This My Story/My Advice post features Lenore Kubie,
Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Wyoming. The My Story/My Advice project brought to you by The Women in STEM Summit highlights women in STEM that are persisting in STEM fields and making a difference. It also gives their personal advice to the next generation of young women looking for encouragement to persist in STEM.
University of Wyoming. The My Story/My Advice project brought to you by The Women in STEM Summit highlights women in STEM that are persisting in STEM fields and making a difference. It also gives their personal advice to the next generation of young women looking for encouragement to persist in STEM.
Lenore’s Story:
My name is Lenore Kubie. I graduated with my PhD from the
University of Rochester in August 2014. I study photoinduced charge transfer,
and hope to continue my work studying ways to use solar energy to meet our
growing energy demands. Specifically, over the last seven years I have studied
the incorporation of nanomaterials into photovoltaic devices as a means of
decreasing cost and increasing efficiency.
In the future, I hope to also continue doing outreach to
help the people of the world understand and utilize solar energy. While working
on my doctorate, I spent two summers in Ghana, Africa teaching school children
and villages about solar energy, and new ways we can use light to power our
world. Since defending, I have been trying to find a job in my field, and in
the meantime I have been surviving on my savings and credit cards. I was not
"above" getting an interim job at a supermarket or as a lab
technician, but I was told I was "overqualified" for most of the jobs
I applied for while I wasn't quite the right fit for many other jobs I applied
for in my field. I have finally found a postdoc, which is a fantastic fit for
me!
Unfortunately, I need to move out to Laramie, WY from
Rochester, NY and I have no money to do it. This position does not offer any
relocation money, and so I have created a GoFundMe to help with my moving van,
a hotel stay for a night (or two) during the 24-hour car ride out there, and a
down payment on an apartment. The campaign can be found here.
Lenore’s Advice:
My advice to the next generation is to give as much as you
can to the world! Get out there and get your hands dirty! I have been so
humbled by people reaching out and contributing to my GoFundMe, and it has
become awe-inspiring; it makes me want to give back even more.
Check out more inspiring stories and useful advice from
women in STEM here: http://bit.ly/1MT3Tjp
Register for the
upcoming Women in STEM Summit taking place October 22, 2015 in Boston, MA. The
event brings together companies struggling to fill their STEM job pipelines
with female college students pursuing STEM degrees. The summit is designed to
facilitate closing the gap between corporate needs for a STEM-enabled workforce
and student questions about job prospects that align their passion with the
needs of corporate America. For more information or to register, click here: http://bit.ly/1IKOIm1
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