Science Cheerleader

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.

(more…)

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.

Meet Summer, a former Houston Texans cheerleader who now spends her days developing space flight hardware. This interview is part of a series of Science Cheerleader’s nationally recognized efforts to playfully challenge stereotypes.

SciCheer: Please tell me when/how you first became interested in engineering.

Summer: When I was a freshman in high school I watched Apollo 13 in my Earth Science class and felt immediately inspired to become an engineer at NASA.

SciCheer: What  type of engineer are you and what turned you on to this field?

Summer: I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering.  My interest in atmospheric flight and beyond fueled my desire to pursue Aerospace Engineering.

SciCheer: Do you find that your looks (or being a former cheerleader) helped or hindered your studies or professional experiences? (Were you taken seriously?)

Summer: I recall a few students and professors looking at me as if I were lost as I proceeded through the halls of the engineering building at school for the first few weeks.  At work, there was some negative reaction to the fact that my part-time job was on the sidelines of a football field.  It could have hindered me, had I allowed it but I pressed on and, in the end, I was taken seriously.  Beauty can be both a curse and an advantage in a woman’s professional life.

SciCheer: Tell me a little about your favorite courses you took to prepare for your work?

Summer: I absolutely loved learning engineering!  My favorite courses were Aerospace Propulsions, Space Dynamics, Aerospace Design, Flight Mechanics and Controls and Aircraft Accident Investigation.  Though my career has taken me in a direction in which I do not commonly use the technical specifics of these courses they prepared me in other ways.  The course work enhanced my critical thinking and problem solving ability as well taught me presentation skills and engineering professionalism.  The variety of classes really opened my eyes to previously unimaginable possibilities for a career in the engineering world.

SciCheer: Can you describe a “typical day” at work?

Summer: There is no typical day at work in my current position.  There is always something new, which I enjoy.  I spend 90% of my time in laboratories where engineers and technicians are working to develop and sustain space flight hardware containing electronics.

SciCheer: Do you have any advice for middle or high school girls who might feel torn between following one dream (cheerleading or dancing) associated with beauty or following another (science/engineering/medicine) usually associated with, well, geeks?

Summer: There is no reason why you cannot do both! Learn good time management skills and develop healthy habits (proper eating, sleeping & exercise) so you can physically, mentally and happily pursue the dual role.  These dreams can collide and create huge success for you.

SciCheer: Best cheerleading experience?

Summer: It is very difficult to choose one moment as my best cheerleading experience.  Aside from every game day performance, my best experiences lie in what I got to do off of the field as a cheerleader.  An appearance on ESPN Cold Pizza and 1 vs. 100 game show, starring in NFL Presents: Rocket Science, being a key note speaker at the 2009 Super Sci-Tech Saturday Conference and flying on a KC-135 during a mid-air refueling mission with the Texas Air National Guard are a few experiences that really stand out.

SciCheer: Best engineering experience?
My best engineering experience was watching the project I worked on for 4 years – International Space Station Crew Quarters – launch on Space Shuttle Endeavor in November 2008.  I stood with my project team as we watched Crew Quarters blast off on Endeavor into a beautiful night sky aiming for their final destination, the International Space Station, to be used by astronauts for years to come. It was what I deemed my first engineering success and best engineering experience.

SciCheer: Anything you’d like to add that you want people to know?

Summer: While I was earning my engineering degree I also earned my Private Pilot’s license. In addition to an academic scholarship that I received from Cessna Aircraft Company, I participated in pageants through the Miss Kansas Organization to earn scholarship dollars for my education.  The pageants involved interview, talent, swimsuit and evening gown competitions as well as promoting a platform.

SciCheer: What is your current position?

Summer: My position changed just under one year ago.  Formerly, I was a project engineer in the Crew and Thermal Systems Division at NASA – Johnson Space Center.  I currently work as the contractor Sustaining Engineering Lab Manager in the Avionic Systems Division.

SciCheer: Which team(s) did you cheer for and when?

Summer: Houston Texans – 2005, 2006, 2007

[Meet Summer and a dozen other Science Cheerleaders--procheerleaders-turned-scientist--as they perform live at the U.S.A. Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., Oct 23-24. Then, back at the Science Cheerleader/Going Pro Entertainment exhibit, get their autographs and hear first-hand how they bridged two seemingly different worlds. Interested sponsors should contact darlene@sciencecheerleader.com.]

Quest for a Living World.
Now THIS was a fun event. Great discussion (now featured in Discover and on DiscoverMagazine.com, see below). It’s also where I met some terrific Science Cheerleader fans!

From Discover Magazine: Bad Astronomy blogger Phil Plait moderates a panel discussion between astronomers who are searching for earthlike worlds elsewhere in the universe. The event cosponsors are Caltech, Discover, and Thirty Meter Telescope.

Today, for people living in the Northern Hemisphere (most of you), the Sun will reach its highest point in the sky…until the next June 21st cycles around. Science blogger, Ethan Siegel, tells us how we can measure the tilt of the Earth today. Check it out!

Why so few posts from me lately? Truth is, I’ve been swamped. All great stuff, including a summer-long  immersion in an incubator program; some very cool upcoming Capitol Hill briefings for Discover Magazine and the National Science Foundation;  the launch of ECAST (Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology);  exciting speaking engagements; plotting of a national Emergency Response process so people with great ideas for solutions to a crisis will have an immediate and reliable place to turn where ideas will be delivered to decision-makers (more on that later); and…baseball season. I have four young kids and all of them play ball. Fun stuff!

To keep things fresh, I’ve enlisted the help of some enthusiastic writers so we can continue to deliver opportunities for you to get involved in science and science policy discussions; learn about people who are shattering stereotypes; and enjoy all science has to offer. From the simplest pleasures (like when I recently found a fly trapped in a spider’s web…I’m sure he deserved it) to mind-boggling speculations about our future (e.g. Singularity), it’s impossible to escape the influence and wonders of science.

I’d like to share with you a brief summary of SciCheer’s goals and outcomes. Feel free to use the data as you see fit. It’s becoming clearer to me that a SciCheer 2.0 might be in order. If you have thoughts on what the next generation of SciCheer should include, let me know. –Cheers!

Here’s a short piece I wrote for DiscoverMagazine.com, yesterday, about a promising new use for Pokeberry weeds. Their berries’  highly absorbent dye is being used to coat fiber solar cells. Turns out their dye can trap lots of the sun’s energy in these lightweight, plastic storage devices. This solar energy is then converted to power/electricity.  Check it out!

Ever wanted to see what DNA looks like? Here’s a short video that teaches you how to (easily) extract DNA from fruit.

Michael C shared this article from CNET with us: “Science in the public view: a good gamble.” The author does a good job illustrating why more dialogue between researchers and the public is needed:

There are plenty of practical barriers between physicists and ordinary people, but too many of them are gratuitous. I don’t expect the public to regain its faith in science anytime soon, but rebuilding the ties between the public and the researchers, or at least opening the doors, will help the public be more sympathetic and the researchers be more honest with their ultimate audience.

My pal, Jacquie, linked me up with Walter Smith, a physics professor at Haverford College. Smith put together a remarkable collection of Physics Songs! The online, searchable database includes an endless supply of favorites such as: “I Got Physics,” and “I Walk the Incline.” Enough chit-chat, let’s sing-a-long to this classic:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Now I Know, by Pietro Calogero (2004)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, now I know just what you are:
Fusing sphere of plasma mass, wrapped in iridescent gas;
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, super-hot that’s what you are.

(flinging arms outward)
Nebula of fading light, spread into the outer night.
Blast remains of grand events, distribute new elements.
Gossamer in majesty, monument to entropy. (more)