[Season 4]

NCWIT Color of Our Future – Bonus Episode 064

We were honored to be featured guests of the first Color of Our Future webinar of NCWIT’s Conversation for Change series.
Listen to our discussion, led by Dr. JeffriAnne Wilder, as we share how we met, who our dream podcast guests are and why all roads lead back to Dr. Juan E. Gilbert.
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) leverages the skills and experiences of professionals with diverse backgrounds to further the mission and make sustainable change. NCWIT is an avid supporter and a sponsor of the Modern Figures Podcast.

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Everything is by Design – Episode 063

Welcome Dr. Christina Carrington, an Assistant Professor of Human-Computer Interaction in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University who works at the intersection of interaction design and health and racial equity. Listen as she shares her journey from her mom driving her three hours to participate in NSBE to her focus on the development of products to support older adults, individuals with differing abilities, and historically excluded groups.

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Take the Shot: Hacking CS with Sports – Episode 062

Let us introduce you to our wonderful guest, Dr. Sanethia Thomas. Dr. Thomas currently serves as Assistant Instructional Professor at University of Florida. However, she will attest to being a lifelong student, multi-talented and multi-passionate. Listen to her inspiring story on why she decided to combine sports and tech to launch her own company and nonprofit organization and why you’re never too old to do something different.

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Changing the Complexion of Tech – Episode 061

We welcome another special guest Shameeka Emanuel (and bonus guest Dr. Corey Baker) for a fun conversation among friends and colleagues. Shameeka used her personal mission statement to guide her career trajectory. The result? Numerous positions focused on holding space and pushing boundaries.

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And God said… Let there be patents! – Episode 060

This week’s episode features the Black woman believed to have the most issued patents in the entire world. Dr. Ruthie D. Lyle is an “emerging technology junkie” and has made her mark by being the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering to being one of the first African Americans to hold the title of IBM Master Inventor.

Listen as this multi-talented, multi-passionate leader shares what drew her to patent work and how we need to all focus on engaging youth in AI.

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Stepping Out and Expecting More – Episode 059

From growing up seeing the Confederate flag to taking bold steps and making major moves, Dr. Monica F. Cox credits her upbringing and personality to being unapologetically herself. Listen as the Author of “Demystifying the Engineering PhD” shares her journey to not only being a steward in her field but also helping others do the same.

Monica F. Cox, Ph.D., is a disruptor, trailblazer, change agent, and leader who believes in living an authentic life even if it makes people uncomfortable. She grew up an only child in rural southeast Alabama, where she was raised by her educator parents to persist in the face of personal and professional adversity. As a coach, she guides clients in areas of career development; business strategy; and diversity, equity, and inclusion. A Distinguished Professor and entrepreneur, Dr. Cox’s inquisitive nature contributes to her passion for educating others and sharing what she has learned via her experiences.

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A Community of our Own – Episode 058

From growing up as a “science nerd”, to a career in respiratory therapy to founding Black Women in Technology, an organization dedicated to encouraging Black Women and other women of color to pursue technology as a career. Listen as Lori Mitchell shares why she is not done yet and why we call her the true definition of levels, levels, levels.

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All About Crypto – Episode 057

On this episode, we welcome back Dr. Pamela Gibbs to the Modern Figures Podcast as a rare repeat guest (check her out on Episode 26). If you have all of the questions about crypto, Dr. Gibbs has all of the answers. Learn how being “nosy for a living” led to a career and the connection between Walmart and crypto.

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BlackTechUnplugged Crossover Episode – Episode 056

Welcome to our crossover episode with Deena McKay is a technologist, speaker, and host of the podcast, Black Tech Unplugged. Listen to this Certified Scrum Master as she educates us on her journey to the tech field, how ashy feet made her pivot and her motivation for launching the Black Tech Unplugged podcast.

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Affective and Effective – Episode 055

Dr. Shani B. Daily is a Professor of practice in Electrical and Computer Engineering & Computer Science at Duke University and Levitan Faculty Fellow, Special Assistant to the Vice Provosts. Her research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of technologies, programs, and curricula to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM fields. Dr. Daily’s work has been featured in USA Today, Forbes, National Public Radio, and the Chicago Tribune. Listen as she shares what sparked her interest in academia and what led to her ground-breaking success in removing barriers for the next generation of computer scientists.

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Computer Science Hustle-Woman Part 2 – Episode 054

We continue our conversation with Deidra Morrison Wells, Ph.D. In part 2, we learn more about her experiences in academia and find out why she decided to leave.

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Computer Science Hustle-Woman – Episode 053

Today, we are speaking with Deidra Morrison Wells, Ph.D. , a self-professed Lego-head, who went from having animals as classmates in high school to becoming a certified joy-pusher. Listen to Part 1 of our conversation as she shares her journey to becoming a Ph.D., to how the pandemic changed her career trajectory.

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Young, Gifted, and Black-ademic Series #4: Mentorship Matters – Episode 052

This episode is part of a series dedicated to giving the Modern Figures Podcast listeners the inside scoop of a career in academia directly from our hosts, Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen. From mapping out a career path and investing in yourself to navigating tenure politics, this series will cover it all.

In Part 4, we take a closer look at the importance of mentoring. What is a mentor? How do you get one? And then, once you have a mentor, how do you determine that they’re a good fit for you? Listen as our hosts share some of their experiences with mentoring.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode:
Link to this report: Mentoring-Report.pdf
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ebd290VNde97EcS4Y6vdH5Uf2w0yJz-I/view?usp=sharing
Podcast: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring-in-stemm
Mentor Map: https://www.facultydiversity.org/ncfddmentormap
Rackham Graduate Student Mentoring Guide [for students]: https://rackham.umich.edu/downloads/student-mentoring-handbook.pdf
How to Mentor Graduate Students [for faculty]: https://rackham.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fmentor.pdf

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Tenured and Tenure Track – Episode 051

Welcome to Season 4 of the Modern Figures Podcast! We open this season with an unscripted conversation between our esteemed co-hosts, Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen. Listen as they share what’s been going on in the world and their professional lives. Also, stay tuned to hear what’s in store this season.

As always you can find us on our website at www.modernfigurespodcast.com

You can ask us questions via email at: [email protected]

And you can find Kyla and Jeremy on Twitter
@Dr_Kyla and @JeremyWaisome

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