March is Women’s History Month, at least in the United States so I am continuing to feature women scientists on the podcast all month. I thought I would start off with a little history about women in Stem. We women have a way of persisting and despite continuing to face barriers to professional advancement, we just will not stop. What lengths have we gone to? Like Rosalind, of Shakepeare’s As You Like It, who disguised herself as a young man in an effort to travel through the forest without fear of harm, Women have altered their appearance and behavior throughout history to succeed in STEM fields dominated by men. While some, like military surgeon James Barry, whose real name was Margaret Ann Bulkley, went to extraordinary measures that lasted a lifetime, others like Jeanne Baret disguised herself as a man to get onboard a scientific expedition well before Darwin ever set foot on the Beagle. It would take until 1959 before women, presented as women, were even permitted on scientific expeditions. Fast forward to today when my guest Dr. Lela Schlenker spends most of her time asking if she can come aboard a commercial fishing boat.

Dr. Lela Schlenker is a marine scientist with a fascinating background. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Williams Mystic Program. This is a really special program run by Williams College in collaboration with Mystic seaport. This is an important program to Dr. Lela Schlenker and you’ll find out why in the episode.

You can keep up with Dr. Lela Schlenker on her website

lelaschlenker.com

and on Twitter @LelaSchlenker

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