So that we can get to know you better, please fill out this survey. https://theresearchher.com/survey   In this episode with McKenzie Stokes, we start off learning that researchers who inspire her are Dr. Elan Hope, Dr. Qiana Cryer-Coupet, and Kimberlé Crenshaw.   McKenzie Stokes and Dr. Elissia Tenea discuss: Why the Intersectionality Theory coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw is understudied.  How closeness to one's mother contributes to racial identity The research surrounding...

We often ask those who are in STEM why they chose their field, but we don't ask why people didn't choose STEM. Research often focuses on understanding younger people's decisions related to STEM. Adults are often left out of the conversation. Raven Baxter decided that she would probe this idea during her PhD studies. Black women rarely see themselves represented as scientists in the media. Raven the Science Maven showed women her video "Big Ole Geeks" and got their response. She wanted to...

Please fill out this quick listener survey! (theresearchher.com/survey)   In the episode, Teressa Alexander shares her journey from being an associate degree student to a Ph.D. student. She talks to us about her many research endeavors. After working for a challenging advisor, she knew what to look for as she searched for more research opportunities. She talks to us about how in one of her studies one of her test subjects started giving birth in the midst of an experiment. She talks to...

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. We are starting a crowdfunding campaign to provide Black women in graduate school funding to pay for 6 months of therapy. If you want to contribute $0.50 to the Black women's therapy fund, you can send payments to the following accounts.   CashApp - $ElissiaF Paypal - [email protected] Venmo - [email protected] Google Pay - [email protected] Zelle/Quickpay - [email protected]   To improve...

Dr. Korie Grayson is a biomedical engineer and a diversity advocate for women in STEM. She is a proud alumna of the HBCU Norfolk State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Korie recently obtained her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University where she researched the "Cellular Delivery of TRAIL to Treat Metastatic-Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer."   During her grad school career, Dr. Grayson was the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority...

As a kid, Dr. Ijeoma Kola wanted to be a pediatrician but when she took science in college she realized that she was more interested in the history of science. She wanted to focus more on our lived experiences with health and disease rather than looking at it on a molecular level. While in academia, she faced many challenges as the youngest person in her cohort, using her voice in graduate school, and feeling like her work was not valued. After seeing two faculty members fired in her...

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion broke the internet and climbed up all the charts with the release of their new song WAP, which is an acronym for Wet Ass Pussy. Her we use the term SWAP, not only because we swapped out our photos for theirs in the artwork, but because herein we want to discuss the Science of Wet Ass Pussy. We start off with the definition of WAP and breakdown the discussed part of the female genitalia relevant to it. We learn that the key component to WAP is vaginal discharge...

In this solo episode, I dive into the research of Debby Herbenick and Dennis Fortenberry in their article Exercise-induced orgasm and pleasure among women. The study had the goals of understanding of exercise-induced orgasm and exercise-induced sexual pleasure. This studied surveyed over 500 women and found out how many experienced orgasms and/or sexual pleasure while working out.   This topic is shared to help reduce how taboo discussions about orgasms are.  encourage more of us to...

Dr. Ijeoma Opara was not always clear about her career path, but she wanted to be sure that she was an expert in whatever field she chose. Her Nigerian parents did not try to push her into any career but instead just told her to be the best at whatever she chooses. After losing her parents due to complications with diabetes, Dr. Opara wanted to address the issues that her community faced so that this does not continue happening which landed her in her current research position.   At a...

The #STEMNOIREstory that I’m telling today is my post PhD hardships. This is what depression looks like. It isn’t all tears and bad hair days. For me its makeup, fake smile, and trying to prove myself to others. Ever notice you’ve never seen any graduation pictures? I told myself I didn’t deserve to celebrate that accomplishment over and over again. So here a piece of my STEMNoire Story. Unfiltered and uncut.   As a chemist, I have been trained in understanding the science of reactions. You...

In the episode, we are blessed with the presence of Dr. Kristen Nichole. She is a performance artist, scholar, educator, trainer, coach, entrepreneur, mother, and wife. Kristen is a south Florida native and graduate of The University of Central Florida (B.S. in Psychology) and The University of Miami (M.S.Ed in Community and Social Change). Kristen also has a Ph.D. in Applied Social and Community Psychology from North Carolina State University.   Kristen needed an escape and she found...

Growing up in Guyana, Rukia Henry thought that she would be a detective or an author because of her love for writing. She had no clue that she would eventually pursue her Ph.D. in a science field. She describes her passion for learning and understanding life even as a small child playing in her backyard. It was only fitting that in her Caribbean high school that she chose the science stream. When she was younger, Rukia did not know that career as a scientist was a possibility thus she never...

Producing episode 33 of The Research Her podcast was a bust because I could not bring myself to think about anything but the current state of our country. I am sad that in 2020 we still are not seen as human. We are still fighting for basic human rights. With that, I did not curate an episode this week because I still do not know what to say. Instead, I want to let you know that I too am in pain at what is going on.   I wrote a letter to someone at my university who reached out to me which...

I was reading a little bit about affection, what it is, why we need it, and how to show it. My birthday is right around the corner and I like to celebrate on the podcast. I thought this year I would take the time out to remind myself why I love me.   This is the most important relationship that I have and it is important to me that this relationship continues to grow and prosper.   Here we go.   You realize that you aren't perfect Always willing to be yourself You’re always open...

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of vinegar. We break down the chemical composition of vinegar, the origin of vinegar synthesis, the difference between types of vinegar, its uses, health benefits, and does it help with weight loss. We talk about how it helps with weight loss and even discuss how it could be useful for hair growth.   Connect with me: Website: TheResearchHer.com Instagram: @TheResearchHer Twitter: @TheResearchHer Facebook: @TheResearchHer   Ways to...

I know that we are in the middle of a pandemic and the last thing that we want to talk about is… anything that does not have to do with the pandemic. However, I have something that I want to share. During and after working on my doctorate degree I suffered from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It was through seeking the necessary help that I was able to gain back control over my thoughts and improve my health. There are so many people out there who are suffering or have suffered from mental...

Dr. Lauren Michele Jackson teaches in the Departments of English and African American Studies at Northwestern University. Her first book, White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue… and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, is published by Beacon Press (order here) or on Amazon.   Dr. Jackson's work (research, criticism, essays, and – on occasion – poetry) has appeared in The Atlantic, The Awl, Complex, Feminist Media Studies, Hayden’s Ferry Review, The Journal, New Republic, The New...

Indira C. Turney, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral research scientist at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. She graduated from the University of the Virgin Islands with a Bachelor in Psychology.   During her undergraduate career, she was a member of several academic and non-academic organizations and honors societies and she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She went on to earn her Ph.D....

I had the honor of chatting on IG live with STEMedia. Dr. Nehemiah Mabry interviewed me. Our discussion included the chemistry of elevating research and research that matters. Here is the replay just in case you missed it!  Connect with him: Website: STEMedia.org Instagram: @STEMedia Twitter: @_STEMedia  Facebook: @STEM.Media Connect with me: Website: TheResearchHer.com Instagram: @TheResearchHer Twitter: @TheResearchHer Facebook: @TheResearchHer   Ways to subscribe to...

In this episode, we talk to the creator and host of the podcast Blk + In Grad School, Allante Whitmore. She is originally from Detroit where she lived until 2007 when she decided to attend North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University to study Biological Engineering.   She went on to earn an M.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She moved back to Detroit and led the McNair Scholars Program at Wayne State University...

THE RESEARCH HER PODCAST IS OFF OF GRADUATION HIATUS and its time that I give an update on what I have been doing. What is next for me and the podcast... do I know??  

Dr. Hareder McDowell is the author of Black Women, Sex & The Lies Our Mothers Told Us. She is a dedicated and passionate woman who has researched, worked and served communities, corporations and educational arenas to ensure that African-American female sexual empowerment and education remains at the forefront of all industries to ensure sexual equality, health, and safety.   Hareder serves as an adjunct professor of Human Sexuality for National-Louis University, public speaker and...

Paige Brown is a native of North Carolina and a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She is an electrical engineer by trade but a passionate STEM education advocate and educator (mostly in informal learning settings) at heart. As an electrical engineer, Paige has been exposed to technical settings that have not always been inclusive of people of color. To escape those harsh environments, she began devoting her time to educating and exposing students to...

June 1st was my birthday so this episode is late posting. The love was felt on that day with each individual message. Hearing all of the messages together was so powerful so I needed to share this. All of the encouragement is so necessary right now in my life and I am so happy that I chose to readdress this episode. Take out your notebooks and pens because GEMS were dropped Thank you so much for all the love!