Diversity Journal Spring 2020

Page 54

Carla Ji-Eun Kim Director

My credentials: JD cum laude, University of Minnesota Law School; MS, pharmacology, University of Minnesota; MS, cell & molecular biology, University of Pennsylvania; BA magna cum laude, biology, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point My work location: Washington, DC Words I live by: Carpe Diem Personal Philosophy: “Be a light unto the world, and hurt it not. Seek to build not destroy. Bring My people home.” – Neale Donald Walsch, Conversation with God: An Uncommon Dialogue, Book 2 What I’m reading now: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Harari My favorite charity: World Vision My interests: Yoga, mindfulness, science, time travel, Chinese martial arts, and hiking My family: I have two children. My first son studied biology and computer science in college and is now working at an IT company in San Diego. My second son is a sophomore in college, studying business and computer science. Company: Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox Industry: Law Company Headquarters: Washington, DC CEO: Michael B. Ray (Managing Director)

In Her Own Words . . . How the World Is Changing for STEM The speed of science and technology development has reached an exponential level, according to Ray Kurzweil. Developments made possible in the next 10 to 20 years will be huge. New drug development, for instance, will be faster, and testing will be more rigorous as we try to make medicines safe. New drug developments will become more systematic and computerized. STEM will be more fascinating, and there will be more opportunities for women. Barriers to Closing the STEM Gender Gap

ourselves too much. Asking “Is this right?” or “Should I do this?” creates a negative perception of our confidence and ability. This is an internal barrier we can change—and help other women to change.

different issues; and we are good at finding harmony. We do not just understand science, we embrace it. Collectively, we are becoming stronger, and in time, STEM is going to be very different.

Moving STEM Women Forward

Some Words of Advice

It is important to find ways to help girls gravitate toward science. We must also help girls and women understand that it is okay to make mistakes and fall—and that it is important to get up again. We will be successful only when we have experienced failure. Accepting failure is a cornerstone of improvement.

As women in STEM, we must overcome our own self-imposed limitations—limitations that we lock ourselves into when we think, “I can’t do this. I am scared. Should I do it? Can I demand this?” We create many boxes like this. We feel comfortable in our box because we believe it’s predictable and secure. But that’s an illusion. We must break the box open, expand the box, then break it again. By doing so, the world will become bigger and bigger. We need to resist that urge to be comfortable and predictable, and instead, seek new experiences, try different roles, meet new people, and encourage young people to do the same.

Women in STEM 5 Years Out There are internal barriers and external barriers. We’ve gotten a lot better at overcoming external barriers, such as providing child care help for women and families. The internal barriers come from our own self-doubt and the fear of asserting 52

Spring 2020

I hope and believe there will be a lot more women in STEM. Women have many advantages: we’re very thorough and detailed-oriented; we can juggle multiple issues at once; we make connections among


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