I am honored to have been selected as a finalist for the 2019 AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship. I have no doubt that you at the host sites have an extremely talented pool of finalists from which to choose, so why should you choose me?

Because you will never find anyone that works harder than I do.

I may not be the most experienced science writer of the finalists or even the most talented applicant, and 99.9% of the time, I won’t be the smartest person in the newsroom. And that’s okay.

Because hard work outworks talent, when talent doesn’t work.

Most of my life, starting in high school, has been a prolonged exercise in hard work, dedication and determination, and I invite you to read more about that here, if you’re interested. I was undoubtedly an ambitious teenager, but my teenage self can’t hold a candle to the woman – and worker – that I am now.

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Everyday I wake up, get myself ready, and make sure my beautiful daughter Emma leaves for school on time. I’m sure many of you know what a blessing and battle the morning routine with children can be.

No more than five minutes after Emma leaves, then it’s my turn to head for school. Except for me, school is in a different state. I commute almost three hours a day between Illinois and Wisconsin, where I attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison and work for Weiping Tang in the School of Pharmacy.

Weiping calls me “the glue that keeps his research group of 26 diverse people together” – I prefer to think of myself as the “Steph of all trades, master of none”.

Not only do I complete my own research, but I also am responsible for multiple other group-related tasks which include: preparation of manuscripts and grant proposals, promotion of a lab safety culture as the deputy chemical hygiene officer, maintenance of our automated chemical purification platform (which I established in 2017), equipment and chemical procurement, new student recruitment, and coordination of group outreach, community engagement, and mentoring. Each of these roles contribute to my development of a well-round scientist, but more importantly, they promote the success of the group. When it’s time to go home for the night, I find a professional development podcast or TED talk and head south.

The work doesn’t end when I get home though. In fact, it starts all over again. Checking Emma’s homework, dinner preparations and household chores all call my name. When Emma’s all tucked in for the night, it is back to my own work – preparing for the next day’s research, working on my development as a science writer, promoting my work on social media, learning about the latest research, and reading about current events in science and science policy. This nightly ritual is one of my favorite parts of the day because it’s when I’m working toward my goals and positioning myself for success after graduate school.

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Am I on the go almost 24/7? Yes. Do I love the life I’m living and the work I’m doing? Unequivocally yes. I came back to graduate school because I knew how much untapped potential I had. I’m finally at a time in my life where I’m firing on all cylinders.

Let these cylinders work for you in 2019 – it’ll be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. I look forward to joining you and your team as a AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow this summer. Until then, take care.

Best wishes,

Steph

Although my mom doesn’t realize it, she destined me for a career in science communication.

Every year when the first signs of cold weather would appear, my mom would say, “Put your jacket on. You’re going to catch a cold.”

Her scientifically inaccurate statements – meant to elicit a desired action from me – didn’t end here.

I can vividly remember my mom saying, “If you want curly hair, eat your bread crust,” or “Don’t swallow your gum, or it’ll stay in your stomach for seven years.”

By age twelve, I knew enough about germs, genes and the digestive system that I often corrected her when she made these inaccurate statements. Since then, I have grown from a cheeky adolescent to a passionate science communicator and advocate.

It’s amazing how often I hear scientific inaccuracies muttered in day-to-day conversation. Instead of telling our children that cold temperatures lead to sickness, let’s be honest with them and explain what germs are. This might not entice them to wear their jacket, but at least you’re teaching them something valuable they can use in the future. Who knows, maybe your child with be a part of the next generation of science communicators.

Today – Monday, February 11 – we celebrate the International Day of Women & Girls in Science!

I am proud to be a woman in the STEM community, and I thank the wonderful female STEM role models that I’ve met in the last ten years for showing me that professional and personal lives can co-exist harmoniously.