positions. I competed at the local, regional, and national levels while in high school, and helped W&J’s squad compete for the first time ever in the spring of 2009.

Who or what experience turned you on to science?

This is a really interesting question for me, because I’ve never really considered myself a science person. I always did well in school, but tended to prefer subjects like English and history over science. Despite my preference for less systematic subjects, I have always found DNA really interesting (because I am, not-so-secretly, a HUGE nerd), but had no idea what people who studied science did besides work in a lab or become a doctor (neither of which I had any interest at the time).

I took general biology my freshman year to get my lab credit out of the way and complained the whole time about how silly it was for me to take a course that could not possibly assist me in my initial career choice, high school English teacher. My intrigue in the microscopic world of genes persisted, though, and I requested to bypass the second semester of general biology to take genetics as an elective in the spring of my freshman year. The department chair, a woman who ended up being one of my favorite professors and role models by my senior year, explained that I should take the requisite second semester of general biology before genetics. Sure, exceptions had been made, but it was only one more semester, I was a freshman, and what f I decided down the road I really wanted to major or minor in biology? Bypassing that second semester would eliminate that possibility.

So, grudgingly, I agreed to follow the curriculum. And by the fall of my sophomore year, I had declared my double major: English and Biology. It still took a little while getting used to, because I’d never expected to major in anything remotely related to the sciences, but my professors were all very encouraging and so interested in what they were teaching, that it made me want to learn more, too.

And I had discovered that my love of those little nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) could translate into a career in genetic counseling, research (which I discovered I really enjoyed—there are so many things to learn!), and my ultimate goal, college professor.

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Dr. John here… After a great interview with San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader Erica, (and as part of our continuing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes and inspire young women to consider careers in science) I thought we’d make it an all-49ers week here on Science Cheerleader!

I’d like to introduce you to Christine, a biomedical engineer and a first-year member of the 49ers Gold Rush squad. Christine has a Masters in biomedical engineering from Arizona State and is currently pursing a PhD in the Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco.

As you’ll discover in the interview below, Christine is a master at bridging the seemingly different worlds of cheerleading and engineering. Not only is she thrashing stereotypes en route to a career designing new, minimally invasive therapies for cancer patients, but she’s also managed to cheer for two rival NFL teams — the NFC West’s Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers — and the Phoenix Suns. Talk about someone who isn’t afraid to examine the world from different perspectives!

Thanks again to the San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush for giving us the opportunity to learn from Christine.

Who or what experience turned you on to science and engineering?

I can’t pinpoint one specific event that made me decide to study bioengineering. I think that there were many hints along the way. When I was little I had a set of children’s books with the biographies of people like Alexander Fleming, Marie Curie, and Helen Keller. I was really inspired by the ones about the famous scientists. I also loved the science museum and excelled more in mathematics and science subjects than other subjects.

For a very long time, I thought that I should be a physician because I wanted to help people and was very interested in medicine. Naturally, I did all the typical premed activities. I went to Tijuana to work in a clinic and volunteered in the pediatric emergency department in a county hospital. To my surprise, I was not thinking of how badly I wanted to be a physician like my friends that went on to medical school, but I was thinking scientist and engineers need to design more affordable, assessable medical therapies and devices.

The experience that finally changed my mind for good was when I volunteered in a Hospice. I saw the patients’ suffering in a new way. I realized that the technology for treatment and knowledge about these patients’ diseases were insufficient. Developing technology and innovation for this group of patients was something that I could spend the rest of my life working on. Bioengineering is a unique engineering discipline in that it is deeply altruistic with a genuine goal of improving the society by fighting disease and suffering making it was the perfect career path for me.

Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream associated with beauty or physique (like cheerleading) and pursuing a science and engineering career usually associated with, well, geeks?

First, I’d like to point out that true beauty is on the inside. External beauty fades, and it is important to nurture other aspects of ourselves outside of our appearance. Although, I do think it is very important to eat well and exercise regularly for our health. Who we are in on the inside is what is most important, and it always shines through. When you stop trying to be someone you are not that’s when life is really the most wonderful and people will see your real beauty.

Being a NFL cheerleader is about so much more than just physical appearance. I tried out for the 49ers because I wanted to contribute to my community, make lasting friendships, and dance on the best stage there is, the NFL. Gold Rush has given me all of those things plus more. Outside of that I just love dancing.  I’ll quote Vicki Baum when I say, “there are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” I might not be the best dancer but I certainly have heart. If something makes you happy you should just go for it.

In the real world, professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers are by no means “geeks”. Doctors, engineers and scientists are well respected in our society and have very successful lives. I have never once been asked on a date or been invited to a party and then informed them that I was an engineer and had them decide I was too geeky to go. Actually it has been exactly the opposite. Plus I get to have twice as many friends, my dance friends and my engineering friends who push me in different ways to be my best self. I feel like it is a great balance.

My last point is that I think that everyone should find what makes them happy and pursue it, whether it is art, teaching or anything. Life is short and we only get one shot at it. So you might as well live it up. If by chance that something that makes you happy is science or engineering, you shouldn’t let something silly like a geeky stereotype that is not even true persuade you against it.

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In our continuing effort to playfully challenge stereotypes–and inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, math, and health–I, Dr. John, would like to introduce you to Erica, a San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush cheerleader and a software engineer with a masters in Instructional Technology.

In between nailing double pirouettes, Erica works as an Instructional Designer for online classes for graduate students. As distributed e-learning becomes more and more common, it’s great to know that multi-talented women like Erica are working hard to improve online education and training.

I recently had a chance to ask Erica a few questions about her passion for engineering, the challenges of balancing two different worlds, and her future ambitions. Thanks to Erika and the 49ers Gold Rush for spending some with ScienceCheerleader!

Erica, what experience turned you on to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers?

I went to a Math, Science, and Technology High school where I could take programming and advanced math classes. Math was my favorite subject but wasn’t my best. I asked one of my teachers if I could be an engineer if math wasn’t my best subject — he said no. From then one I was determined to prove him wrong, which I did.

Do you have any advice for youngsters who might feel torn between following one dream associated with beauty or physique (like cheerleading) and pursuing a science and engineering career usually associated with, well, geeks?

I think you experience the best of both worlds when you pursue both STEM careers and beauty/physique-centered activities. I am constantly challenged by both, but one is a mental challenge and the other a physical challenge.

How did your fellow cheerleaders accept your interest in engineering?

My fellow cheerleaders accept my interest in engineering. I don’t think they know how much I’m into it. It’s funny because they find what I do to be amazing and challenging when I think of them as just as smart as me and able to do it just as easily. We all find qualities in each other that we wish we had.

Is there advice you would give your former 10-12-year-old self, now that you have the benefit of hindsight?

If there were advice I could give my former 10 year-old-self it would be to accept my talent and not follow the crowd. I was in advanced math and science class throughout elementary and middle school. When I entered middle school, I wanted to be in classes with my friends so I complained to my mom that I didn’t understand my teachers and the work was too hard. She eventually pulled me out of the advanced classes. I was taking Pre Calculus and Physics in 6th grade.

Can you describe a “typical day” at work?

I usually come in and check emails. After emails I work on the Xserve for about 3 hours. I have lunch and watch tourist out on the Pier for about an hour. The rest of my day is working with instructors to design online classes for graduate students.

What are your plans for the future?

In the future, I would like to get my PhD in Instructional Design and become a college professor.

Best cheerleading experience?

My second best cheerleading experience is when I made the Gold Rush finals. My best cheerleading experience is when I actually made Gold Rush. I couldn’t wait to tell my family and especially my Dad who was the most excited.

Favorite and least favorite courses you took to prepare for your work?

My favorite courses were Calculus, Physics, and Probability and Statistics. I liked these courses because I could teach myself. Also, these were the only courses where I could concentrate and listen to music at the same time.

My least favorite course was Differential Equations, hands down. Thinking of Laplace Transform of F(s) = f(t) just makes my skin crawl. I hated it because I wanted to get it so bad but instead I struggled with it.

More exhilarating: positive experimental results or nailing a cheer move?

I am always excited when I nail a double pirouette. Often times I sneak to the bathroom while at work and practice them. Actually, as I am responding to these questions, I took a break to go and practice, ha-ha.

This is a guest post by Connie Ho, a civil and environmental engineer by training, now working as a product manager at NthSocial, a startup web company building products to organize social networks and online content.

The dual life of a young woman means you can have both the career and the artistic side of dance. Adriana Griffith, the feature of this week, is an ultra sexy Civil Engineer. Adriana has been working in land development, transportation, and hydrology projects for about seven years now and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structures, from UC Irvine. She maintains a Professional Engineering (PE) License in California, LEED AP certification in California, and balances her career now with her love of dancing by teaching Zumba. She’s had a passion for dance her whole life, classically trained in ballet, and created a career in a female scarce industry. (more…)

Our own Dr. John Ohab was invited to speak at Tim O’Reilly’s Gov 2.0 conference in D.C. this week. He demonstrated how federal government agencies (the Department of Defense, in particular)  are applying social media strategies to inform and engage the public. Great job, John!

Our friends at NOVA ScienceNow spent the last year highlighting the human side of scientists and engineers through their successful Internet video series, The Secret Life of Scientists. It looks like the Internet was paying attention!

The Secret Life of Scientists has been nominated for Best Documentary Series in the 2010 Webby Awards, the ultimate showdown of the best websites on the Internet. This is a big deal — think the Emmy’s but for the web!

To win this battle for web supremacy, NOVA needs your support!  Visit the Webby Awards and cast your vote for Secret Life today.

If you need a refresher on the show, mouse on over to the Secret Life of Scientists and revisit some of these amazing men and women. Remember Nate Ball, the mechanical engineer, inventor, and award-winning TV host?  Or Erika Ebbel, Miss Massachusetts turned biochemist?

These are the dynamic living scientists and science stories that have made Secret Life of Scientists a success. Please cast your vote of support to help the show win the ultimate reward: a 2010 Webby Award!

We are thrilled to report that our own Dr. John Ohab took home the Hive Award for Best Podcast (he hosts and produces the Department of Defense’s Armed with Science podcast, when he’s not doing science cheers with the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders or jamming with science-loving, indie rock bands). Winners were announced at SXSW Interactive earlier this month in Austin, TX.

Way to go, John!

I recently had a chance to see my favorite citizen science-loving indie rock band, DeVille, perform live in Washington DC. I had so much fun that I even put together this video, which includes an inspirational interview with lead guitarist, Ian Graham. Check it out if you can spare three minutes for non-stop fun and rockin’ power-pop music.

For more info, make sure to check out Deville’s website. Gooooooooooo DeVille!

The South by Southwest (SxSW) Interactive conference in Austin, TX, showcases the brightest minds in the world of emerging and web technology (Darlene was a speaker there last year and, this year, helped Discover Magazine and the National Science Foundation present The Future of Gaming…she’ll tell you all about that), but I am always pleasantly surprised to find a few hidden science gems. This year, I attended sessions exploring open science, the intersection between science and cooking, and the future of gaming research, and I had the opportunity to meet some of the amazing organizations that make up Women Techies Unite.

However, nothing surprised me more than running into Tia and Jordan, the two science-loving Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in video above. They were kind enough to give this Science Cheerleader shout-out, which more than makes up for the inevitable backlash I will recieve from fellow Arizona Cardinals fans.

Several items worth noting:

1. I did not know the Cowboys Cheerleaders would be at SxSW.
2. Those are my lab goggles, and I did bring them to the conference.
3. That is not my cowboy hat.
4. I too am impressed by how natural and comfortable I look wearing a cowboy hat.
5. This video does not indicate in any way that I am less opposed to any modicum of success potentially achieved by the Dallas Cowboys football team.
6. The Arizona Cardinals will still win the Super Bowl in 2011. I guarantee it.
7. I am also guaranteeing that guarantee.

Gooooooooooooo SCIENCE!

The other night, I was watching one of my favorite local bands, Deville, perform at a cozy DC music venue when I noticed something familiar about guitarist, Ian Graham. That’s right — the famed Science Cheerleader t-shirt!  Those things are like gold around here.

Well, I “just so happened to have my HD video camera”, so expect to get the full story on how this up-and-coming band is embracing the spirit of citizen science.