Details

When you Picture a Scientist, Do You See Yourself?

Panel discussion of the film "Picture a Scientist" 
April 8, 2 p.m. 
Register for Zoom information 

Did you know that less than 25% of STEM jobs in the U.S. are held by women. This disparity is even worse for women of color. The documentary "Picture a Scientist" provides a stark view of the STEM landscape as told by three women who have experienced the struggle for equity firsthand. 

Please join our expert panel, including one of the filmmakers and moderated co-chairs of the Senate Research Commmittee, on April 8 to discuss the film, its lessons, its applicability to Pitt, and the path forward toward gender and racial equity in STEM. Pitt faculty, staff, and studnets can view the film, anytime, for free, with Pitt login credentials. 

Meet the Panel

Paula K. Davis, M.A., C.D.E*. is Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the University of Pittsburgh’s Schools of the Health Sciences. Davis assumed her current position after serving the School of Medicine as Assistant Dean with responsibility for Admissions, Financial Aid and Diversity Programs, and as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Diversity. Davis’s career has centered on higher education administration including diversity and inclusion, recruitment and admissions, financial aid, academic advising, alumni relations, and support services for diverse student populations. A two-time graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (BA, English; MA, Communications), and recipient of the 2003 Chancellor’s Affirmative Action Award, Davis serves the community as vice president of the board of the FISA Foundation, an organization that funds initiatives supporting women and girls and people with disabilities, and chairs the board of M-PowerHouse, a nonprofit founded to support students of color in STEAM. She also served two terms as northeast region director for the National Association of Medical Minority Educators. The parent of a young adult on the autism spectrum, Davis is a staunch advocate for disability research and education. *CDE - Certified Diversity Executive

Nicole Kaminski is a 4th year graduate student in the Molecular Pharmacology PhD Program within the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech in 2017. She currently works as a graduate student researcher (GSR) in the O’Sullivan Lab, where she studies the alternative lengthening of telomeres pathway. In addition to her work as a GSR, Nicole serves as the President of the Biomedical Graduate Student Association (BGSA), the Student Government entity representing all graduate students within the School of Medicine. In her role as President, Nicole has worked closely with the BGSA Diversity and Inclusion Committee to promote an equitable environment for all graduate students in the School of Medicine.

Christine E. Schmidt, Ph.D., is the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor and Department Chair for the University of Florida Department of Biomedical Engineering. Under her leadership, the department’s faculty have grown and diversified to include 52% women and 22% underrepresented minorities. She is also a proactive mentor for women across the profession. Dr. Schmidt's research is focused on developing new biomaterials and biomaterial composites that can be used to physically guide and stimulate regenerating nerves and the healing of other tissues. She is also active in commercialization and clinical translation efforts. Dr. Schmidt has received many major research awards and recognitions, including the Clemson Award for Applied Research from Society For Biomaterials, the American Competitiveness and Innovation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation, and the Chairmen's Distinguished Life Sciences Award from Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Schmidt is the current past President for the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She is an inductee of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, as well as a Fellow of AIMBE, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), the American Society for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), and themaceutic International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE/IUSBSE).

Sharon Shattuck is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and podcast host. Picture A Scientist (2020) was an official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival and will broadcast in April 2021 on PBS (NOVA). From This Day Forward (2015) was a New York Times Critic's Pick. She's the co-host of the podcast Conviction: American Panic from Gimlet Media and Spotify, and the co-creator of the short science film series 'Animated Life' from The New York Times Op-Docs. Sharon has degrees in forest ecology and journalism. 

Moderators: 

Penelope A. Morel, MD
Professor, Department of Immunology and Medicine
Co-chair, University Senate Research Committee

Shilpa Sant, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bioengineering
Co-chair, University Senate Research Committee

Contact the University Senate Office with questions about this event.