Panel Discussion of the Movie "Picture a Scientist"

April 6, 2021 - 4:15pm

 

Did you know that less than 25% of STEM jobs in the United States are held by women. This disparity is even worse for women of color. The documentary “Picture a Scientist” provides a stark view of the STEM landscape as told by three women who have experienced the struggle for equity firsthand.

Please join our expert panel, including one of the filmmakers and moderated by Co chairs of the Senate Research Committee, on April 8 th to discuss the film, its lessons, its applicability to Pitt, and the path forward toward gender and racial equity in STEM. You can view the film, anytime you like, for free using the link here: Picture a Scientist. You will be required to login with your Pitt.edu credentials.

Meet the Panel:
Paula K. Davis , M.A., C.D.E*. is Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the University of Pittsburgh’s Schools o f t he Health Sciences. Davis assumed her current position after serving the School of Medicine as Assistant Dean with responsibilit y f or Admissions, Financial Aid and Diversity Programs, and as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Diversity. Davis’s car eer has centered on higher education administration including diversity and inclusion, recruitment and admissions, financial aid, aca dem ic advising, alumni relations, and support services for diverse student populations. A two time graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (BA, English; MA, Communications), and recipient of the 2003 Chancellor’s Affirmative Action Award, Davis serves the community as vic e president of the board of the FISA Foundation, an organization that funds initiatives supporting women and girls and people w ith disabilities, and chairs the board of M PowerHouse , a nonprofit founded to support students of color in STEAM. She also served two terms as northeast region director for the National Association of Medical Minority Educators. The parent of a young adult on the autism spectrum, Davis is a staunch advocate for disability research and education . CDE Certified Diversity Executive

Nicole Kaminski is a 4 th year graduate student in the Molecular Pharmacology PhD Program within the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech in 2017. She currently works as a graduate student researc her (GSR) in the O’Sullivan Lab, where she studies the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway. In addition to her work as a GSR, Nic ole serves as the President of the Biomedical Graduate Student Association (BGSA), the Student Government entity representing all graduate stu dents within the School of Medicine. In her role as President, Nicole has worked closely with the BGSA Diversity and Inclusion Comm itt ee to promote an equitable environment for all graduate students in the School of Medicine.

Christine E. Schmidt, Ph.D., is the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor and Department Chair for the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering. Under her leadership, the department’s faculty have grown and diversified to include 52% women and 22 % underrepresented minorities. She is also a proactive mentor for women across the profession. Dr. Schmidt's research is focuse d o n developing new biomaterials and biomaterial composites that can be used to physically guide and stimulate regenerating nerves an d the healing of other tissues. She is also active in commercialization and clinical translation efforts. Dr. Schmidt has received man y major research awards and recognitions, including the Clemson Award for Applied Research from Society For Biomaterials, the America n Competitiveness and Innovation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, and the Chairmen's Distinguished Life Science s A ward from Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Schmidt is the current past President for t he American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She is an inductee of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, as we ll as a Fellow of AIMBE, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the American Society for th e Advancement of Science (AAAS), the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), and themaceutic International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE/IUSBSE).

Sharon Shattuck is an Emmy nominated documentary filmmaker and podcast host. Picture A Scientist (2020) was an official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and will broadcast in April 2021 on PBS (NOVA). From This Day Forward (2015) was a New York Ti mes Critic's Pick. She's the co host of the podcast Conviction: American Panic from Gimlet Media and Spotify, and the co creator of the short science film series 'Animated Life' from The New York Times Op Docs. Sharon has degrees in forest ecology and journalism

Panel Discussion Moderators:
Penelope A. Morel MD Professor Department of Immunology and Medicine University of Pittsburgh Co chair, University Senate Research Committee
Shilpa Sant, PhD Associate Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bioengineering University of Pittsburgh Co chair, University Senate Research Committee

For questions about this event, contact the University Senate Office