Join the MCC as we continue to build connections in our STEM fields with a conversation about the importance of building a community that uplifts your identity and experiences. Alums Dr. Melanie Adams and Professor Timnit Kefela will lead a roundtable conversation on the challenges and navigational strategies of being a BIPOC in STEM. We’ll also discuss the strengths and unique contributions that STEM scholars of color can bring to their fields. Following the roundtable, we will have a community dinner where attendees can learn more about Dr. Adams and Professor Timnit Kefela and ask questions. Dr. Melanie Adams is the Academic Program Coordinator at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She earned her Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara, where she focused on using optical and acoustic techniques to characterize and understand the behavior of soft materials nondestructively. Melanie joined Scripps as a postdoctoral scholar, where she integrated her diverse background into the study of granular media while deepening her interests in science communication and policy. Professor Timnit Kefela is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Science and Resource Management with a special focus on Environmental Justice at CSU Channel Islands. Her research focuses on understanding the sources, pathways, and fates of microplastics in urban soils and proximal marine environments and community-informed infrastructural interventions that mitigate their impact. She is passionate about making healthy physical environments for communities of color, regardless of their proximity to the “natural” environment.
