The Story Collider

This week we present two stories about times in which everything came full circle.Part 1: In the middle of a school day, science teacher Brittany Beck passes out in her classroom, leading her to reflect on what got her here.Part 2: Inspired by her grandfather, Kitty Yang becomes a math teacher, but soon realizes she misses being a student.Brittany Beck is a science teacher at the High School of  Telecommunication Arts and Technology in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Brittany  is also her school’s Coordinator of Student Activities and lives for  event logistics, fundraising and trip organizing, and the facilitating  of many student groups including Women in Science Club and Student  Government. You can follow Brittany on twitter at @brittanbeck. Brittany  has been an MfA Master teacher since 2015.  Kitty is a doctoral candidate in mathematics at Northwestern University,  studying dynamical systems and ergodic theory. She grew up in  California and went to college in New York, and attending school on both  coasts, is now

Part 1: As a brand-new professor of physiology, John Redden is eager to help students, but soon realizes it’s more complicated than he thought.Part 2: Biologist, Sarah Fankhauser’s relationship with her adviser changes when she joins her lab as a grad student.John Redden is an Assistant Professor in the Department  of Physiology and Neurobiology. His research focuses on understanding  the molecular basis of cardiovascular diseases. He teaches human anatomy  and physiology to pre-health majors, as well as a course in plain  language science communication.  Through his teaching, he pursues his  other passions – improving science literacy among the general public,  and building engaging, inclusive, and equitable STEM classrooms. He’s a  first generation student with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology and  toxicology, and a Ph.D. in biomedical science. He currently serves as  an education mentor for the HHMI/National Academies Summer Institute on  Scientific Teaching, and is the lead author of Anatomy and Physio

This week, we’re presenting two stories from scientists about the people and places that inspired them.Part 1: Just before she leaves for her dream opportunity to teach marine science on the Red Sea, Latasha Wright gets a call that puts her plans in jeopardy.Part 2:  Growing up, Sheena Cruickshank's teenage older brother inspires her love of science, but then one summer he returns from university with a lump on his arm.Latasha Wright received her Ph.D. from NYU Langone Medical Center in Cell and Molecular Biology. After her studies, she went on to continue her scientific training at Johns Hopkins University and Weill Cornell Medical Center. She has co­authored numerous publications and presented her work at international and national conferences. In 2011, she joined the crew of the BioBus, a mobile science lab dedicated to bringing hands­on science and inspiration to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The BioBus creates a setting that fosters innovation and creativity. Students are encouraged to ask

This week, we present two stories about people understanding their links to their past.Part 1: A question that Laura Spink asked her parents as a kid comes up again when her own child begins to ask similar questions.Part 2: After Denise Coberley brings up her doubt in the Bible to her adoptive religious parents, she finds herself on a journey of self-discovery.Laura Spinkis a  vocalist/percussionist in the Toronto-based duo, The Young Novelists.  She has toured Canada, the United States, and Europe, and the band has  won a Canadian Folk Music Award for New/Emerging Artist of the Year.  Besides working full-time in music, Laura graduated with a Geochemistry  degree from the University of Waterloo and works part-time at the  Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. She is also  the proud mom of an amazing 7-year old son.  Denise Coberley has been a science educator for  twenty-three years. She is now pursuing a Master’s in Science  Communication with a minor in Linguistics and Neuroscience.

This week, we’re presenting two stories from people who made science their one and only..Part 1: Parmvir Bahia struggles to appease her parents’ desires for an Indian son-in-law while also satisfying her own desires to be a scientist.Part 2: Monica Dunford’s finds physics cold and boring until she gets a summer job in a lab that changes everything.Parmvir Bahia is a short, British-Indian, neuroscience  PhD working at the University of South Florida. She studies the role of  nerves in the respiratory system and how they might hold the key to  understanding diseases like asthma and COPD. When not researching or  writing long lists of self-describing adjectives she runs the science  communication and outreach initiatives: taste of science – a science festival for adults, and a podcast called 2Scientists. She also enjoys running on trails and glasses of red wine, but not usually at the same time. Monica Dunford is an experimental high-energy particle  physicist working on the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Co

This week, we’re presenting two stories from scientists who found themselves in potentially life-threatening situations.Part 1: Ralph Bouquet goes off script during a psychology research study with uncomfortable and revealing consequences.Part 2: Ali Mustafa finds that the scars of war stay with him even at his new job in the lab.Ralph Bouquet is the Director of Education and Outreach for NOVA, the PBS science documentary series produced by WGBH in Boston. At NOVA, Ralph’s team supports science educators through the creation of free classroom resources and finds creative ways to engage new audiences for NOVA’s broadcast and digital productions through science communication events around the country. Before NOVA, Ralph taught high school biology and chemistry in Philadelphia and then spent some time in ed-tech at a Boston-based startup. Ralph received his B.A. from Harvard University, and studied secondary science methods and urban education while completing his M.Ed. at UPenn. Ali Mustafa is an undergrad stud

This week, we’re presenting stories about the courage to be the person you were meant to be.Part 1: The lessons that Margaret Rubega learns from her dad about fighting back are put to the test when he becomes the one she must stand up to.Part 2: In following her dream of studying chemistry, Charlotte Istance-Tamblin sees how to break the toxic patterns in her relationships.Margaret Rubega is a professor in the Department of  Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. She  has spent her career studying a diverse array of birds, with a  consistent interest in answering the questions: How Does That Work? and  How Does it Matter? She started her career getting crapped on in a tern  colony, then studied a bird that's famous for going in circles. Those  formative experiences probably explain a lot about her subsequent  career. She's always been especially interested in feeding in birds ---  the way they're built, the mechanics, the food -- because a bird that  isn't fed is a bird that's dead

This week, we’re presenting stories about the struggle to find acceptance — whether it’s at Space Camp or in the United States of America.Part 1:  Computer scientist LaShana Lewis’s childhood dream of attending Space Camp starts to feel far away — until she gets the Christmas surprise of a lifetime.Part 2: When Guizella Rocabado leaves her home in Bolivia to pursue her education in the United States, her plan hits an unexpected snag.LaShana Lewis grew up in the St. Louis area of Missouri where her love of the starry sky led her to the STL Science Center as longtime volunteer, and now a docent presenting talks on astronomy and aeronautics.  LaShana studied computational mathematics at Michigan Technological University, received a HarvardX honor certificate in computer science, and attended NASA space camp.  She discovered Astral AR through the Bootstrapped VC podcast and one thing led to another, joining the company in August 2018 and bringing over 20 years’ experience in tech and consulting.  Guizella Rocabad

This week, we’re presenting two stories about stressful situations in science. Part 1:  Due to stress in her personal life, TV writer Joey Slamon develops a cyst in an unfortunate place.Part 2:  As a biochemistry PhD student,  Kellie Vinal has worked hard to prepare for her qualifying exam, but when the day finally arrives, nothing goes according to plan. Joey Slamon has worked as a writer and producer on shows such as Arrested Development, Those Who Can’t and Bobcat Goldthwait’s upcoming Misfits and Monsters. She is currently working on season two of I’m Sorry for TruTV. Despite no formal training, she will happily give you medical advice if you ask for it.  Kellie Vinal is a PhD biochemist, science writer, educator, producer, and adventure enthusiast based in Atlanta, Georgia. She’s wildly interested in the intersection of science, art, and humanity and generally can’t sit still. She’s currently a freelance science communicator, serving as Festival Coordinator for the Atlanta Science Festival, Producer for

This week, we’re presenting two stories about age, and what it means to feel either too old or too young to become a scientist.Part 1:  Miserable at her corporate job, Michelle McCrackin begins to dream of a career in wildlife biology.Part 2: Volcanologist Ben Kennedy’s attempts to be taken seriously as a scientist are undermined by his youthful appearance.Michelle McCrackin is a research scientist at Stockholm University’s Baltic Sea Center. Her research focuses on human-enhanced eutrophication, a process that reduces water clarity and causes dead zones and large algal blooms in lakes and coastal waters. She moved to Sweden from the US for the opportunity to join a new team that works to bridge the gap between scientists and decision makers in the Baltic Sea region. Michelle is actively involved with science communication though public seminars, web-articles, policy briefs, blogs, and face-to-face meetings with politicians and civil servants. Her Swedish skills are limited to reading menus and navigating pub

In our last episode of 2018, we’re presenting two stories about facing challenges head-on and seizing the day.Part 1: .On the eve of his first big talk at a major international conference, ecologist Kevin Burgio discovers there’s something seriously wrong with the clothes he’d planned to wear.Part 2: While working as a research assistant on a traumatic brain injury study, Devine Joyce struggles with feelings of depression — until she encounters a patient who changes her outlook.Kevin R. Burgio is a US Air Force veteran, first-generation college student, and currently a postdoctoral researcher in Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. He is collaborating with researchers from a variety of disciplines to create effective science communication training. When not working on science communication, his research focuses on using an integrative approach to understanding the ecology, biogeography, and extinction of parrot communities. His ultimate goal is to bridge the divide betwe

This week, we’re presenting stories about unexpected friendships in science, whether they’re formed in the field or at Burning Man.Part 1: Looking to connect with new people, mathematician Seth Cottrell sets up an ‘Ask a Mathematician’ booth at Burning Man.Part 2:  When herpetologist Joseph Mendelson gets his an opportunity to do fieldwork in Guatemala during his first year of graduate school, he struggles to connect with the locals.Seth Cottrell earned his PhD in mathematics from the Courant Institute at NYU.  His research is in quantum information and he teaches at New York City College of Technology.  For ten years, Seth has talked to complete strangers about math and physics and written about it at askamathematician.com.  His new book is “Do Colors Exist?: And Other Profound Physics Questions.”Joseph R. Mendelson III has been studying amphibians and reptiles for more than 30 years, concentrating mostly on Mexico and Central America. Most of his work has involved evolutionary studies and taxonomy―including

This week, we’re presenting stories about times when science gets in the way of love — or vice versa.Part 1: Jacqueline Trumbull is preparing for a career in research psychology when she gets a call from a casting agent for The Bachelor.Part 2: Psychologist Monica O’Neal is an expert in relationships — but in her personal life, she finds herself struggling when it comes to saying goodbye.Jacqueline Trumbull is a clinical research coordinator for a psychiatry lab at Mt Sinai and, as seen on TV, aspires to a Ph.D. in clinical psychology (so she better get in). Because of her life philosophy to say “Yes!” to as many opportunities as possible, she found herself on Season 22 of ABC’s The Bachelor, yet said “No!” to the prospect of giving up said Ph.D. and moving to Arizona for an admittedly dashing race car driver. She has spent several years in psychology research and currently focuses on mood and personally disorders, with a particular interest in narcissism.  Dr. Monica O’Neal is a Clinical Psychologist and Rel

This week, we’re presenting two stories about times when science got personal and research started to hit home.Part 1: After years of suffering, Phillip Comella discovers the cause of his “excessive bathroom breaks” while working on his thesis in biomedical science.Part 2: Neuroscientist Kelley Remole begins suffering from mysterious and paralyzing headaches.Phillip Comella is pursuing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research includes machine learning and genetics in an effort to better diagnosis patients and simulate disease. Phillip has a passion for translating technology and tales from science to the public.  Kelley Remole, PhD, is the senior director of scientific programs at Columbia University's Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute. She worked previously at the American Museum of Natural History and has consulted on a number of projects, including Neurodome, a planetarium show about the brain. She has been nationally recognized for her science outreac

This week, we’re presenting two stories about pivotal moments in science when everything suddenly becomes clear.Part 1: When puppeteer Raymond Carr gets the opportunity of a lifetime, to work on a big-budget show about the evolution of dinosaurs, he worries about how his creationist parents will react.Part 2: A trip to the Kennedy Space Center reminds Wade Roush of what originally inspired him to pursue science journalism.  Raymond Carr is a Jim Henson Company trained puppeteer who has been performing for more than 15 years. He has traveled to every major city in North America and parts of Europe working on multi-million dollar productions. He is skilled in state of the art animatronics, Muppet-style puppetry, motion capture digital puppetry, and traditional theatrical puppetry. Raymond is one of the main characters for the Jim Henson Company's new show, Splash and Bubbles on PBS Kids.  Some of Raymond's other credits include: Nick Jr's Lazytown, Walking with Dinosaurs The Arena Spectacular Tour, various proj

This week, in honor of the start of the holiday season, we're presenting stories about parents — and the ways our relationships with them intersect with science.Part 1: As a kid, Dan Souza finds it hard to appreciate his mother’s nursing expertise until he sees it in action after a series of fateful incidents.Part 2: When Michaella Thornton shares her struggles with infertility with her bachelor farmer father, his response stuns her.Dan Souza is Editor in Chief of Cook’s Illustrated and a cast member of the Emmy-Award Winning television show America’s Test Kitchen. Dan is the kitchen editor of the New York Times bestseller “The Science of Good Cooking” (2012) and James Beard Award-nominated “Cook’s Science” (2016). He is a regular contributor to The Splendid Table radio program, and his personal stories have been featured on the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour. After graduating first in his class from the Culinary Institute of America, Dan cooked in restaurants in Boston, New York, and Hungary befor

It’s that time of year — application season. So this week, we’re presenting two stories about the (literal and figurative) struggle to be accepted.Part 1: The only thing standing in the way of Jennifer Landa’s dreams of studying art in college is her grade in chemistry.Part 2: When she’s accepted into the conversation fellowship of her dreams in Washington, DC, Emi Okikawa must break the news to her family that she’s leaving their home in Hawaii.Jennifer Landa is an actress, host, and crafter. Her work and YouTube videos have been featured on sites such as BuzzFeed, Craft Magazine, Huffington Post, LEGO.com, and more. As an actress she’s appeared in various commercials over the years and on tv shows like ABC’s Better Off Ted and MTV’s Awkward. As a host, she has appeared on Collider’s Jedi Council, Fusion’s Star Wars: A New Gaming Era, OraTV’s Dweebcast, and more. Currently, she cohosts ForceCenter, a Star Wars podcast dedicated to celebrating all things in that galaxy far, far, away. Jennifer is also a DIY c

In this week’s episode, we’re presenting two stories about the science of pregnancy.Part 1: An expert in oxytocin, the hormone released during birth,  Bianca Jones Marlin is determined to have a natural birth — even as the hours of labor add up…Part 2:  Science writer Veronika Meduna thought she never wanted to have children, but in her late thirties, she changes her mind. Bianca Jones Marlin is a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from New York University, and dual bachelor degrees from St. John’s University, in biology and adolescent education. As a graduate student, with Dr. Robert Froemke, Dr. Marlin examined how the brain adapts to care for a newborn and how a baby’s cry can control adult behavior. Her research focused on the vital bond between parent and child, and studied the use of neurochemicals, such as the “love drug” oxytocin, as a treatment to strengthen fragile and broken parent-child relationships. Dr. Marlin is currently a postdoc

This week, we’re presenting stories about our relationships with our bodies, in all their shapes and sizes.Part 1: Born without a right pectoral muscle due to Poland syndrome, John Trumbo has always felt defective, but then he discovers a possible solution.Part 2: Growing up tall and suffering from psoriasis, Emma Yarbrough struggles with feeling conspicuous — but then she discovers there’s more to her unusual height than she’d thought.John Trumbo is a senior healthcare writer with a bachelor’s in communications and a concentration in journalism from James Madison University. He also holds a master’s in nonfiction writing from the Johns Hopkins University. Specialty areas of study included Crafting Nonfiction Voice, the Literature of Science, Essay and Memoir, Review and Opinion Writing, Teaching Writing and more. Professionally, John writes about transforming the care experience with the help of innovative health IT solutions that put patients first. follow him @JohnMTrumbo.Emma Yarbrough is a theater artist

This week, in honor of Halloween, we're presenting two stories about facing fears for science.Part 1: As a newly minted PhD student in geology, Erik Klemetti starts to question his decisions when Aucanquilcha, a 20,000-foot volcano in Chile, proves difficult to tame.Part 2: Explorer George Kourounis finds himself growing increasingly anxious as he prepares to enter a fiery sinkhole known as the “Doorway to Hell.”Erik Klemetti is an associate professor of Geosciences and volcanologist at Denison University. He works on volcanoes all over the planet, from Chile to New Zealand to the Cascades of Oregon and California. His research focusses on how crystals record the events inside a volcano before and between eruptions. For the past 9 years, he’s been teaching all the “hard rock” classes at Denison. He also writes for Discover Magazine. His blog, Rocky Planet, have been running since Fall 2017. Before that, he wrote Eruptions, a blog about volcanoes, for Wired Science for 9 years. You can also find him on Twitter