Since its founding, the University of Chicago has supported pioneering women in STEM—from early physicists and chemists to recipients of prestigious honors like the MacArthur Fellowship, and the Nobel. Today, that legacy lives on in the university’s vibrant community of emerging women researchers.
“Lab to Life” is a virtual series that brings this living tradition to the fore. In each session, women PhD and postdoc scholars from UChicago share the stories behind their science—their research, the questions driving them, and the personal journeys that brought them here. Aimed at students, scholars, and early-career researchers in India, this series offers a rare opportunity to connect across borders through shared inquiry, resilience, and ambition.
In the inaugural session of our newly launched webinar series Lab to Life: Research Journeys of UChicago Women Advancing STEM, the University of Chicago Center in Delhi invited UChicago STEM researchers Kavya Pillai and Alexandra Rojek to share their unique journeys through STEM. They spoke about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and the human side of scientific work.
Their discussion highlighted the real challenges that women face in academic science, including confidence, inclusion, and imposter syndrome, and emphasized how critical community support and mentorship are for success in STEM fields.
This session is a valuable resource for students, researchers, and professionals committed to building inclusive environments in science. The full recording is now available on YouTube.
Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/sX-Dba7Kj3c
