UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “I just think that if I am not the one to tell my story, then it won’t be told,” said Nazifa Tabassum, a student in Penn State's Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences (MCIBS) Graduate Program, when asked why she decided to apply for the ENVISION I AM STEM Student Speaking Contest. The competition is dedicated to encouraging Penn State Eberly College of Science students to tell their science stories.
Tabassum is one of two I AM STEM contest winners this year, along with Katie Yan, a biology doctoral candidate and Barbara McClintock Science Achievement Graduate Fellow. They will serve at this year's keynote speakers for ENVISION on Saturday, March 29, where they will share their experiences in STEM and provide advice to middle school and high school students eager to get involved as scientists. This event helps inspire young girls and women to see themselves in STEM fields. Registration is now open for ENVISION this year.
Both Tabassum and Yan shared their journeys in science and where they see themselves in the future in the following Q&A.
Q: How did you get started in STEM?
Tabassum: I don’t want to be cliche, but it all started in my childhood. I grew up in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, and both my parents are medical doctors. So, I spent most of my early years in hospital quarters and a public hospital. Every day, I saw patients coming in and my parents treating them, but my biggest question was — what brought them to the hospital in the first place? I knew I needed a strong foundation in biology to explore that, but growing up, I had never met a scientist. I didn’t know what a career in science outside of medicine looked like; I just knew that I loved biology and wanted to solve public health problems — even before I knew that public health was a field!
Yan: I’ve been a scientist from a young age. In high school, I loved biology and mathematics to the point where I thought, ‘I’m going to be a math professor when I grow up.’ Then, in my calculus class, I almost failed. I had this scary teacher whose favorite answer to any question was ‘no.’ So, I went from a kid who loved math so much that she wanted to be a mathematician, to someone who was scared of mathematics and who thought, ‘I never want to do math again.’ That is, until in college, I spent my first semester abroad in London and had an amazing adviser. In my first-year seminar course, "Math in London," I rediscovered my passions for mathematics. I remember sitting down with her for my first advising appointment and she said, “I see that you really like this math class, you’re doing well in the course, and you seem to have a passion that other students weren’t bringing to the course.” So, I gave it a shot, and I realized throughout college that science was a place that I was welcome in.
Q: Tell me about your research. What is your favorite part?
Tabassum: As a first-year grad student, I’m still in the early stages of defining my research project, but my focus will be on public health. It’s crazy that I came to Penn State not knowing that I would eventually choose a brand-new lab where my principal investigator is working on samples from multiple countries — including Bangladesh! My favorite part is being a grad student in an interdisciplinary doctoral program and a member of the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State. Everyone is constantly learning from one another, whether they’re studying animal, environmental or human health. It’s inspiring to be in a space where diverse perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the microbiome.
Yan: This may be the theme of my life: interdisciplinary work and finding connections across disciplines. My research looks at vaccine messaging and communication and the impact it has on uptake as well as intentions to vaccinate. I then take these survey results and use mathematical models to understand the population-level impacts that messages have on vaccination and disease trends. My favorite part about my research is learning and blending methods from biology, communication and epidemiology disciplines to answer my research questions.
Q: What inspired you to apply for the I AM STEM contest?
Tabassum: That’s a good question! I think that if I am not the one to tell my story, then it won’t be told. I want to be the person my younger self needed — the kind of role model I wished I had. By sharing my journey, I hope to inspire young women in STEM who may not yet see a clear path forward. It’s a story about becoming a scientist, and I think more of these stories, especially from diverse backgrounds, need to be told. That’s why I applied.
Yan: I attended the I AM STEM competition last year because I wrote the story on it. I also write the graduate and postdoc newsletter [for the Eberly College of Science], so I had seen the flyers for it. I originally thought that it’s probably not for me, it's looking for students with remarkable stories, which I am not. I haven’t had a terribly difficult journey into STEM, but after hearing the stories from last year and thinking about what I would want to share with a younger version of myself I realized that I do have an interesting journey that I wanted to share. I AM STEM is really about the ability to tell a story in a compelling way to an audience.
Q: What is next for you and your work?
Tabassum: I’m just getting started. Basically, I’m going to dive deeper into the analysis of the microbiome of my samples. Without getting into the specifics of it, I’m going to try to understand how the microbiome develops and can change during pregnancy. I’m also going to develop more skills in statistics, bioinformatics, and microbiology, so I’m super excited!
Yan: The next big thing is starting to get my research published! As much as I love telling people about my research via presentations, one of the most impactful ways of sharing findings, especially in academia, is publishing research. So, for me, right now, as I move into the latter half of my doctorate, it’s about getting the word out there for what I’m doing and sharing with the global audience that I’ve been doing some really cool stuff here at Penn State.
Q: What is one thing you wish you knew before getting involved in your field?
Tabassum: One thing I wish I knew is that your creativity doesn’t take away from who you are as a scientist. I love storytelling, writing and illustration, but for a long time, I didn’t think those skills would be relevant in science. Once I got more involved in the field, I realized that being a storyteller actually makes me a better scientist. Communicating science, making complex ideas accessible and thinking creatively about problems are all essential parts of being a scientist.
Yan: I wish I knew that biology is not a one-dimensional science. Biology is a wonderfully broad field that has room for a variety of folks. I love hearing about all of the work that goes on in the department from the microscopic-level all the way up to the organismal and population-level.
Q: What advice do you have for future women in science?
Tabassum: Embrace your curiosity, ask questions every day and know that there is room for your individuality in STEM. We get to define the kind of scientist we want to be, not conform to a preconceived norm. Take the time to learn what problems you want to solve and what skills you need to investigate them. Most importantly, surround yourself with good mentors and a strong support system that encourages your growth and ambition.
Yan: There are lessons to be learned everywhere for your science and beyond. I think, for young women in science, know that you don’t have to just define yourself as a scientist — you can be a soccer player, a baker, a ballet dancer, or whatever else you want to be and a scientist. You can be more than a scientist and still be an incredibly successful scientist!