Back in high school, a chemistry teacher alerted Casey (Catherine) IvanovichThe class of fear that comes with the use of mathematics and sciences as tools to give meaning to the mystifying world that surrounds them. Ivanovich has since carried this moment and his inspiration in his career as a scientist.
After graduating from the doctorate. Program at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory this summer, Ivanovich is now a member of the postdoctoral program at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, studying climatic extremes and wet heat, including their physical and social drivers. She is also passionate about the relayation of complex scientific concepts to a wider audience.
In Q&R below, Ivanovich reflects on his way to climate research and offers advice to scientific women.
How did you enter science?
I first fell in love with earth sciences during a secondary school lesson. There was a moment that I will always remember when my teacher Ms. Altfater took a break halfway up on the board, turned and thought about her feeling of fear that we have created mathematics to describe the world that surround us … and it works! I think that this little interaction has really triggered my sense of what we are surprising our planet and the incredible tools that we have both to understand and protect it. This motivation followed me throughout my university career, and today I study when and why extreme wet heat occurs in order to better prepare for his human health and his socio -economic impacts.
How can we continue to support and supervise scientific women?
The greatest way we can support scientific women is to defend concrete and material changes to existing academic structures. This includes improving parental support policies, equity guarantee and the application of effective anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. This must also include changes in academic culture, such as the change in balance in which performs administrative tasks and which speaks during meetings, or even to change the wait for individuals to move at each stage of their careers , forcing them to rebuild social support networks. In order to promote the diversity of STEMs, including, but without limiting ourselves, the diversity of sexes – we must also continue to make the “unwritten rules” currently transparent.
“As we progress in our careers, I think it is also important to remember to make the information we learn along the way to facilitate the process for scientists who go through the same processes after us ! “
Do you have advice to young women or girls who wish to enter the field?
I think mentoring is an essential element in the construction of the community and the structure of change. I advise women to take advantage of all the opportunities that arise to connect with potential mentors, that it means meeting individually with someone in your laboratory group, registering for a formal mentoring program or attend events social to meet people working in your field. The challenges we face in STEMs regarding sex can meet with countless other aspects of our identity, and the connection with people who share some of your experiences can take time and tests. But I noticed that establishing it links with people with whom I can speak openly and honestly (mentors and peers) was essential to obtain constructive advice on professional decisions, feel supported in my work and build A productive environment for research discussions.
As we progress in our careers, I think it is also important to remember to make the information we learn along the way to facilitate the process for scientists who go through the same processes after us!