Stories From the Field

Series produced by Distillations

Series image

Stories from the Field preserves and celebrates the contributions of women working in chemistry and related sciences. The project captures scientific adventures and career insights in short, conversational audio interviews.

While the number of women in scientific careers has increased steadily over the last few decades, true gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and math professions has yet to be achieved. It’s widely acknowledged that role models are essential in encouraging young women to pursue scientific professions, and Stories from the Field will offer an online bank of reflections from successful working female scientists to serve as a starting point for career exploration.

We at CHF thank all our Stories from the Field participants for sharing their experiences with us—and with generations of scientists to come.


49 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
“Don’t be afraid to seek feedback.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Katherine Neville
For those just starting out in a field, Katherine Neville recommends asking a simple question of your supervisors after completing a project: “How ...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 04:33
  • Purchases: 1
“There’s nothing wrong in going out there and asking for what we want.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Valerie Fremont
As a woman as well as an immigrant to the United States, Valerie Fremont has faced particular challenges in her career. She discusses America’s “cu...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 04:18
“There are many ways to get to your destination.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Claire Skentelbery
After struggling with bench research Claire Skentelbery realized her true calling was science communication. She talks about the importance of gett...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 04:26
“I’m proud of the fact that I was able to step back.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Dawn Hocevar
After years of relentlessly pursuing her career, some simple words from her four-year-old daughter shook Dawn Hocevar to the core. From that moment...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 03:10
“The most important thing is to find the people you feel will make a good team.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Sherri Oslick
Don’t delay being happy in your career, says Sherri Oslick. Finding the right path requires talking to a lot of people, and it also means listening...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 04:09
  • Purchases: 1
“Be fearless; move forward. That’s how it works.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Dimitra Georganopoulou
Early in her career Dimitra Georganopoulou thought the ratio of men to women in science was pretty level. But then she began to rise up the ladder.

  • Added: Feb 12, 2014
  • Length: 03:34
“You just have to ignore the masses that are telling you that you can’t do it.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: April Quarles
In school it’s usually the men who are encouraged in science, says April Quarles. Though women continue to face negative social influences when pur...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Aug 21, 2013
  • Length: 03:17
  • Purchases: 1
“Don’t limit yourself to just science.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Savannah Sullivan
The job market for highly skilled positions is more competitive now than in previous generations, says Savannah Sullivan. Learning outside your cho...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Aug 05, 2013
  • Length: 03:10
  • Purchases: 1
“I was looked at as really weird.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Anna Wilson
A chemistry set with “really nice stuff in it” sparked Anna Wilson’s lifelong interest in chemistry, but her passion made her a bit of an oddball i...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Jul 29, 2013
  • Length: 03:00
  • Purchases: 1
“Strike a good balance between your career and your personal life.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Laura McCunn
It’s not all about career, says Laura McCunn. Marriage and family need to be considered when choosing a path, she says, and she credits a lot of he...

  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 03:03
“It’s a blur, but the standout part is I did it, I succeeded, and I had fun.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Helen Free
In 1941 Helen Free was studying to be a Latin and English teacher—that is, until Pearl Harbor changed her fate. With the country’s young men being ...

  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 03:50
“I feel like it’s in my blood, that this is where I belong.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Kristine Chin
After getting her master’s degree Kristine Chin found herself working in industry as the first woman in an all-male lab. It was a challenging exper...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 03:16
  • Purchases: 1
“I recall lots of shocked expressions when I showed up.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Mary Ellen Ternes
In the mid-1980s only 10 of the 100 on-scene coordinators at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were women. Mary Ellen Ternes was one of thi...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 02:53
  • Purchases: 1
“There had been a national movement toward science education, and I benefited very much from that.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Mary Jo Nye
After the launch of Sputnik in 1957 the new emphasis on science education in the United States helped spark an interest in a young Mary Jo Nye. She...

  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 04:33
“Follow your heart. Do something that you’re passionate about.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Wendy Young Reed
For Wendy Young Reed, life is too short for disliking a job. To find a career you enjoy, she says, the key is to network the old-fashioned way: wit...

  • Added: Jul 22, 2013
  • Length: 03:29
“When I’m in an environment where I need to rely on myself, I thrive.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Cynthia Palmer
When navigating the career path, advises Cynthia Palmer, make sure the jobs you take are the ones you actually want. She talks about the importance...

  • Added: Jun 10, 2013
  • Length: 03:27
“Remain flexible and open to what the possibilities might be.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Terri Taylor
It was a tough decision, she says, but Terri Taylor left grad school to become a high-school chemistry teacher. She talks about the importance of f...

  • Added: Jun 10, 2013
  • Length: 03:30
“Whenever I’ve had a challenge, or people say ‘no, you can’t,’ I say ‘why not?’”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Marinda Wu
Marinda Wu chose her particular graduate program because she wanted to work for a famous professor. But when she arrived, she was told the professo...

Bought by WTJU


  • Added: May 20, 2013
  • Length: 04:00
  • Purchases: 1
"You get a lot of pushback."
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Bevin Parks
Women chemists who are also trying to raise a family can get a lot of heat, even from other women, says Bevin Parks. It helps, she says, to get to ...

  • Added: May 13, 2013
  • Length: 04:12
“Act, respond, and let it go, or else your own mind will bring you down.”
From: Distillations
Series: Stories From the Field
Caption: Isabel Escobar
In the face of harassment, Isabel Escobar learned the hard-earned lesson of standing up for herself. From men assuming she had a temper and could “...

  • Added: May 06, 2013
  • Length: 04:36

Playlists That Feature This Series: