STEM Career Talks

Week 1: Making the Most of Your Summer Opportunity

What approach to finding internships or STEM experiences are impactful? How do you manage expectations with your mentor and the project you have been assigned, and what steps might you take within the first few weeks that will help you have success? How do you sustain a relationship with your mentors and administrators from your program?

In our first Career Talk of 2023, we hear the answers to these questions from 4 experts on summer internships: Micah Folsom from Intel, Clarissa Bhargava from Berkeley Lab, Nia Jones from UC Berkeley, and Robert Posey from Texas Tech University. 

Week 2: Machine Learning for Good

Why is Machine Learning important and how is it influential in everyday lives? What perspective do you need when collaborating with engineers and doctors in order to work with them? 

In our second Career Talk of 2023, we hear from Adam Yala from UC Berkeley, and Dr. Yan Zeng from Berkeley Lab on how Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are making their way into cancer care and scientific research.

Week 3: Science in the Field

What types of tools and classes should a person take to get into environmental research? What are some misconceptions about the environmental research field? How can we change those perceptions for young scientists to thrive in the field?

In our third Career Talk of 2023, we hear from Berkeley Lab Scientists, Stijn Wielandt, Jessica Needham, and Bruno Gimenez about the steps and tools needed to get into the domain of applied environmental research. 

Week 4: Careers in Science Policy

How does the government decide on what types of science to fund and how do our national needs shape those decisions? What areas of science are the U.S. government and other countries around the world specifically investing in right now? How welcoming are other countries in taking suggestions around energy policy? 

In our fourth Career Talk of 2023, we hear from 3 of Berkeley Lab's experts in government policies on scientific research: Jonathan Nurse, Katy Christiansen, and Priyanka Mohanty.

Week 5: How ESNet is Advancing Berkeley Lab's Research* 

What is the Internet? How does ESNet differ from the general internet? Why is a dedicated research network necessary? Why can’t labs use the Internet to share all of their data? What is something exciting about your role in this project? What are some challenges one may face working with ESNet?

In our final Career Talk of 2023, we hear from managers, developers, and engineers in science networking discuss the core system of DOE-funded research: ESNet.

*This career talk was developed, organized, and hosted by the K-12 team’s Experiences in Research interns, Alejo, Julia, and Gregory. 

Week 1: Making the Most of Your Summer Opportunity

What one thing can you do in the first week to set yourself up for success? What mistakes do interns make and how do you recover? What makes you a competitive applicant, regardless of experience?

In our first Career Talk of 2022, we hear the answers to these questions from 3 experts on summer internships: Laleh Coté from Berkeley Lab, Leah Kalish from California Academy of Sciences, and Ira Young from UC Berkeley. As coordinators and mentors to countless students, they have seen it all when it comes to success and failure in a summer internship. 

Week 2: Team Science and Research Roles

How do you get involved with conducting research in college and beyond? What roles and responsibilities do lab members have at different stages of their career? 

In our second Career Talk of 2022, we hear the answers to these questions from 3 members of NorthenLab, a research team in Berkeley Lab's Biosciences Area headed by Dr. Trent Northen. Learn about their cutting-edge work on robot-driven EcoPODs, and how they work together as a Principal Investigator, postdoc, and scientific associate.

Week 3: Energy Storage in Space

What does energy storage mean? How will the development of new energy technologies affect us? Why should we study this in space? 

In our third Career Talk of 2022, we hear the answers to these questions from the Executive Director of the Berkeley Lab Energy Storage Center Noël Bahktian, Nasa Scientist John Lawson, and SLAC Researcher Johanna Nelson Weker. They shared their STEM journeys, introduced us to Energy Storage Virtual Fields Trips and broadened our understanding of energy storage, especially in remote areas like the International Space Station. A special clip from NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron is included in the session. 

Week 4: Microgrids in Action

How can microgrids prepare our electrical system for the future of climate change? How do scientists and entrepreneurs work together to make the grid more resilient and effective? 

In our fourth Career Talk of 2022, we hear from Indigenous leaders, electrical engineers and grid experts on how their energy storage work helps address unique needs and build climate resilience.

This career Talk features content and experts from Berkeley Lab's Energy Storage Virtual Fields Trips.

Week 5: STEM for Societal Good

How can science solutions be scaled to address the world's problems? How do scientists bridge the worlds of research and industry, and what winding paths do they take to get there?

In our fifth and final Career Talk of 2022, we hear from inventors, researchers, and entrepreneurs whose work is helping address societal problems. 

This talk was conceived, organized, and hosted by the K-12 team's Experiences in Research interns, Myra and Elvira