People Behind the Science Podcast - Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

Dr. Tara C. Smith is an Associate Professor in Epidemiology at Kent State University and Adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Iowa. She received her PhD in Microbiology from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan. Afterward, Tara served on the faculty at the University of Iowa for about nine years before joining the faculty at Kent State. Tara is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Ricardo Araneda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Concepcion in Chile and his undergraduate thesis project at the Catholic University in Santiago. Afterward, he came to the U.S. and conduct research at St. Louis University. Ricardo received his PhD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and served as a postdoctoral fellow and then Associate research scientist at Columbia University before joining the faculty of the University of Maryland. Ricardo is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Dennis Bente is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and PhD from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany. He completed postdoctoral research at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio and served as a research fellow in the Special Pathogens Program at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg Canada. Dennis is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Diana Percy is a Research Entomologist at the Natural History Museum, London, UK. She received her Masters degree in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh, and her PhD in Plant-Insect Interactions from the University of Glasgow. Afterward, she undertook a postdoctoral Leverhulme Trust fellowship at CSIRO, Australia, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. She then served as a Research Associate at the University of British Columbia before joining the research staff of the Natural History Museum. Diana is here with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Paul Breslin is a Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University, a Member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology of the School of Dental Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. He received his PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Paul has received many awards and honors during his career, including a Bill and Melinda Gates Grand Challenges Explorations Award in 2009 for Malaria Research as well as one in 2011 for Childhood Nutrition Research. He has also received the American Psychological Association Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of perception and motor performance and was  recently awarded the 2014 North America service award from the Food, Nutrition, and Safety Program of the International Life Sciences Institute. Paul is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Duane Diefenbach is an Adjunct Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Pennsylvania State University and Leader of the Pennsylvania Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. He received his Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and his PhD in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia. Afterwards, Duane worked as a Biometrician for the Pennsylvania Game Commission for about seven years before accepting positions with the Pennsylvania Unit and Penn State. Duane is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Brian Romans is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech. He received his Masters degree in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines and his PhD in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University. He then worked as a Research Scientist at Chevron Energy Technology for a few years before accepting his current position at Virginia Tech. Brian is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Rachel Wong is a Professor in the Department of Biological Structure at the University of Washington. She received her PhD in Vision Neuroscience from Australian National University. Afterward she served as a Research Associate at the National Vision Research Institute of Australia. Rachel then conducted postdoctoral research as a CJ Martin Fellow at Stanford University and then an RD Wright Fellow at the Vision, Touch, and Hearing Research Centre. She served on the faculty Washington University in St. Louis before joining the faculty at the University of Washington. Rachel is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Dr. Marc Cadotte is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the endowed TD Professor of Urban Forest Conservation and Biology at the University of Toronto, Scarborough. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto. Marc is also the Executive Editor of the journal Applied Ecology. Marc received his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara. Marc is here with us today to tell us all about his journey through life and science.

Dr. Lily Wang is a Professor of Architectural Engineering in the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Development in the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She received her PhD in Acoustics from Pennsylvania State University. She then worked as a research fellow in the Department of Acoustic Technology at the Technical University of Denmark before accepting a faculty position at UNL. Lily has received many awards and honors during her career, including the R. Bruce Lindsay Award, the top award given by the Acoustical Society of America to a person under 35 years of age. Lily has also been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award as well as numerous awards from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln for teaching and mentorship.