The Story Collider is delighted to partner with Boise State University and share stories from their graduate students.
Join us for an evening of true, personal stories about science exploring the moments when we've faced challenges head-on, embraced opportunities, and taken bold steps forward. From daring career moves to personal growth journeys, five storytellers will share their experiences of pushing past boundaries and stepping into the unknown. So, sit back and get ready to be inspired by stories of courage, resilience, and the power of leaning in.
Doors open at 6:00 pm MT. Show starts at 6:30 pm MT.
Hosted by Bryan Kett and Meisa Salaita.
There is livestream available to attend the event remotely and will be provided to all registered attendees.
Stories by:
Molly Astell: I'm a wildlife biologist who originally never wanted to be one of those "bird people", yet went on to exclusively work with endangered birds in my career. 14 of those years were spent working as part of the California condor recovery program in a variety of different roles, mostly with the wild condors in southern California, but also with the captive breeding birds in Boise, ID. Currently, I am a graduate student at Boise State University doing research with condor data I helped to collect, and discovering the joys of teaching biology to undergraduates.
Hannah Hedelius was born and raised in Idaho. She received her Bachelors of Psychology from Boise State University and is currently working on her Masters in Biomolecular Sciences. Hannah plans to attend medical school where she will work towards a dual doctorate for a career as a medical scientist. Hannah is a graduate assistant for the Dean of Students Office where she works in substance misuse prevention. She focuses on creating alcohol and other drugs education and awareness. Hannah is also doing research at Boise State where she studies cholera toxin and it’s potential in treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Mackenzie Bennett is a recent Boise State University graduate and lifetime resident of Boise, Idaho. They received their Masters degree in Applied Anthropology after conducting science communication research under Dr. Kendall House. They hope to use the power of science communication to break barriers between educational institutions, make knowledge more accessible to the wider community, and to encourage interest and wonder in science and the natural world. They also enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends and playing the alto saxophone.
Maria M. Figueroa Rosado is a Puerto Rican native studying for her Ph.D. at Boise State University. Her dissertation work is about how zinc oxide nanoparticles induce preferential toxicity in malignant T-cells. After graduation, Maria wants to work as a researcher in a cancer research center, where she will continue to study these mechanisms and how we might give safe and effective cancer treatments. Furthermore, she wants to make this information available to the Spanish-speaking community who seek these treatments and want to understand how the disease works. She is passionate about science, video games, cosplay, and tabletop games like D&D. In her spare time, she likes to cook Puerto Rican dishes and enjoy a very chilled Malta India, while video chatting with her chihuahua, Mimi.
Stephanie Galla: I am an Assistant Professor in avian biology at Boise State University. I am interested in interdisciplinary conservation efforts for species in decline, and in particular, how genomic technologies can inform management decisions. Using DNA, our research team explores whether birds (including grouse and raptors) have the adaptive capacity to be resilient in a changing world. Outside of my everyday work life, I enjoy bird watching, making art, taking care of our backyard chickens, and watching TV with my husband and cat.
Acknowledgement: “This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant IGE:2325041.”
Disclaimer: “Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.”