Meet five researchers at different points in their scientific careers. Learn about how science came into their lives, how they navigated through challenges and hear their advice to anyone hoping to become a researcher.
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Watch the series trailer above! Hear from five researchers at different points in their scientific careers. Learn about how science came into their lives, how they navigated through challenges and hear their advice to anyone hoping to become a researcher.
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In her episodes of the Become A Researcher video series, Halaevalu Vakalahi, PhD, shares how her indigenous roots shaped her path to become a researcher and inspires optimism for the future of science.
Vakalahi grew up in Hawaii with her Tongan family, whose ancestral indigenous knowledge and traditions made it easy for her to develop her scientific curiosity.
“There were people who went from Tonga to Samoa, to Tahiti, to New Zealand or Aotearoa to here to Hawaii with no compass, [with] none of our technological wayfinding, it was traditional,” Vakalahi said. “They looked at the stars, they felt the ocean, they felt the wind and sort of, like, allowed nature and… I guess their spiritual connection, to guide them from one space to the other. I think that these ancient scientists, I wanna call them, left for us a really deep value for science.”
More stories from Enhance Science:
In her episodes of the Become A Researcher video series, Halaevalu Vakalahi, PhD, shares how her indigenous roots shaped her path to become a researcher and inspires optimism for the future of science.
Vakalahi grew up in Hawaii with her Tongan family, whose ancestral indigenous knowledge and traditions made it easy for her to develop her scientific curiosity.
“There were people who went from Tonga to Samoa, to Tahiti, to New Zealand or Aotearoa to here to Hawaii with no compass, [with] none of our technological wayfinding, it was traditional,” Vakalahi said. “They looked at the stars, they felt the ocean, they felt the wind and sort of, like, allowed nature and… I guess their spiritual connection, to guide them from one space to the other. I think that these ancient scientists, I wanna call them, left for us a really deep value for science.”
More stories from Enhance Science:
Juan Castillo’s educational journey came with its fair share of ups and downs. He shares his story in the new “Become A Researcher” video series from the Diversity Program Consortium’s Enhance Science project.
There are many training opportunities for undergraduates interested in biomedical research careers. Scroll through the different opportunities below.
Meet 10 inspiring young researchers enhancing science across the nation. Hear about the passion that fuels their research, what a scientist identity means to them and how they plan to shape the future of science.
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