Girl Power Gurus

Girl Power Gurus
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Interviews of influential and inspiring female role models.

  1. 12/23/2025

    Alyssa Whitcraft PH.D - Executive Director NASA Acres, Executive Director Harvest Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture Initiative

    Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft is a Research Professor at the University of Maryland and the Director of NASA ACRES, NASA's US-focused agriculture program. She helped found NASA Harvest in 2017 and has dedicated her career to applying satellite data, machine learning, and geospatial tools to benefit agriculture worldwide. Her work sits at the cutting edge of space technology, earth science, and sustainable food systems—proving that NASA is about much more than just space exploration. In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Alyssa shares her unconventional path from pre-med student to leading NASA's agriculture programs. She opens up about struggling with anxiety and depression in college, the pivotal geography course that changed her life, and her ongoing battle with imposter syndrome even at the height of her success. Alyssa discusses the realities of being a woman in male-dominated STEM fields, the challenges of balancing motherhood with a demanding career, and how she created systemic change by establishing a dependent care fund at her university. Above all, she emphasizes the importance of following your curiosity, believing in yourself, and remembering that it's never too late to try something new. Whether you're interested in technology, agriculture, or simply learning how to navigate life's challenges with grace and determination, this episode offers wisdom and encouragement for dreamers of all ages.

    1h 4m

  2. 12/19/2025

    Dr. Jean Bennett - Developed first FDA approved gene therapy for humans

    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jean Bennett, Professor Emeritus of Ophthalmology at Penn Medicine and a true pioneer in gene therapy research. Dr. Bennett led the team that developed the first FDA-approved gene therapy to treat inherited blindness, transforming the lives of patients with retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal diseases. Her groundbreaking work spans over three decades and has opened doors for gene therapy applications far beyond ophthalmology. Dr. Bennett shares her remarkable journey from a curious child in New Haven, Connecticut—who chose seeds over candy at age four—to becoming a world-renowned scientist. She opens up about the challenges she faced as a woman in science, including being advised to leave her field entirely when seeking tenure at Penn. With candor and humor, she discusses how mentorship from previous Girl Power Gurus guest, Dr. Virginia Lee, helped her persevere, the emotional eureka moment when blind dogs first regained their sight, and what it felt like to witness blind children see for the first time. Dr. Bennett also offers invaluable advice for young women pursuing STEM careers, emphasizing the importance of finding work you love, building collaborative teams, and never giving up on your dreams despite the obstacles. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in science, medicine, or the power of determination.

    45 min

  3. 11/09/2025

    Dr. Marianne Baernholdt - Dean of UVA School of Nursing

    _*]:min-w-0"> This episode features Dr. Marianne Baernholdt, Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia, who brings a unique international perspective to healthcare leadership. Born in Denmark and educated across multiple countries, Dr. Baernholdt's journey spans continents, cultures, and nearly every role within the nursing profession. _*]:min-w-0"> We discuss her pioneering research in rural healthcare, which challenges common assumptions about healthcare quality in underserved areas. Her studies reveal that rural hospitals often excel in team dynamics and holistic patient care, providing crucial touchpoints for communities that would otherwise lack access to preventive healthcare. Dr. Baernholdt also shares insights from her global health work, including eye-opening experiences in South Africa where rural clinics demonstrated sophisticated quality tracking methods ahead of their time. _*]:min-w-0"> As an immigrant and first-generation college graduate, Dr. Baernholdt offers honest reflections on dealing with imposter syndrome, finding belonging in new environments, and learning to laugh at yourself along the way. Her advice to young women is refreshingly practical: be curious, don't limit yourself, and do it even when you're uncomfortable—because nobody else can see those butterflies in your stomach. From co-founding Denmark's first women's crisis center to leading a top nursing school while mentoring the next generation, Dr. Baernholdt exemplifies how embracing vulnerability and supporting others can create lasting change.

    51 min

  4. 06/09/2025

    Tara VanDerveer - Hall of Fame Basketball Coach

    This episode features a remarkable conversation with Tara VanDerveer, the recently retired Stanford women's basketball coach and one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history. With 1,216 career wins, three NCAA championships, and an Olympic gold medal, Coach VanDerveer has dedicated 45 years to excellence in coaching and developing young women athletes. We explore Coach VanDerveer's unique journey—growing up before Title IX without opportunities to play organized sports herself, yet going on to build one of the most successful programs in women's basketball. She shares her perspectives on what makes a great coach, why competence matters more than confidence, and how to maintain a positive outlook when facing the systemic challenges women in sports still encounter today. We also discuss the current explosion of interest in women's basketball, the impact of players like Caitlin Clark, and the ongoing fight for equality in collegiate athletics. Whether you're an athlete, a coach, or simply someone pursuing their passion, Coach VanDerveer's wisdom about teamwork, preparation, and resilience will inspire you.

    54 min

  5. 05/07/2025

    Jenny Rickard - President and CEO at Common App

    The latest episode is with Jenny Rickard, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Common App, a not-for-profit membership organization committed to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year, more than one million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, apply to college through Common App's online application. Ms. Rickard was a pleasure to interview, it was fun conversation with lots of great details about her personal journey coupled with great insights and advice for our listeners. Ms. Rickard has shown a strong commitment to college access as evidenced by her accomplishments as the chief enrollment officer at both the University of Puget Sound and Bryn Mawr and in admission roles at Swarthmore and New York University School of Law. Her extensive service within the national higher education community includes a wide range of roles with the College Board, Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), US Department of Education, and The Common Application Board of Directors — serving as Board President from 2007 to 2008. Within the corporate field, Ms. Rickard was a vice president responsible for higher education product strategy at PeopleSoft. She was also a consultant for the higher education software company Datatel and started her career on Wall Street at J.P. Morgan & Co. Since she joined Common App in August of 2016, the organization has developed a long-term strategic plan and roadmap and has expanded its access initiatives, including the acquisition of Reach Higher, the college access and success campaign founded by former First Lady Michelle Obama during her time in the White House, and the development of a new application system for transfer and adult students. Ms. Rickard serves on the board of directors for the Posse Foundation and College Possible. She is an advisory board member for the National Education Equity Lab and Liaison GradCAS, a centralized application for graduation admission, and she currently sits on the American Council on Education's Washington Higher Education Secretariat. She received a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania; a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University, Stern School of Business; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Swarthmore College. This interview was extra special for Eli and Jordana due to the common connection of Swarthmore College. It was an fun interview for them, especially connecting on all things Swarthmore. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

    1h 1m

  6. 03/13/2025

    Dr. Wendy Horton - Chief Executive Officer at UVA Health

    A new episode with Dr. Wendy Horton, the Chief Executive Officer at UVA Health University Medical Center. Dr. Horton was a pleasure to speak with, it was fun interview with lots of great details about her background and career along with insights, perspectives, and advice for the future.

    46 min

  7. 12/29/2024

    Dr. Prathibha Varkey - President Mayo Clinic Health System

    A super informative and interesting interview with Dr. Prathibha Varkey, the President of the Mayo Clinic Health System. Dr. Varkey leads over 17,000 employees serving 16 community hospitals and 50 multispecialty clinics across 39 communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dr. Varkey is a Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

    39 min

  8. 10/07/2024

    Dr. Jennifer Rexford - Provost of Princeton University

    Dr. Jennifer Rexford is the Provost, Gordon Y. S. Wu Professor in Engineering, Professor of Computer Science, and formerly the Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University. She is an accomplished computer scientists whose research has focused on analysis of computer networks, and in particular network routing, performance measurement, and network management.  She is an affiliated faculty member in electrical and computer engineering, operations research and financial engineering, applied and computational mathematics, gender and sexuality studies, Center for Information Technology Policy, High Meadows Environmental Institute and Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering.

    53 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Interviews of influential and inspiring female role models.

Information

  • Creator
    Girl Power Gurus
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Girl Power Gurus