Stories of Five EDI Champions in STEMM

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are essential to the continued growth and innovation of STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) fields.

A diverse workforce not only ensures a broad range of perspectives and ideas, but also fosters an environment where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive and contribute. Despite progress in recent years, significant barriers still prevent equitable access to STEMM careers, particularly for individuals from historically underrepresented groups.

In this article, we celebrate individuals who are working to address these challenges. Each has taken a unique path into STEMM and brings their own experiences and insights to their efforts of creating a more inclusive and equitable future. We explore their personal journeys, motivations and the initiatives they have spearheaded to champion EDI in their respective fields.

By sharing the stories of these champions, we hope to shed light on both the importance of diversity in STEMM and the practical steps being taken to improve representation and inclusion. These conversations highlight how fostering equitable opportunities benefits not only individuals but also the advancement of science and society as a whole. Let’s meet our EDI champions.

Cristina Zavaleta, PhD

Dr. Cristina Zavaleta. Credit: University of Southern California Media.

Zavaleta credits her love of STEMM to her school’s local science fair that took place when she was in 7^th grade. Her project, “What Affects the Browing of Apples?” was Zavaleta’s very first exposure to the scientific method. She formulated a hypothesis and tested how the application of sugar, water and lemon altered the rate at which her apples browned, even including a control group.

After winning first place in the science fair, Zavaleta’s confidence in her abilities grew, and she knew that she had to keep pursuing STEMM. Her parents, who stressed the importance and value of education, encouraged her interests and were supportive of her love for science and engineering. Even still, Zavaleta’s life lacked a clear mentor or role model – she didn’t know anyone with a PhD, and there were limited opportunities to learn about PhD programs or engage in scientific research in the RGV. Sadly, she doubted whether she was “smart” enough to pursue a career in STEMM.

Undeterred, Zavaleta eventually made her way to graduate school, a step she credits to a combination of determination and sheer luck. Here, she finally found the wonderful mentor that she had been searching for – somebody who was kind, caring and invested their time in her abilities and drive. This experience taught Zavaleta how important role models and mentors can be. It also instilled in her a passion for supporting students from underserved communities, so that they too can consider a bright future for themselves in STEMM.

Now, Zavaleta is an associate professor at the University of Southern California (USC)’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, where her research focuses on providing physicians with better molecular imaging tools to improve cancer detection. As a Mexican American woman in biomedical engineering, she aims to serve as a role model and an example of what is possible when pursuing a career in STEMM fields. One of her goals is to promote higher education opportunities and broaden the participation of Hispanic students through her research in nanomaterials and imaging. She also plans to generate excitement about STEMM by introducing high school students and undergraduates to new ways of solving problems in the lab while creating awareness about the career opportunities that exist within these fields of study.

Tell us about your work that champions inclusivity and diversity in STEMM:

Since receiving my PhD, I have had the opportunity to inspire and mentor students of all ages, including multiple Hispanic undergraduates who are now enrolled in PhD programs. Being able to return to the RGV and spark interest in students about science is very rewarding and has become a personal passion. It’s particularly important in isolated communities to give students an idea of what is possible and foster their confidence to pursue a career in science and engineering. Having a role model that they can relate to is key in these communities.

As an associate professor at USC, I play an active role in supporting multiple groups on campus that focus on empowering minority students to pursue STEMM careers. I am involved in the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers, Center for Engineering Diversity, and Graduate Pathways to STEM. I’ve given presentations to students from minority-serving schools in our neighboring area and invited them to tour our lab, where we conduct scientific demonstrations of our imaging research.

I also actively participate in local career fairs by running a booth in East Los Angeles, where elementary school students can meet and interact with engineers. Within my own lab, I have mentored several Hispanic graduate, undergraduate and high school trainees who have worked on various imaging projects. The students are paired with PhD graduate students who develop their own mentoring skills while having the trainees assist them in their research projects. The student trainees are responsible for designing experiments, analyzing data, reading journals and preparing a poster for their annual symposium. One of my first Hispanic undergraduate trainees has now transitioned to our graduate program at USC and is currently working in my lab to obtain her PhD.

Our lab also participates in the Gateway Scholars fellowship program at USC, which prepares and supports minority undergraduates to pursue higher education PhD programs.

It’s important to expose students at this age to a multitude of career paths, and the 'scientist' role is often overlooked due to a lack of awareness. I certainly didn’t know anyone with a PhD growing up, and looking back, I wish I had. I plan to get students excited about how we solve problems in the lab.

Advancing women in science and engineering

I have also been involved in supporting multiple groups within USC that focus on enabling women to pursue STEMM fields, including Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), Women+ in Engineering (W+IE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). In 2021, women made up half of the total population from ages 18 to 74 years, but only a third of those were employed in STEMM-related occupations. My lab is passionate about getting more women involved in the sciences. I’ve had the opportunity to share my academic journey with several groups of young women and girls to help inspire them to pursue STEMM fields. I’ve been invited to speak at the Young Women’s Career Conference for the Girls Academic Leadership Academy, the only all-girls public STEMM school in California for grades 6–12. Our lab was also chosen to be videotaped and featured in a National Academy of Engineering Outreach Program. We were interviewed by Sophie Poole, a National Academy of Engineering ambassador, to promote Girls in Engineering to middle school students. She featured our lab performing demonstrations and describing our research to inspire young girls to pursue engineering-based fields. Over the course of my career, more than 70% of the students I have mentored have been from groups underrepresented in STEMM fields.

I recently had the privilege of being invited to participate at the White House Initiative Summit to promote higher education for Hispanic students, where I heard U.S. Department of Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, speak about the importance of advancing educational equity. I also participated in the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, where I toured women leaders in STEMM from across the world in my lab and presented our research interests. 

Natalie Kuldell, PhD

Dr. Natalie Kuldell. Credit: Dr. Natlie Kuldell. 

Dr. Natalie Kuldell studied chemistry at Cornell University before receiving her PhD in molecular and cellular biology at Harvard University. During her post-doctoral studies, Kuldell became a mother and realized that the demanding hours of an academic career would leave her with less time for her family.

Determined to find alternative ways to share her love for STEMM, she pursued a teaching career, eventually becoming an instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Department of Biological Engineering. After teaching at MIT for over 12 years, Kuldell was inspired by her students’ abilities to apply their knowledge of life sciences to solve real-world problems. She founded the BioBuilder Educational Foundation in 2011.

Biobuilder is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide opportunities for hands-on, experiential STEMM learning across the United States to better educate a future-ready workforce that will solve some of the world’s greatest challenges with science. It was recognized as a 2024 BostInno Fire Awards honoree in the top ecosystem supporter category and was a Best of STEM award winner in the career and technical education in STEMM category.  

Tell us about your work that champions inclusivity and diversity in STEMM:

Through my work with BioBuilder, I hope to make STEMM education accessible to students throughout the country with the hopes of bridging the gap between those who gain a college education and for those who immediately enter the workforce. A recent Boston Globe Magazine-Emerson College Polling survey found that New England adults are not sold on the value of a college degree, with respondents nearly split down the middle. With BioBuilder, I hope to give the next generation of scientists a chance at impactful, wealth-building careers.

My goal is to have a BioBuilder program in every high school in America; we are actively expanding into new regions that would benefit from a flourishing bioeconomy. Since its founding in 2011, BioBuilder has worked with schools in over 66 countries and 49 states, impacting over 63,000 students across 1,179 schools, with the goal of matching the skills of our future workforce to the needs of the biotechnology industry.

A college education is not the right path for every young learner. Bringing STEMM education to young scientists where they are, into their high school classrooms, can help give them the spark that they need to jump into the world of science. At BioBuilder, we hope that by giving these students more exposure to the sciences, we can change the trajectory of their lives and support the growing biotech workforce. 

Eva Schmid, PhD

Dr. Eva Schmid. Credit: Eva Schmid.

Dr. Eva Schmid’s journey into STEMM was fueled by a deep curiosity about human nature. With a strong passion for both biology and psychology, she faced a difficult decision when the time came to choose between the two fields.

Schmid ultimately pursued biology, a decision that led her into two decades of active research across diverse environments and countries. As her career progressed, Schmid realized that what she loved most about science wasn’t just the research – it was the people and the ecosystems that drive science forward, from the microcosms of individual labs to the diplomacy of campus-wide decision-making.

Schmid became deeply invested in understanding and shaping the scientific community, ultimately stepping away from the bench to focus on fostering growth in others and contributing to the thriving scientific society that she felt so proud of. She is currently the head of Vienna BioCenter’s Scientific Training Unit, which is responsible for coordinating the training, education and professional development of undergraduate students, PhD students, postdocs and staff in leadership roles at member organizations of the Vienna BioCenter. Their activities include the organization of an international summer school, a PhD program and a pioneering leadership program. The interinstitutional setup of the training team has placed it in a vital position for steering a continuous evolution of work culture at the campus and beyond.

Tell us about your work that champions inclusivity and diversity in STEMM:

During my time in the US, I volunteered on diverse initiatives, from outreach programs to inspire the next generation and engage the public in science, to suicide prevention efforts offering support to those in despair. These experiences shaped my understanding of the power of community and the importance of inclusivity.

At the Vienna BioCenter, I’ve been privileged to contribute to efforts that make our campus more inclusive and supportive. Small yet impactful initiatives, such as creating a nursing room, a family seminar room, gender-neutral restrooms, mental health support and anti-discrimination reporting structures (where I served as an ombudsperson for years) were achieved by raising awareness and working with dedicated colleagues and supportive management. I was also fortunate to build these initiatives on earlier actions pioneered by our institutes, such as the creation of pregnancy labs that allow pregnant colleagues to continue doing experiments in an environment that is safe for their unborn babies.

I believe that lasting change in academia stems from those who lead – not through authority, but by setting the tone and acting as role models for work culture. This belief inspired me to design and implement a comprehensive leadership program at the Vienna BioCenter.

The program brings together leaders from across departments, representing different experiences, nationalities, genders and perspectives, to form a year-long cohort. Together, they learn, share challenges and successes and mentor one another. Participants include leaders from both research groups – the principal investigators – as well as heads of services and other departments. This draws on complementary perspectives and bridges all parts of our campus.

This program is now in its second year, and what I find especially rewarding is seeing a community grow that unites leaders as peers across backgrounds, institutes and cohorts. All participants in the program interconnect and remain active in peer groups, creating an ever-growing leadership community that transforms how our campus tackles challenges and fosters a culture that embraces differences rather than resisting them. I think this program is unique in its scope and achievements, and I am happy that we see strong interest from other institutions in adopting it as a model.

Stephen Hancock

Stephen Hancock. Credit: Stephen Hancock.

Stephen Hancock’s career in STEMM came about serendipitously. Earlier in his career, he worked in public health behavior change communications in East Africa, and spent some time at an Oxford University medical technology spin-out. Throughout these experiences, he saw the STEMM sector’s potential to drive innovation. Its ubiquity and intersectionality led to it becoming one of his greatest passions. Hancock pursued a career change and joined In2science UK, an award-winning social mobility charity that supports young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and underrepresented groups to unlock their potential in STEMM.

At In2science UK, a common topic of conversation is how the young people supported by the charity rarely have linear career paths. Hancock believes he is a testament to that, and challenges the common misconception that a STEMM professional is someone in a white lab coat. In 2024, he became In2science UK’s CEO.

Tell us about your work that champions inclusivity and diversity in STEMM:

I lead In2scienceUK, a social mobility charity established in 2010 which focuses on empowering young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds and underrepresented groups to explore and pursue STEMM education and careers. Our aim is to break down barriers to STEMM by equipping those we support with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to thrive in these sectors.

We do this by offering three separate programs, all of which are completely free for those participating. In2STEM and In2research both offer funded in-person placements alongside mentorship and employability workshops to Year 12 students and undergraduates respectively, while In2careers is an online platform that provides exclusive access to career resources, events and other opportunities.

I’m pleased to say that we supported more than 1,000 participants across our programs last year alone and 95% are working in a STEMM field.

A diverse range of backgrounds and experiences are an integral part of creating transformative solutions to tackle global challenges. We often hear from placement hosts that our participants have offered new perspectives on projects – these valuable insights should be welcomed.

Lisa Mohamet, PhD

Dr. Lisa Mohamet. Credit: Dr. Lisa Mohamet.

Mohamet worked as an academic researcher at The University of Manchester for over 10 years. She harnessed her experience in human stem cell biology and regenerative medicine to co-fund a spin-out biotech company StrataStem Ltd, which utilizes stem cell technology to identify stratification opportunities for Alzheimer’s disease. Mohamet was named as one of BioBeats’ “Rising Stars” of the top 50 UK women entrepreneurs and leaders in biobusiness in 2016. In 2017, she joined the pharmaceutical company, GSK, as a scientific leader in preclinical R&D. In 2018, her team moved to the newly formed Functional Genomics department. Mohamet is now head of Translational Cell Science within Target Discovery and leads The Stem Cell & Complex In Vitro Models Centre for Excellence at GSK.

In early 2024, she joined the ELRIG UK Board as the People and Culture Work Group Leader, with the aim of helping to expand representation for scientific innovation and lead ELRIG’s diversity and inclusion objectives.

Tell us about your work that champions inclusivity and diversity in STEMM:

There are two things that come to mind that I’ve had the pleasure of being part of to help drive inclusion and diversity in STEMM. Several years ago, I was working with ELRIG to help set up a new conference series for their organization. As part of the scientific organizing panel, we were tasked with inviting speakers to present at the inaugural meeting to be held in the UK. As the meeting was in full swing, I realized we had only one female presenter in our lineup, and I was horrified that I hadn’t noticed it earlier! I brought this to the team’s attention, and they immediately took action. Within a few months, they established a EDI group, implemented social mobility policies, and now have one of THE best EDI efforts among any scientific conference partners. Kudos to the ELRIG team that made this happen!

Secondly, as we formed a new large department at GSK, I wanted to ensure we also created a strong ethos of EDI within our growing team (~190 people) spanning the US, UK, and Germany. We set out with a couple of focused goals, including increasing our ability to attract and recruit diverse talent by working closely with our recruitment partners to build relationships with institutions and groups with diverse representation, and ensuring the diversity of our interview panels to reflect this. We also embedded key training to increase awareness and active leadership of DEI, including reverse-diverse mentoring and inclusion dialogues. I was particularly inspired to see that over one year, we had significantly increased female representation in leadership roles.

There is an overwhelming body of evidence that shows how science benefits from diversity. What do I mean by that? Improving participation of under-represented groups or cross-sectional participation produces better research and outcomes, linking positive performance to enhanced diversity of women and cultural composition at the leadership level within large companies for example. A diverse team provides mixed perspectives that is associated with increased productivity for all STEMM.

Our champions share their hopes for the future of STEMM

“I am hopeful that the future of STEMM will continue to become more inclusive, where individuals will have equal opportunities to contribute and thrive, regardless of their backgrounds. We are fortunate at In2scienceUK to have built a diverse and inspiring community of volunteers, partners and past participants who are passionate about harnessing their knowledge and experience to give back to our young people, which gives me hope for a fairer future. Ultimately, my vision for STEMM is one that is centred on using innovation and technology to improve the human experience for all,” – Hancock.

“A future without stereotypes about who should pursue a career in STEMM,” – Zavaleta.

“With states and organizations beginning to remove the college degree requirement from STEMM jobs, I hope to see a future of STEMM where scientists of many different educational backgrounds are given educational opportunities that allow them to step into the workforce immediately after high school, and that these hands-on, experiential learning opportunities become more widespread and available to students all around the world,” – Kuldell.

“That EDI is inherently part of our every day in STEMM,” – Mohamet.

“I am optimistic, as there are many positive developments happening already. We are starting to rethink how we evaluate success in STEMM – prioritizing collaboration, mental well-being and equity. Change is slow and often challenging, but as we begin to see the results of diverse perspectives and talents, momentum will grow. I hope the future of STEMM places leadership at its heart – leadership that builds strong and inclusive communities, fosters collaboration and supports individuals. On our campus, we aim to create a community of leaders who learn from one another, inspire and support their teams, and prioritize well-being alongside scientific excellence,” – Schmid.