Have a career in academia isn’t easy; there are tight deadlines and pressures unique to this career path. This holds true regardless of what your field is, but is particularly fitting for researchers, who are more often than not engaged in a constant cycle of submitting grants, implementing projects, and publishing. There is a quote I recently heard that embodies my journey as a female researcher. It states- “Work hard in silence and let your success do the talking.” Why I like this quote so much is because it conveys the values that guide my work. Work hard. Be humble. Let your research speak for you.
If I had to offer one piece of advice for girls/women who are interested in a STEM profession, it would be to build a community. Find mentors to guide you-people who are more experienced, who have more expertise, and who have a vested interest in you. Find colleagues with similar interests with whom you can collaborate with. And find friends-people you can commiserate with about the presentation that didn’t go as planned or the job position you were so close to getting but just missed out on. The backing of your community alongside your hard work and determination can move knowledge to the next level. And what is cooler than that?
-Dr. Mary Acri, Research Associate Professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
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