Jeanne Garbarino
WISeR: “What sparked your initial interest in science, and what drew you to your specific field?“
JG: “This might sound a little cliché, but my dad had a subscription to National Geographic magazine. Getting the yellow book in the mail each month was really exciting for me. I never considered myself a big reader as a kid, but would absolutely devour these magazines. I suppose its more than just the “science” that drew me in – I was really fascinated to learn about people and culture and nature and society. In retrospect, this checks out!“
WISeR: “What aspect of your work in STEM energizes you the most, and why?“
JG: “My work in the civic science community really excites me. In co-creating and nurturing RockEDU programming with the team, I have learned a lot of what civic science practice means, including when it works best – and perhaps more importantly, when it doesn’t. The ability to translate this experience into learning opportunities for others is deeply motivating. Plus, being at the forefront of a movement fills my cup on a personal level, though I try to keep the ol’ ego in check. Humility is what allows me to continue learning from others.“
WISeR: “Looking back at your career journey, what achievements or moments have brought you the greatest joy?“
JG: “This is a fun question. I hold the emotion of “joy” in incredibly high esteem. I think it is an important thing to experience and bring to the environment. My absolute FAVORITE things happen all the time. For example:
meeting each Jumpstart and SSRP cohort at the beginning of the programs
Taking a group photo with the incredible volunteers who make science Saturday happen.
Spending years building a new program and then seeing it take place IRL
Seeing the glow that my team members have when they finish facilitating something that was really successful and fulfilling. It makes them so pumped, and then it makes me so pumped.
Watching my team innovate
I always love dancing with Erich Jarvis at the holiday party (see you on the dancefloor!!)“
WISeR: “What significant challenges have you faced in your STEM career, and how did you overcome them?“
JG: “I think there are lots of subtle and overt challenges that presented themselves. Many of these challenges were directed at me personally – such as when a fellow labmate told me how lucky I was to “get away” with being pregnant as a postdoc. I simply decided I wasn’t going to let this bother me. I know its harder to say than do, and it is a practice that I have to hone on a daily basis (haters gonna hate).
And then there are the systems level challenges, such as knowing I was grossly underpaid for my work. It took me years of engaging with people around this, bringing data from outside, comparing my salary to others on campus with much less experience and credentials, etc. Only in 2023 did my salary get adjusted to meet what I actually bring to the table. If anyone wants to get in touch about how to go about this, I would be happy to meet an workshop with people. (Noting that now is not the time that the university can support raises of any kind until we weather the financial storm).
Lastly, I am giving (or maybe by the time readers get this, I gave) my very first invited talk about my work to the Rockefeller community, nearly 17 years after starting my work here. I have lead the creation of an entire system for effective engagement. I have asked to be a part of campus lectures at many occasions, only to be told that my work just didn’t fit the goals. So, a last challenge for me has been finding a community where I can discuss and deliberate around my work in ways that feels useful and in community with others.“
WISeR: “In your experience, what concrete actions or changes could help close the gender gap in STEM fields?“
JG: “Its more than a gender gap – it is a gap between those who fit into the default power structures, and those who do not. I think approaches must be intersectional. A unified front is powerful!“
WISeR: “If you could go back and reshape your career path, what would you do differently, if anything?“
JG: “Haha sometimes I wonder if I could have been a lawyer. I love to argue!“
WISeR: “What advice would you give to young women who are just beginning their STEM journey?“
JG: “I think this applies to anyone: go deeper and take your friends with you. Science is a community effort. Embracing this early and often can be powerful for you, and for your community. Also, lean into failure – its an opportunity!“
WISeR: “How do you maintain work-life balance in a demanding field?“
JG: “I think to answer this well this requires that work and life be separate. For me, they are not separate. I love my work and think about it all the time. This isn’t to say that I don’t turn off. I want to acknowledge that I am in a space in my life where things are the easiest they have ever been – I have financial stability, my kids are basically grown, I don’t allow myself to feel pressure about deadlines (constantly remind myself its just a job), and my time is back to being mine. I don’t carry guilt for getting some work done on the weekends. But I also make sure I get to yoga and take a hike at least once a week. I also have a lot of creative outlets, such as gardening, sewing, and traveling with my family.“
WISeR: “Who were your role models or mentors, and how did they influence your career path?“
JG: “Jeanine D’Armiento (Professor of Medicine in Anesthesiology at Columbia University) was my very first scientist advocate. She offered me a job in her lab, and helped me to get into graduate school. She put her neck out for me when others thought I didn’t have the right background for science research (aka my parents were not fancy college graduates).
Emily Willingham (American journalist and scientist) taught me how to write. She took me under her wing when I entered scicomm and showed me how being kind was not the same as nice. Kindness was giving hard feedback when motivated by wanting to make things better / stronger. She really pushed the development of my critical thinking skills, and my ability to engage in straight-shooting deliberation.
Latasha Wright (CSO of BioBus) is my most beloved peer mentor and friend. As leaders of our groups, professional mentors in our field for people at leadership levels, like me and Latasha, did not exist. As such, we have leaned on and learned from each other throughout the development of both RockEDU and the BioBus. Weekly conversations have been critical for troubleshooting and iterating!
Elizabeth Christopherson (CEO Rita Allen Foundation) invited me to help her build capacity for the civic science movement. For the last two years I have been able to see how someone can effectively and efficiently lean into the messiness that is required for the full realization of civic science. I have never seen such a force for good, in my life, and my ability to lead has utterly skyrocketed under her guidance.“