On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) relaunched the “Thirst for Science” lecture series that invites scientists to discuss their research in accessible ways with a general audience. Hosted by BME faculty Dr. Zachary Danziger and Dr. Joshua Hutcheson, the event’s invited speaker was Dr. Remy Dou, Associate Professor in the STEM Transformation Institute at FIU, who spoke about how different cultural and environmental factors can influence how individuals view themselves within the field of science.
Following opening remarks from Dr. Danziger, Dr. Dou spoke about his career, achievements, and what led him to his current research on STEM identities and why people decide to become scientists.
During his presentation, Dr. Dou explained that brains can only process a small amount of information at a time and while doing so, the brain chunks complex experiences based on how an experience made the person feel. In turn, and within the context of science, they can make decisions about this subject based on how they feel about it due to childhood experiences in the classroom or with family.
Dr. Dou also answered questions regarding his experiences with students from a variety of backgrounds and what might’ve led them to studying STEM, and how to measure STEM identity.