Join us in Huntington for, “From College Dropout to PhD: Finding Resilience in your STEM Journey,” with Dr. Raven Baxter, aka “Raven the Science Maven,” at Marshall University’s Memorial Student Center Don Morris Room on Monday, April 11 at 7 p.m.
Dr. Raven Baxter, molecular biologist and science communicator, had a unique path towards her PhD, including dropping out of college.
Through her path towards finding higher education that suited her at the young age of 16, she found herself exposed to a genetics course and her future career. Her resilience to continue learning and find the structure that fit her personal STEM path exposed her to the need for representation for women in STEM.
One of the major things she learned is that most people think of white men when they’re asked to conjure up an image of a scientist, making inclusivity and representation more important than ever. Through collaborations with other scientists and those in science-adjacent roles, Raven believes the science community has the power to show students and future scientists from all backgrounds that they can be whatever they want to be, and do so unapologetically. The more creative the scientific community can be, the more welcoming it can be to more people, who may or may not have opposing views, into respectful scientific conversations for healthy discourse and resolution.
The STEM Speaker Series began in 2014 with a goal of communicating science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research to all West Virginians.
This event is supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. OIA 1458952 and is free to registered guests.