Full STEAM Ahead fullsteamaheadpodcast

First off, let’s all take a moment to celebrate the 10th episode and one-year (kinda of) anniversary of Full STEAM Ahead! And there’s no better person to spend it with than Dr. Aidyl Gonzalez-Serrichio, who happens to be the first ever guest we had on our podcast. We all know Dr. G as the astronautical Multitasker of a lifetime that founded and co-directs the GOld initiative, is a member of the Possum 13 group, received her PhD in molecular genetics at CalTech and her BS in molecular biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She taught at Cosmo, our guest Nathan, and I at our own school.
And if you thought our list of guests was over, you’re sorely mistaken. We’re also joined with student Nathan Park, who founded the STEAM based journal called MIND Magazine that consists of 12 artists and writers alike. They create quarterly magazines and distribute them to schools in the LA Region.  They’re currently aiming to hit 50 schools in Los angeles. Nathan is currently a rising junior at our own school, and we’re honored to have him on with us.
 

In today’s episode we’re joined with AVIS LANG , writer and editor at the American Museum of Natural History. She earned both her Masters in History of Art and Bachelor’s in English, at University of Michigan. Avis is also an associate at the Hayden Planetarium which holds space exhibits and other astronomy related shows. Additionally Avis taught fine arts and women’s studies at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, the Banff Centre, and the University of Lethbridge.
Avis has also consistently worked in tandem with Niel DeGrasse Tyson on collaboration publications such as the Natural History Museum’s “Universe” column and most recently as the coauthor of Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military. If it’s not already clear, Avis is incredibly diligent in her work and we’re so excited to have her on today.

In today’s episode we’re joined with Robert Yowell, aerospace engineer and technical consultant for space-centric moviemaking. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Aerospace and Electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and the US Air Force Institute of Technology, and began his career in 1989 as an engineer with NASA in Houston where he participated in the space shuttle program as a flight controller in Mission Control. Since 2011, he has managed spaceflight projects for the US Air Force in Los Angeles. 
Robert also works with space-related movie productions as a consultant. From pre-production all the way to on-set supervision, Robert is there to ensure a level of authenticity and accuracy. He works in tandem with the director, props department, post-production and more. You might know Robert for his work on "Ad Astra" directed by James Gray and "Lucy In the Sky" directed by Noah Hawley. And most recently the Warner-Horizon / Appian Way TV series "The Right Stuff". Recorded by Cosmo Callaway and Eliana Stanford, with guest Robert J. Yowell.

Dr. Jan Conn is a Canadian poet, artist, and mosquito geneticist with a PhD in genetics. She has had training in systematics, entomology and population genetics, and she’s undoubtedly advanced efforts towards malaria eradication. She has done fieldwork in Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Panama, and Columbia in order to study the factors that influence malaria transmission. 
With her studies,  she has over 100 publications that outline the importance of understanding these factors in order to help end the malaria epidemic. In addition to her academic career, Dr. Conn is an avid poet, with 9 books of poetry published. Now if Dr. Conn isn’t one of the most steam-oriented people we’ve hosted on this podcast, then I don’t know what we’re doing. She’s also spoken at 9 poetry festivals, one of which I was able to attend online with wordVancouver. Recorded by Cosmo Callaway and Eliana Stanford, with guest Jan Conn.

In today’s episode we have the absolute privilege to sit down with Tyler Bates. He is a musician, producer, and composer for film, television, and video games and you might have heard his work in the 300, John Wickmovies, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Deadpool 2, just to name a few. In addition, he is the former lead guitarist for Marilyn Mansen and produced a number of his albums as well. You might have even heard him play the Star Spangled banner on the guitar at a Tennessee Titans Football game.
Tyler’s seemingly endless list of credits typically revolve around horror and action, and have made their ways into a plethora of media, including a Disneyland attraction which we'll touch on a bit later! He’s a perfect guest for today because he brings the best of the steam worlds together, engineering and art. Recorded by Cosmo Callaway and Eliana Stanford, with guest Tyler Bates.

In today’s episode, we’re sitting down with aerospace engineer extraordinaire Harshini Sivakumar. Outside of Georgia Tech where she’s currently working on her Bachelor’s, Harshini is the 2020 Expansion subcommittee chair of the WOAA group, or Women of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 
When she’s not working at the Aero Maker Space, you can find Harshini public speaking surrounding topics of empowerment and advocating for gender equality and equity in STEAM fields. We are very lucky to have Harshini here with us today, to discuss her journey to becoming an inspirational woman in STEAM. Recorded by Cosmo Callaway and Eliana Stanford, with guest Harshini Sivakumar