It is hard to not be in complete awe when talking about Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett. In celebration of Black History Month, we are highlighting just a snapshot of the historic career Dr. Corbett has already had at such a young age.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is a virology immunologist who led the team that developed the Moderna COVID- 19 Vaccine. She grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina and attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for her undergraduate degree. In 2014, Dr. Corbett recieved her PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She couldn’t have ever imagined the global impact her work would have just six short years later.

Dr. Corbett was working at the National Institute of Health in 2020 when the entire world began to change. Dr. Corbett and her team had already spent years researching coronavirus – before it was a term many people even understood. Specifically, they were researching spike proteins, even understood. the structure of the coronavirus spike proteins, essentially the “key” that allows the virus to enter human cells and begin infection. Her team got right to work, using this knowledge and partnering with Moderna to develop a vaccine that typically takes years, in just months.

While most would consider this to be an accomplishment most would end their career with, at 36 years old Dr. Corbett is just getting started. She already has 15 years of experience studying viruses and a large patent portfolio, but she continues to look for what’s next, how else can see make a difference in the world. This applies both inside and outside of the laboratory. Dr. Corbett devotes much of her time to mentorship, specifically in underserved communities as an advocate of STEM education and vaccine awareness. She is quoted as saying, “I would say that my role as a scientist is really about my passion and purpose for the world and for giving back to the world.” Dr. Corbett is a role model to so many young girls to pursue a career in STEM. When kids are able to see someone that looks like them succeeding in a STEM career, it is easier for them to see themselves in the same way. Dr. Corbett is that inspiration for kids who are watching her accomplish the unimaginable.

Recently, Dr. Corbett was announced as a joint winner of the 2022 J. William Fullbright Prize for International Understanding alongside Dr. Anthony Fauci. This award recognizes the leadership of both Dr. Corbett and Dr. Fauci in creating a vaccine that is now saving lives around the world. This is just the latest award in the long list Dr. Corbett has already earned, and I’m sure it is far from the last.

Katelyn Rutty is the Communications Manager at the Connecticut Science Center where she manages all of the online content platforms. She has a Master’s in Business Administration from Western New England University.

Even though the environment is all those things, it impacts many aspects of day-to-day life. The concrete in sidewalks, the electricity in lightbulbs, the type of crops growing, etc. are all dependent on the environment. Believe it or not, all these things (and so much more) fall under the umbrella of environmental science. Environmental science studies the different aspects of the environment to learn more about them and solve problems within them that may be caused by and/or impacting humans. For example, water usage is a very important topic for environmental scientists due to the increasing scarcity of fresh water. Even though it seems like it’s all around us, it’s being used faster than the environment can replenish it.

One thing environmental scientists can do is help to educate people about this. A 2019 survey showed that when asked, many people were unaware of their personal water usage, but wanted to work towards having cleaner water. This study was also able to highlight the importance of educating citizens about water quality and usage, as 86% of the study participants underestimated their personal water usage.

However, being an environmental scientist doesn’t only have to do with serious data about water usage. Environmental scientists also get to learn about some of the coolest places on Earth, such as the rainforest! The rainforest is a very diverse ecosystem, as one can see when looking at the many different animals currently living in Under the Canopy. It’s easy to see that New England has a vastly different environment than the rainforest, but they do share some resources. Through the water cycle, the circulation in the atmosphere, and other processes, the different environments of the world are interconnected. That means that even though a rainforest may be hundreds of miles away, you still can have an impact on it. Topics such as these show just a glimpse of the work environmental scientists can do, and how important they are in the scientific community by helping us to understand the world around us.

Mary Ferguson is docent in the Connecticut Science Center exhibit “Under the Canopy”. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Geosciences at the University of Connecticut, with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Dr. Marisa Chrysochoou is a Professor and Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. As the first female department head in the School of Engineering at UConn, Dr. Chrysochoou is dedicated to empowering young women and underrepresented minorities to find their voice and pursue their dreams. This is just part of what made her the perfect candidate to receive the 2022 Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award. Each year, the Connecticut Science Center Women in Science Steering Committee selects and honoree working in STEM who is a leader in their field, and who makes a significant effort to support other women and girls in STEM.

Dr. Chrysochoou’s general research area is environmental geochemistry, with a focus on site remediation, characterization and reuse of industrial waste and construction materials. She serves as the Director of the ERPA Region 1 Technical Assistance for Brownfield Program, serving New England communities to promote brownfield redevelopment and environmental justice. She is also the Principal Investigator of the project “Beyond Accommodation, Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Invention,” sponsored by the NSF’s Revolutionizing Engineering Department program, empowering neurodiversity students to pursue and engineering education and career.

Neurodiversity is a topic Dr. Chrysochoou is extremely passionate about. Growing up with a brother who has dyslexia, she saw first hand the struggles he and their parents faced when navigating the educational system. Dr. Chrysochoou now advocates for creating an educational system where all types of learners can be successful.

Katelyn Rutty is the Communications Manager at the Connecticut Science Center where she manages all of the online content platforms. She has a Master’s in Business Administration from Western New England University.

Snigtha Mohanraj took her time to develop a device called Biochar to alleviate the traces of pharmaceutical oil contaminants and even microplastics. She aims to make the device as affordable and environmentally friendly as possible. She also recognizes that many people have already invested in a filter, she makes her filter compatible with other filters. This way, nine percent of the Tylenol in unfiltered water will be suitable for everyday consumption. Mohanraj acknowledges the problems involving water in underdeveloped countries. She aims to fix this with one filter at a time.

Sydney Borst aims her knowledge at diabetes. She hopes to inform and make people aware of the diabetic issues various people face daily. To demonstrate, Borst created an artificial pancreas model that functions like a human biological pancreas. The pancreas works like this; the higher the concentration of baking soda, the higher amount of vinegar needed to balance the solution.  She perfected her results by slowing down her makeshift insulin pump. Slowing down the pump resulted in highly accurate results.

Sia Reddy got down to a science when developing her multi-filter system. This filtration system captures pearl-shaped plastic pellets, commonly called nurdles. The nurdles are usually shipped to plastic companies for the making of their plastic products. When they are shipped, many of the pellets end up in the ocean and are digested by marine life. It gets worse; the same nurdles absorb toxins from the water, creating a toxic plastic pearl that should never be anywhere near marine life. Reddy was quick to the drawing board, developing a device that captures 87 percent of these plastic pellets from the ocean.  Her project is highly integral to the cleanliness of the earth’s environment.

Maya Chiravuri and her understanding of the human heart recognized in the medical field it is difficult to know if a patient is explicitly suffering from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). She developed an innovative and universal system that uses an LFIA (Lateral flow immunoassay test, most commonly known as a pregnancy test) kit that allows for reliable detection at concentrations as low as 5,000 picograms per milliliter. A picogram is one trillionth of a gram, meaning it’s tiny and challenging to detect. However, the 5,000 pg/ml concentration measurement is in the range for hospitalized patients. Chiravuri’s method of detecting antibodies showed promising results. Her experiments will prove accurate and practical, a combination that spells success for the medical world.

All the women in science have proven they are more than capable of delivering life changing results when it comes to their contribution on our planets longevity. But it’s not just our planet that needs saving, it’s our hearts and our bodies. It’s imperative we don’t lose sight of our health when pursuing our goals for the environment. It’s lovely to see that the women in science have not, lost sight of this objective; keeping people safe no matter who they are. The Connecticut Science Center is proud to be part of this Science & Engineering Fair.

Krystal Tsosie (Dine/Navajo Nation), MPH, MA, PhD, is an indigenous geneticist – biologist who is making her impact felt inside and outside of the lab. She is a fierce advocate for indigenous genomics and data efficacy. Krystal co-founded the first U.S. indigenous – led biobank, the Native BioData Consortium. Dr. Tsosie discovered her passion for genetic epidemiology, public health and biodata after seeing disparities in new genomic technology in the beginning of her research career. She went back to school and received a Master of Arts in Bioethics at Arizona State University, currently as a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow researching how the ethically work with indigenous communities to ensure equity in precision health & genomics. In January 2023, she will transition to an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences and the first indigenous human geneticist at the school.

This November, we are celebrating Krystal and all Indigenous scientists making meaningful changes for the next generation of STEM professionals. Thank you Krystal for all your hard work.

Katelyn Rutty is the Communications Manager at the Connecticut Science Center where she manages all of the online content platforms. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Western New England University.

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, PhD is a Cuban-American physicist and inspiration to young aspiring scientists around the world. Her fascination in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) began at a very early age. Originally from Chicago, Illinois Sabrina  attended the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and quickly exceled at all of her courses there. When she was just 14 years old, Sabrina built and flew a single engine plane completely by herself- before she was even old enough to test for a driver’s license!

Upon completion of her primary education, she went on to complete her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earned a PhD in high energy physics at Harvard University. Of course, this journey did not come without its own list of incredible accomplishments.

• Sabrina is the first female to graduate from MIT Physics #1, with an outstanding 5.0 GPA.
• She is the second PhD candidate from Harvard University to have their dissertation published in Physics Reports
• In 2012, Sabrina was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Science List and the Forbes 30 Under 30 All Star List just 3 years later (2015)

Sabrina has earned the nickname the “Next Albert Einstein” for good reason, she has accomplished more before she turns 30 than most people do in an entire career. It is an honor to watch everything Sabrina has accomplished this far, and exciting to think where her incredible career with take her in the future. In 2014, Sabrina and her colleagues discovered the “spin memory effect,” and in 2015 she published an individual paper about her findings of the Pasterski-Strominger-Zhiboedov Triangle in Electromagnetic Memory. In 2016, Stephen Hawking, yes THE Stephen Hawking cited three of Sabrina’s paper in his research, two of which she was co-author and one individual paper. Currently, Sabrina is a Physics Professor at The Perimeter Institute, where she joined at the age of 27, as the youngest of their 25 faculty members and one of three women.

Not only is Sabrina extremely gifted in her work, she is also a big advocate for women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), which is also an initiative very close to us here at the Connecticut Science Center. Her work in promoting the Let Girls Learn initiative was recognized by an invitation to the White House. She was also recognized internationally with her efforts, by the Anneberg Foundation in Cuba, the US Embassy in Moscow and the Moscow Polytech.

There is so much more to learn about Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski, PhD at her work, check out these resources for more information:

PhysicsGirl (Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski’s YouTube Channel)

Sabrina Patsterski- Forbes

The Young Woman Dubbed the “Next Albert Einstien”

Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski- Helena.org

Sabrina Pasterski: The ‘Physics Girl’ Who Built Her First Plane at Thirteen Years Old

Katelyn Rutty is the Communications Manager at the Connecticut Science Center where she manages all of the online content platforms. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Western New England University.

Emilia Winquist,’24, is studying mathematics with a pure concentration while minoring in German and music at the University of Vermont. At school, she is a member of various music ensembles but is hoping to get more involved with UVM’s Women in STEM Club as well as the Math Club.

In an interview with Winquist, she explained her passion for math and the importance of making STEM less intimidating for women.

***

What inspired you to study mathematics?

Emilia Winquist: I always liked math in school. Beyond just doing problems, I found the mechanics of how formulas and math work super interesting. It’s always difficult to know what you’re getting into with a degree in math. You have to get through some basic classes before it starts to get theoretical, but that theoretical math is what I really wanted to understand at some point. I also figured I would have more flexibility in careers in the future – from computer science to finance, I’d have the space to explore and pursue various fields.

What has been your most challenging class so far? The easiest?

Emilia: My easiest class was Fundamentals of Mathematics, which was the basics of proof-writing and math concepts you’d need for later courses. The hardest was Linear Algebra, although I suspect that will quickly be replaced this semester by Abstract Algebra or Ordinary Differential Equations. I had the most fun taking Intro to Combinatorial Theory, which was hard but felt like constantly solving puzzles and was super rewarding.

Why do you think it is important for people to study STEM in K-12?

Emilia: Partly, I think it’s important for people to be able to think somewhat analytically and learn some of the problem-solving skills that STEM teaches you. But also, science and math, especially statistics, are so important to understanding the world today. Even just regarding the pandemic, most of the information we received about COVID was in terms of numbers. Properly understanding things like that is vital!

Why do you think women are less likely to choose a STEM career?

Emilia: It’s intimidating! I’m in classes where the majority of the people are men. And, I have heard some talk avoiding certain professors or advisors as a woman because they’re a bit sexist. That aside, I’ve taken classes with some amazing female professors and have yet to have a truly negative experience with a male professor or classmate. If you look for good people and try to connect with professors, it’s definitely possible to find a support system that makes it less scary.

With that, what do you think would help encourage women to choose STEM majors if that is what they want to do? How do we close the STEM gap?

Emilia: I cannot overemphasize how impactful it has been to me to have female teachers in STEM classes in K-12, even more in college. It makes the world of a difference when the professor is female, even if the class itself has a male majority.

To wrap up, if you could tell your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Emilia : Not worry about having a concept click first try. I used to freak out when I couldn’t figure out a problem after an hour. I’ve come to the point where I’ve mulled over a proof for an entire weekend, and then suddenly, walking out of a music rehearsal, it just makes sense to me.

***

Winquist plans on taking more compelling courses and has an interest in attending graduate school abroad. Though her long-term goals are less exact, she knows that she would like to complete an honors thesis before graduating with her Bachelor’s. She believes that anyone can study a path in STEM, as long as they enjoy what they are doing.

“Trust your own brain to understand it eventually.” – Emilia Winquist

London Brazal is a Community Engagement and Marketing Intern at the Connecticut Science Center. She is a rising senior at Marist College working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Public Relations.

Doctors Christine Beck, Vallianatos, and Alexa Wnorowski are part of the new frontier of genomics research and education. Dr. Christine Beck is a researcher with The Jackson Laboratory and UConn Health Center. In her role, Dr. Beck is investigating in hopes that her inquiries could fine regions of the body that are prone to cancer and lead to targets for therapy. Her main areas of research are in cancer biology & computation modeling. Dr. Beck’s love of STEM began in high school. “I had a wonderful high school chemistry teacher who inspired investigation and curiosity in science through bench experimentation. It was the first time that I felt really invested in scientific discovery,” Dr. Beck recalls. The path for many scientists and researchers is not linear, and the same is true with Dr. Beck. “I still wonder what I want to do in ~10 years,” Dr. Beck says, “Some of my most relevant experiences for my scientific career have come from other interests and jobs I have had. I knew I wanted to pursue genetics after working as a technician and really getting interested in both mentoring scientists and in being able to conduct the research that was z78loxmost interesting to me.” Like other scientific fields, the study of genomics is full of challenges, trials, and errors. Creating a system to record the mass amount of data that comes from genomics research is just one of the challenges that comes with this field. A March 2018 survey showed that data management and storage were ranked among the top obstacles organizations currently face. Dr. Beck recognizes the challenges that come with this research. “Persistence and doggedness make sure that I keep working on questions that are particularly difficult; this quality is very important in science.” Dr. Beck says, “There may be setbacks, but never enough to throw in the towel!”

While Dr. Beck focuses on the research side of genomics, Doctors Christina Vallianatos and Alexa Wnorowski tackle genomics education. Doctor Vallianatos is the Genomics Education & Outreach Program Manager at The Jackson Laboratory. She uses her expertise to design, develop, and teach courses and educational programs focused on genetics. For most of her research career, she has focused on neuroscience and genetics. “I’m fascinated by the brain, and also by how variations in our genes contribute to human diversity.” While at JAX, Vallianatos has “worked with laboratory mice and cells like neurons; used tools like microscopes and pipettes; studied DNA, RNA, and protein; performed sequencing analyses; learned coding; and more!” Vallianatos says she is especially interested in rare disease research and forging connections between scientists and patient communities. She says, “social media has allowed families with rare disorders to find each other and form support and advocacy networks. Likewise, scientists are able to share their research findings in more publicly accessible ways.” This sharing of information across platforms is especially important with genomics research and targeted treatments. Vallianatos sees this collaboration as an indication of where STEM careers will go in the future. “I think that in the future we will find more STEM professionals crossing into non-STEM fields,” she says, “Scientists in journalism, engineers in Congress, public health officials in the media, doctors in education, etc.”

Dr. Alex Wnorowski is a genomics education fellow at The Jackson Laboratory. She focuses on curriculum development, teaching, and educational programming for high school and undergraduate students. Her days vary – some days she will be researching and developing new programs while other days she’s in the lab, testing curricula. While Dr. Wnorowski has many roles, she says the most rewarding part is interacting with students and teachers. She also really loves “thinking of ways to integrate real scientific research into our programs and curriculum, so that students have an opportunity to connect science concepts to modern scientific discoveries, research, and techniques.” The field of genomics has changed dramatically in its short life and there are only more changes to come. When asked about the future of the field, Dr. Wnorowski said “I am hopeful that an increased focus on equitable science education, ethics, and community-oriented science will prepare the next generation of STEM researchers and professionals to be more thoughtful in their research design and engaged with their broader communities.”

While genomics may seem like science from the future, it is already accessible in our day-to-day lives. Things like ancestry kits use basic principles of genomics to give us an insight into our genetic heritage. The study of genomics will continue to become more present in our everyday lives as researchers and educators discover more about this field. Within 50 years, we expect comprehensive genomics-based health care to be the norm in the U.S. Scientists like Drs. Beck, Vallianatos, and Wnorowski will help us navigate these new discoveries.

Bridget Leahy is the Programs Administrator at the Connecticut Science Center where she assists with educational programming. She has a Masters in History from Clark University.

Doctors Christine Beck, Vallianatos, and Alexa Wnorowski are part of the new frontier of genomics research and education. Dr. Christine Beck is a researcher with Jackson Laboratory and UConn Health Center. In her role, Dr. Beck is investigating in hopes that her inquiries could fine regions of the body that are prone to cancer and lead to targets for therapy. Her main areas of research are in cancer biology & computation modeling. Dr. Beck’s love of STEM began in high school. “I had a wonderful high school chemistry teacher who inspired investigation and curiosity in science through bench experimentation. It was the first time that I felt really invested in scientific discovery,” Dr. Beck recalls. The path for many scientists and researchers is not linear, and the same is true with Dr. Beck. “I still wonder what I want to do in ~10 years,” Dr. Beck says, “Some of my most relevant experiences for my scientific career have come from other interests and jobs I have had. I knew I wanted to pursue genetics after working as a technician and really getting interested in both mentoring scientists and in being able to conduct the research that was most interesting to me.” Like other scientific fields, the study of genomics is full of challenges, trials, and errors. Creating a system to record the mass amount of data that comes from genomics research is just one of the challenges that comes with this field. A March 2018 survey showed that data management and storage were ranked among the top obstacles organizations currently face. Dr. Beck recognizes the challenges that come with this research. “Persistence and doggedness make sure that I keep working on questions that are particularly difficult; this quality is very important in science.” Dr. Beck says, “There may be setbacks, but never enough to throw in the towel!”

While Dr. Beck focuses on the research side of genomics, Doctors Christina Vallianatos and Alexa Wnorowski tackle genomics education. Doctor Vallianatos is the Genomics Education & Outreach Program Manager at The Jackson Laboratory. She uses her expertise to design, develop, and teach courses and educational programs focused on genetics. For most of her research career, she has focused on neuroscience and genetics. “I’m fascinated by the brain, and also by how variations in our genes contribute to human diversity.” While at JAX, Vallianatos has “worked with laboratory mice and cells like neurons; used tools like microscopes and pipettes; studied DNA, RNA, and protein; performed sequencing analyses; learned coding; and more!” Vallianatos says she is especially interested in rare disease research and forging connections between scientists and patient communities. She says, “social media has allowed families with rare disorders to find each other and form support and advocacy networks. Likewise, scientists are able to share their research findings in more publicly accessible ways.” This sharing of information across platforms is especially important with genomics research and targeted treatments. Vallianatos sees this collaboration as an indication of where STEM careers will go in the future. “I think that in the future we will find more STEM professionals crossing into non-STEM fields,” she says, “Scientists in journalism, engineers in congress, public health officials in the media, doctors in education, etc.”

Dr. Alex Wnorowski is a genomics education fellow at The Jackson Laboratory. She focuses on curriculum development, teaching, and educational programming for high school and undergraduate students. Her days vary – some days she will be researching and developing new programs while other days she’s in the lab, testing curricula. While Dr. Wnorowski has many roles, she says the most rewarding part is interacting with students and teachers. She also really loves “thinking of ways to integrate real scientific research into our programs and curriculum, so that students have an opportunity to connect science concepts to modern scientific discoveries, research, and techniques.” The field of genomics has changed dramatically in its short life and there are only more changes to come. When asked about the future of the field, Dr. Wnorowski said “I am hopeful that an increased focus on equitable science education, ethics, and community-oriented science will prepare the next generation of STEM researchers and professionals to be more thoughtful in their research design and engaged with their broader communities.”

While genomics may seem like science from the future, it is already accessible in our day-to-day lives. Things like ancestry kits use basic principles of genomics to give us an insight to our genetic heritage. The study of genomics will continue to become more present in our everyday lives as researchers and educators discover more about this field. Within 50 years, we expect comprehensive genomics-based health care to be the norm in the U.S. Scientists like Drs. Beck, Vallianatos, and Wnorowski will help us navigate these new discoveries.

Bridget Leahy is the Programs Administrator at the Connecticut Science Center where she assists with educational programming. She has a Masters in History from Clark University.