In this episode, we hear from Dr. Holly Molinaro. Holly is currently a consultant for General Mills and Blue Buffalo dog food company where she assists on understanding animal behavior to create better products. Her PhD research focused on animal emotions, specifically dogs, and her work now is focused on broadly helping people help their animals, whether in zoos, shelters, or industry partners. She has also been working on starting her own consulting firm, Animal Wellbeing Solutions, which focuses on animal welfare in these contexts. Here, Holly discusses what it was like to navigate receiving feedback on one of her potential dissertation chapters before and during her prospectus exam, and what it felt like writing up results for an experiment that didn’t go exactly the way she hoped. Ultimately, Holly shares how she reframed her view of what failure means to move forward to where she is today. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Holly Molinaro
  • Website: https://animalwellbeingsolutions.com/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/animalwellbeingsolutions/
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Kat Magnone, who at the time of this recording was an adjunct Chemistry instructor at Cincinnati State. Their dissertation research studied high school students learning about sodium chloride dissolution using molecular level animations. Here, Kat discusses their experience failing their qualifying exams on their first try at the second institution they went to for their PhD. They then share how going through this challenge inspired them to change not only their approach to science and research but also their approach to mental health. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Kat Magnone
  • Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m3QZZOsAAAAJ&hl=en
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Raúl Araya-Donoso. At the time of recording, Raúl was a Postdoctoral scholar at Arizona State University, but he has since moved on to a Postdoc position at Yale. His dissertation research focused on the genomic and ecological factors affecting speciation rates on lizards, and his ASU postdoc kept exploring that same topic. At Yale, he will be going further on that question, and try to integrate how behavior also plays a role in shaping the evolution of organisms. Here, Raúl talks about how he navigated completing a PhD in a place other than his home country, and how he coped with disappointment by allowing himself to feel his emotions. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Raúl Araya-Donoso
  • Research Profile: http://www.marthamunoz.com/rauacutel-araya-donoso.html
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Kate Weiss, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Marist University. Her PhD research focused on understanding how wild carnivores make decisions about what they eat in urban environments. Now, her work focuses on understanding how to promote more sustainable futures for people and wildlife species by incorporating social, ecological, and evolutionary approaches. Here, Kate talks about the obstacles she faced while finishing her dissertation, and how she overcame the expectations she set for herself based on what she thought grad school was going to look like for her, and what it seemed to look like for those around her. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Kate Weiss
  • Website: https://katherinecbweiss.weebly.com/
  • University Profile: https://www.marist.edu/science/faculty/katherine-weiss
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mercy Salami, a senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the University of Ilorin in Nigeria. Her dissertation research focused on the contribution of wild tree species to food security in northwestern Nigeria. Since then, her research has focused on the issues of development economics. Mercy specifically works on food security, poverty, and gender, specifically among rural areas and marginalized populations. Here, she talks about how she felt when she disappointed her supervisor while defending her PhD thesis, and how she was able to process and move forward from this experience after isolating herself by talking to her sibling. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Mercy Salami
  • University Profile: https://aefm.agriculture.unilorin.edu.ng/staffmember/dr-mrs-salami-mercy-funke/
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Logan Gin, the Assistant Director for STEM in the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University. His dissertation research focused on the experiences of STEM students with disabilities, and since graduating he’s been in this position working with graduate students and postdocs on professional development mostly around teaching and learning. Here, Logan discusses disappointing his advisor, and how he navigated challenges with one of his first research projects in graduate school. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Logan Gin
  • Profile: https://sheridan.brown.edu/people/logan-gin-phd
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Max Liboiron, a Professor in Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada, where they run the CLEAR lab, the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research. Max’s dissertation research focused on the emerging state of plastic pollution as a field, and their work now focuses on creating tools and infrastructures for community-based plastic pollution research now that it is an established field. They are also the author of the book Pollution is Colonialism. Here, Max revisits the time they almost left graduate school during the first week, and what it took for them to ultimately learn how to navigate the culture and system at their institution so they could receive their PhD and do the work they wanted to do in the world. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Max Liboiron
  • Website: https://www.maxliboiron.com/
  • CLEAR lab: https://civiclaboratory.nl/
  • Read Pollution is Colonialism: https://www.dukeupress.edu/pollution-is-colonialism
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Patricia Rankin, a Chair and a Professor in the Department of Physics at Arizona State University. Her PhD research focused on particle physics, specifically charm photo production, and her work now primarily focuses on science policy, especially paving the way for women in STEM. Here, Patricia shares what it was like to work on lab experiments during graduate school, and the lessons she was able to learn throughout her PhD work despite not finding the particles she may have hoped or expected. Let’s listen!

• Transcript: Here
• Scientist Info: Patricia Rankin
  • Website: https://search.asu.edu/profile/3773475
• Fail-Safe Science Repository: https://risecenter.asu.edu/fail-safe
• International Postgraduate Mental Health Alliance (MHA): https://www.ispmha.com/
• Mental Health Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14G5m91FLPY5gZSHUzWXAQ4Jnm4uX9AS0yhypus3gsuQ/edit?usp=sharing
• Land Acknowledgement Resources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10lLcxY7OSsuTnXyq_CSC5Wvst8MSMRurisBfX5hK7AI/edit?tab=t.0