Laleh Coté - "Science is Growing; Can the workforce Keep Up?"
SLAM Finalist 3Q4 - Laleh Coté
How did you initially get interested in science?
As a child, I was peripherally interested in science, but it was just one of many things that I was curious about. I envisioned myself becoming a journalist or singer. In my 20s I chose to study biology in college, because I wanted to help people, and thought that a career as a physician would be a good way to do that. Eventually I switched fields, from biology to science/STEM education.
What is your favorite place at the Lab?
That’s easy! I first worked at the Lab as an intern in the DOE Community College Internship (CCI) program. Every day I reported to work at Building 70A, and learned to work in a laboratory on the second floor. There is a bench just outside the main entrance to Building 70A, and it is right next to a thought-provoking bathtub-shaped thing that I used to look at. I later found out that it’s a Bubble Chamber, which was invented at the Lab in 1952 by Nobel laureate Donald Glaser. Now, all these years later, I really like being able to go to that same spot, look at the Bubble Chamber, and reflect on everything that’s happened between my first summer as an intern and now.
Most memorable moment at the Lab?
One of the first projects I worked on during my PhD at UC Berkeley was a literature review about science/STEM research experiences. These are opportunities for students or faculty to get involved in research, learn new skills, and engage in professional development. After we published this work, a colleague in the Earth & Environmental Sciences Area (Dan Feldman) invited me to give a talk about the project. Some of my undergraduate mentees attended, as did colleagues from different Divisions. It wasn’t a large group, but they listened intently and asked me great questions. That talk was so meaningful to me, because it showed me a possible future at the Lab where I could be engaged in science education research and “doing” all of the things that my colleagues in biology, chemistry, and physics do.
What are your hobbies or interests outside the Lab?
I’m generally interested in music, art, people, and culture. Now that I have finished my PhD, I look forward to reading more non-academic books. This is good, because both my husband and my long-time best friend have a long list of books they want me to read! Aside from that, my favorite activity outside of work is hosting family and friends at our home and sharing a good meal with them. It’s the perfect setting for storytelling, which really strengthens the bonds between us.
Laleh's Script - "Science is Growing; Can the workforce Keep Up?"
Think big. At Berkeley Lab, we have a very “advanced” light source, but we’re turning it off to build an even brighter one! We want faster supercomputers, and more powerful microscopes! Science is big, and it’s growing!
However, the scientific workforce is not. In this country, it’s actually shrinking. Lots of people are retiring, fewer people are attending college, and students majoring in science often switch fields, or drop out of school entirely. So, what can we do?
In my field – science education – we know that college students engaged in research experiences – like working in a faculty lab or completing an internship – are more likely to get good grades, graduate, and stay in the scientific workforce. This is especially true if the students are from groups who are underrepresented in science.
For the past 8 years, I have observed, surveyed, and interviewed nearly 4,000 scientists, faculty, and students from 500 institutions across the U.S. I learned that when you collaborate with a student on a research project, your teaching and mentoring approaches influence the likelihood that they pursue a scientific career, and it’s important to be engaged in both of these activities. You teach students about what is known in your field and how to produce new knowledge. You mentor students in support of their career goals and emotional state – things like confidence, curiosity, and identity.
As part of my doctoral work, I produced a set of teaching and mentoring practices that support both learning and retention in science. You could use this list to ensure that your time and effort pays off, by teaching students how to do research, and mentoring them to become the scientists of the future.
Every single day people fall in love with biology, chemistry, and engineering. But, without direction and support, many college students decide they would be better off doing something else. We can change this. Let’s work together to build a scientific workforce that is big enough to support your big ideas. Shall we begin?