Dr. Jayshree Seth - Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate, 3M; BS, MS, & PhD in Chemical Engineering
Jayshree Seth is a Corporate Scientist and Chief Science Advocate at 3M. She has Bachelor's and Master's Degrees and a PhD, all in Chemical Engineering. She holds 72 patents! She was recently featured in the documentary "Not the Science Type", a documentary that premiered during the Tribeca Film Festival this summer. She is the author of "The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, and Imprints".
Episode Notes
Jayshree Seth didn't think she wanted to be an engineer or scientist. She had a strong interest in humanities subjects and grew up knowing that she wanted to help people and make a difference in the world. Her parents strongly encouraged her to go into engineering and she eventually saw that engineers and scientists DO help people and are change makers in the world - and she is passionate about sharing that message and encouraging women and underrepresented minorities to pursue STEM careers knowing a humanities mindset is huge component of success in STEM.
We talk about the documentary "Not the Science Type", her public facing role as a Chief Science Advocate (sounds like the coolest job ever), her book "The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, and Imprints" which is a great collection of advice and articles about STEM and whose proceeds go to fund scholarships for a woman of color. We talk about the need to change narratives and archetypes around STEM careers, motherhood, communication skills, and so much more.
Music used in the podcast: Higher Up, Silverman Sound Studio
Acronyms, Definitions, and Fact Check
Not the Science Type: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHIoyZjMCI.
"Not the Science Type" is an incredible four - part documentary series that will quickly disabuse you of that notion. In the series you will meet four amazing female scientists who are ushering in a new future, as they address critical global and local challenges. These brilliant women have faced sexism, racism and ageism in their professional journeys and in response, they have shattered stereotypes with each new innovation, patent and award.
The Heart of Science: Engineering Footprints, Fingerprints, & Imprints - https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Science-Engineering-Footprints-Fingerprints/dp/0578785129/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1608578292&sr=8-1
The Heart of Science explores big ideas through a collection of insights, reflections and tips from Jayshree Seth's successful corporate career in research and development that spans over 25 years and includes 72 patents, as well as national and international accolades. All proceeds from the sale of the book will support the Jayshree Seth Scholarship for Women of Color in STEM. (https://alltogether.swe.org/2020/12/the-heart-of-science-jayshree-seth/)
3M State of Science Index Survey - For the fourth year, 3M is sharing unique insights from our original research project, the State of Science Index. The State of Science Index is a third-party, independent research study commissioned by 3M that tracks and explores global attitudes toward science, taking the pulse on how people think and feel about the field and its impact on the world around us. Last year, we released two waves of data at once: one which was fielded a few months before the pandemic hit in August-October 2019 (called 2020 Pre-Pandemic Survey), and a second full data set from a pulse survey conducted during the pandemic in July-August 2020 (called 2020 Pandemic Pulse). About six months later (February-March 2021) and one year into the epidemic, we fielded the 2021 survey to help us understand the longer-term impact that the pandemic and other major economic and social justice milestones have had on global views on science and top scientific issues. (https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/state-of-science-index-survey/about-the-survey/)