This week’s Wednesday’s Women in STEM Series features Carolyn Ritterson Lew, a research analyst who uses her degree in biochemistry in a nontraditional job. Read on to see what “annoys” Lew when she tells people she is a biochemist!
When did you first become interested in STEM?
The first thing I can remember “wanting to be when I grow up” was a marine biologist. I moved on to microbiology and asked for a microscope for Christmas when I was about 8 or 10. I used to suck water up from puddles in an eye dropper and put it on slides to look for “creatures”
Where did you go to school and what did you study? Any interesting stories about your experience studying science or engineering?
I have a BS in Cell Biology/Biochemistry from Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA), and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry from Boston University. My incoming Ph.D. class was 7 women and 3 men – kind of unusual for STEM.
I would say one thing that “annoys” me about being a woman in science, or telling people that I have my PhD in biochemistry, is that the response is often “REALLY? You don’t look/act/dress like a scientist!” A) – what is that supposed to mean exactly? I don’t look nerdy enough, or is it because I’m a woman, or because I’m not “socially awkward”? and B) – would you say that to a man? You don’t have to “look” or “act” like anything (besides ethical) to be a scientist. You just have to love science.
What is your current career/profession and how do you use your interests in STEM on a day-to-day basis?
I actually moved away from the biology lab and now do healthcare outcomes research with IBM Watson Health. Basically, I look at medical and pharmacy claims data to learn about healthcare utilization and spending trends for various drugs and diseases. I love that I get to do a lot of the things that I liked doing in the lab (design studies, analyze data), without having to be in a research lab. I have flexible hours and can work from home – which you cant do when you’re doing experiments!
What do you like most about your current job? What do you find most challenging?
Like in the research lab, I love that I’m learning something new that no one has observed before in the data. I do miss doing “basic” research – doing science for the pure sake of science and learning something new about biology… but not enough to go back to it! Also, since I’ve switched career paths somewhat, I’m on a steep curve to learn the ins and outs of outcomes research. But, I’m trying to embrace that challenge!
What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in pursuing STEM activities or careers?
Find supportive mentors. Call or email a scientist to talk to them about what they do. I’d bet money, if they love their job, they’ll talk your ear off about it.
Use trial and error to find a niche you like. I went to an engineering workshop once as a kid. Turns out, I was bored the whole day. But, at least I learned that I don’t love engineering (luckily for us, there are other women that do, and maybe you will too!), but I do love biology!
Anything else our girls or their parents would be interested in knowing about you?
I’m a mom of two little boys (2 and 4). Since I don’t have a girl of my own, I’m absolutely thrilled to have opportunities like this to be a concrete example of a woman in a STEM career. I’d say the number one thing my parents did for me growing up is really the cliché “you can be anything you want” – no one ever told me that girls aren’t good at math, or science, or physics, etc. I really “didn’t know any better” that this was the prevailing thought of a lot of folks when I was growing up – and that was a good thing for me!