Episodes
The gang is back together for a new Episode where we discuss the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence while being joined by the creator of our intro/outro music Emilio Mejia. We also give an update on the podcast moving forward and all the good stuff that's coming in the future! Enjoy
Published 08/27/23
Published 08/27/23
In our latest episode, the group discusses some of the pitfalls and claims of pseudoscience. They give you the tools to recognize dubious claims to be sure to make informed choices when you're out in the world!   Enjoy!
Published 03/13/23
In this week's episode we dive into our tried and tested methods of time management. 
Published 09/10/22
The team sit down with Dr. Phillip Guichet and learn about the fascinating and academic world of interventional radiology. Learn about how Phil had his start in chemistry and how he moved into the field of medicine. He walks us through the importance of being up to date on the current literature to advise on medical procedures and he shares intriguing stories and challenges he's had to tackle during his career. Pull up a chair and listen in with Dr. Phillip Guichet!
Published 05/06/22
Happy 2022! The ESP crew gets together and looks back at interviews and round-table discussions in 2021. We reflect on the great moments, hilarious moments, and the serious moments. Join us as we turn back the clock and relive our episodes!
Published 01/11/22
In Episode 22 of ESP, we are joined by Dr. Mike McDonald. Mike talks to us about his inspiration to do science from a young age and his journey to landing an unconventional job at New Flyer Buses as a battery consultant. We have lots of good stories and laughs about being in the right place at the right time and taking full advantage of any opportunity presented. Enjoy!
Published 12/10/21
In Episode 21, we're joined by the fabulous Alissa Matus who is a graduate student currently at UCI. We chat about the fundamentals of  mentorship and what makes a good vs a bad mentor in academia and industry. We also gush over some of our mentees and Alissa tells us of a children's book called A Chemist Clara Explores Mars that one of her awesome mentees wrote. Be sure to check it out at https://theoryofjoy.square.site/! We hope you enjoy it!
Published 11/26/21
In Episode 20, we get together to try to figure out whether science is political based on these two papers: "The Peril of Politicizing Science" https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01475 "Science is Political, and We Must Deal with It" https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02017 After a fast synopsis of the papers, we try to make sense of whether science is political or not and what we, as scientists, should do about it. Enjoy!
Published 11/12/21
In this Episode, the whole gang is back together and we dive into a discussion on standardized testing. We pick apart the pros and cons of using it and how different stages of higher education could modify their evaluation procedures. Don't miss our blooper reel at the conclusion of the podcast! Enjoy!
Published 10/29/21
Dr. Caitlin Hanna shares her experiences on transitioning from an academic position to industry, how to know when it's time to change jobs, and how to find a work-life balance that works for you. We reminisce about the grad school days and reflect where are now.
Published 09/03/21
The gang is all back together in Episode 17 to talk about classes, the candidacy exam and, of course, the final defense. They breakdown what classes were like and how they differed from undergraduate classes and give their thoughts on the whole candidacy process. Finally they talk about the capstone of your graduate journey: the Ph.D. defense. Sit back and enjoy this fun episode!
Published 08/27/21
In Episode 16 of the Excited State Podcast, the gang are joined by Dr. Alex Goldberg to chat about his career at the California Institute of Technology to ZS Associates as a consultant. Alex tells us about his experiences at Caltech as well as moving to Israel for his post doctoral work. We also find out about the inspiration behind his podcast Periodic Bagel. Enjoy! 
Published 08/21/21
The gang is joined in Episode 15 by Dr. Ross Koby to discuss the ins and outs of social media. We chat about some of the good and bad aspects related to social media as well as the community of chemists that exists online. 
Published 08/14/21
Choosing a research lab can be one of the most important decisions of your career. Luckily the ESP team gets together to discuss what to look for and what to look out for when choosing your research lab. Enjoy!
Published 08/06/21
In Episode 13, the team talks about the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences with writing papers during graduate school. They offer great tips and tricks on getting started with writing and how it can synergize with research. Come take a seat and listen to our candid conversation about writing in grad school!
Published 07/31/21
In Episode 12 we're joined by the wonderful Dr. Megha Unhelkar. Megha tells us about her journey from working in industry through grad school into a consulting position after her PhD. She is now a Blavatnik Fellow at Yale University and shares her insights on how business and science can be brought together to create new and exciting products. 
Published 07/23/21
In our latest episode, the gang gets a chance to chat with Dr. Mallory Hinks who was a Congressional Science Fellow that worked in the office of Senator Chris Coons. Mallory chats with us about how science policy works and the importance of communicating science to government officials. One of Mallory's major accomplishments during her time in Congress was working on a bill that awarded Congressional Gold Medals to the women from Hidden Figures!
Published 07/16/21
On our 10th episode, we are joined by the awesome Dr. Victoria Lim who has taken her talents to the patent law world and fills us in on what her day-to-day work is like in that field. Vicky tells us about her path to working in patent law, what her experiences were in graduate school and how she would celebrate the wins in her work, both now and in grad school. 
Published 06/11/21
In Episode 9, the gang is joined by Professor Megan Fieser from the University of Southern California (USC) to chat about her academic journey to become an Assistant Professor at USC. Megan shares stories about how she transitioned between graduate school, post doc and finally to a professorship. She also highlights the importance of a strong work-life balance while going through graduate school. 
Published 06/04/21
In this week's episode, we are joined by the founder and creator of D-Orbital Games Dr. Zach Thammavongsy. Zach joins the podcast to chat about the challenges of this new online teaching environment, life as a teaching post doc and gives us some insight into the creative process of game creation for his company. Be sure to follow Zach on Instagram and Twitter D-Orbital Games!
Published 05/28/21
In Episode 7, the gang gets together to have a raw and honest conversation around mental health in grad school. They touch on how they think about mental health, some of their tips to managing their own mental health and share their thoughts on how to better address the state of graduate student's mental health.
Published 05/21/21
In Episode 6, the gang is joined by Dr. Anthony Babore to chat about maintaining other hobbies and interests outside of graduate school and how important networking is when trying to find that first job after completing your graduate work.
Published 05/14/21
In this episode, the gang is joined by Dr. Krista Fruehauf and discusses different career options after completing a PhD. They also dive into the "classical" career path and how to create your own opportunities post-PhD. Krista joins them to offer her thoughts on these issues and takes us through her journey through a PhD into her current position.
Published 05/07/21
In this episode, the gang chats about what research actually is. They delve into their process for generating ideas and tackling big scientific problems while also providing a glimpse into how research is funded in both academia and industry.
Published 05/03/21