Women of color remain underrepresented in STEM professions and still face prejudice, sexism, and racism. Discrimination can be triggered by a number of different factors from the way you look to the way you sound.
Dr. Sophia Lunt, an associate professor here at Michigan State University, shared her experiences as a woman in STEM.
“The reason I initially became interested in chemistry was because I realized molecules can explain a lot of things in life,” she said.
Lunt grew up in South Korea and emigrated to the United States at nine years old. She attended a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania for her undergraduate degree and got her PH.D. from Princeton. She later received her postdoctoral from MIT.
“You know how they say there's an iceberg? And at the top are the most obvious things, like sexual harassment or assault, right? But then there's stuff below the iceberg. Like getting ignored, not being invited to meetings, things like that,” she said.
Lunt recalls not getting the same opportunities as her male counterparts throughout her educational journey.
“When I went to Princeton, all of a sudden, I realized, 'Oh, how come I wasn't invited to that meeting? How come I didn't get recommended for this scholarship? How come I wasn’t nominated for that award,” she said.
When asked what advice she gives young women in STEM, she said to surround yourself with supporters. It’s important to have people around who not only believe in you but encourage you to do better.
