Introducing Emily Maverick and Marissa Metz - workshop leaders for Buzzwords: Listening with your to
Marissa Metz
Job: Graduate Research Assistant – Department of Biomedical Sciences – Neurophysiology
Advice to her 12-year-old self: Keep your focus on your fascination with science, and have fun!
Marissa grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, where scientific literacy was pretty poor. But that didn’t stop her from dreaming big. She wanted to be a neurosurgeon when she grew up and chased that dream. Today, as a Researcher Assistant at CSU’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marissa has achieved that goal…her patients just happen to be mice.
Marissa first discovered her passion for biomedical science when she dissected a sheep’s brain in high school. She was immediately fascinated with how delicate the tissue was, yet it controlled everything the animal did. From that moment on, she wanted to figure out how that worked. But high school didn’t just spark a passion for science, she also found great role models in other fields. Her English teacher, Dr. Marge Blake was the only PhD who Marissa ever knew before college. Dr. Blake not only helped Marissa improve her writing skills, but also gave her the confidence to continue on her academic path towards graduate school.
Marissa has a strong desire to help people with limited circumstances to be able to learn about science. Her own background helped her realize how important it is to find reliable sources that aid in dealing with things like medical concerns, interpreting the media and making general life choices. Marissa wants to provide that chance for everyone to talk to a scientist about these things.
Emily Maverick
Job: Graduate Research Assistant – Department of Biomedical Sciences – Neurophysiology
Advice to her 12-year-old self: Never stop looking within yourself and reflecting on who you are. Try to check in with yourself every once in a while, and ask “what did I do today that bought me happiness?”
Emily has loved science for as long as she can remember. From dissecting owl pellets in kindergarten, to presenting science fair projects in high school, she loved it all! And Emily had a passion for everything. She remembers wanting to grow up to be a veterinarian, a dentist, a paleontologist, and an astronaut! Her grandma is a chemist and was paving the way as one of the few women getting a chemistry PhD in the 1950s. Emily saw her as a role model as she pursued her own path in science.
In college, a Psychology class sparked Emily’s interest in learning how molecules control the human experience and since then she’s been hooked on learning more about those molecules and their jobs in our brains and bodies! She also had great role models as she dove deeper into science. Her first laboratory job was with Dr. Megan Macnaughtan at Louisiana State University and Dr. Macnaughtan made it seem possible to have it all – her own lab, a tenure position, published papers… and all while growing a family!
Today Emily is a role model herself. While she enjoys doing outreach because it’s fun, she also remembers loving science demos as a kid and hopes that some of the students she works with will look back and remember that amazing feeling too.
