STEM Tea | Investing in our students  

In this episode of the STEM Tea podcast, host AJ Hinton is joined by two science educators who are striving to instill a love of science and a sense of belonging within K–12 students through outreach initiatives and programs.

Yelena Janumyan is a postdoctoral fellow at the Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach at Vanderbilt University (TN, USA). Since receiving her PhD, Yelena has taught science and math in schools; however, she is now turning her attention back to research.

At the time of recording, Zachary Conley was also a postdoctoral fellow at the Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach at Vanderbilt University. Before joining the Collaborative, he was working toward his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from the Baylor College of Medicine (TX, USA).

At the Collaborative, Yelena and Zachary were co-instructors for the Day of Discovery Program, an initiative for middle school students to participate in a research-based STEM curriculum one school day per week.

Content

• Introductions: 00:00–02:39
• More about the Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach and their Day of Discovery initiative: 02:40–05:27
• Why should we care about this initiative? 05:28–07:45
• How do your science classes differ from standard classes? 07:46–09:34
• How does this program support and inspire students? Plus, personal motivations for instructing this program: 09:35–12:46
• Expanding the horizon of career prospects, belonging and scientific exploration: 12:47–18:15
• Navigating STEM careers, from mentors to research: 18:16–22:36
• A lesson in leadership: 22:37–24:15
• How can we improve education for all? 24:16–29:52
• How can scientists and teachers work together to improve STEM education? 29:53–32:27
• Closing thoughts: 32:28–36:27

About the speakers

Yelena Janumyan (left) is a scientist–educator with nearly two decades in secondary STEM education. She earned her PhD in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University, where she studied the cell-cycle role of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl‑2. After a postdoc in pediatric hematology/oncology, she returned to the classroom, designing interdisciplinary projects that build curiosity, confidence and compassion. Today at Vanderbilt’s Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach, Yelena is Lead Instructor with the Day of Discovery program, providing students hands-on access to advanced science and the everyday practices of researchers. Her research interests shifted to studying how place-based critical learning and digital storytelling cultivate agency and STEM identity in young learners. As an Armenian refugee and longtime teacher, Yelena invests in students by expanding access, elevating diverse narratives and partnering with educators to strengthen curriculum across grades so every learner can thrive.

Zachary Conley (left) is a scientist–educator with a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Baylor College of Medicine and a postdoctoral experience with the Vanderbilt Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach. He now works as a Curriculum and Professional Development Specialist at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IL, USA).