This term, Womxn in Neuroscience hosted female speakers for career discussions over lunch. The lunches drew students, postdocs, and research assistants from biology, human physiology, and psychology, and have become a place for career development, networking, and inspiration. Speakers often open up in this personal setting, sharing their struggles, successes, and advice.
Recently, we sat down with ION speaker Dr. Caitlin Tenison. Dr. Tenison received her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 2016, advised by Dr. John Anderson, and is currently a Research Scientist at Soar Technology in the Intelligent Training group. The first thing many people will notice about Dr. Tenison is that she appears to be in a constant state of flow – energized by the balance between being highly skilled and being presented with a challenge. Her research at SoarTech investigates how people learn in order to develop methods and technologies to promote learning. It is clear that her achievements are owed to her tremendous hard work rather than simply just being “good at it.” By demonstrating how her efforts produce significant value for her company, she has been able to reach high levels of success.
Not only is Dr. Tenison incredibly hardworking, but she is also humble and approachable. When asked about her experience as a woman in neuroscience, she spoke with a refreshingly genuine attitude. She advised us to be outspoken about our value and the issues we face. She recommended presenting issues strategically after demonstrating our worth. It sends the message of “if you want me to keep producing this work, then X needs to improve.” Dr. Tenison, however, also had very realistic views of how gender issues will be addressed in the future. She stated that the issues women and minorities face are very real, but it may take some time before academic culture changes as young people move into positions of power. Her final and perhaps most powerful piece of advice was not to be afraid to try things that we assume we cannot succeed in. Remember that everyone is dealing with imposter syndrome. Sometimes (or maybe always) you just have to put on your professional hat and push forward.
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