Communicating science to a broad audience, especially those with low socioeconomic status and the younger generations, is a long-time personal passion for Helen. As the daughter of first-generation immigrants with no education beyond foreign middle and high school, her exposure to the sciences were limited. She regards her career trajectory as equal parts mentorship, hard work, and serendipity.
TEAM TRAN WILL CREATE THAT SERENDIPITY FOR OTHERS
TEAM TRAN WILL CREATE THAT SERENDIPITY FOR OTHERS
IF/THEN®, a national initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, seeks to further women in science, technology, engineering and math by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Learn more about the initiative here and here.
In 2019, Helen was selected as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador (class of 125). In the coming years, she will use this role to improve the portrayal of women STEM professionals in media and popular culture in order to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers.
In 2019, Helen was selected as an AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador (class of 125). In the coming years, she will use this role to improve the portrayal of women STEM professionals in media and popular culture in order to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers.
Polymer outreach program
“POP! @ U of T” aims to inspire the next generation of STEM pioneers by connecting middle school girls with scientists in the Toronto community who will serve as role models. By curating a fun and personal experience for the middle school girls, we hope this immersive and stimulating event will serve as catalyst for the girls to pursue STEM careers. This annual event uniquely engages students by providing a dynamic and safe environment to complete hands-on experiments through the scientific method, highlighting important fundamental concepts in polymer chemistry and engineering.
We will create worksheets that will be freely available.
OUTREACH ENDEAVORS
BEFORE U OF T
BEFORE U OF T
PHD FOR A DAY
Graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates at Columbia University worked with a local high school teacher to dedicate a day to science for participating local middle school students. The students were exposed to scientific research and even conducted their own experiments! Diverse scientists with non-traditional backgrounds were recruited in order to challenge the students’ perception of a scientist.
Graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates at Columbia University worked with a local high school teacher to dedicate a day to science for participating local middle school students. The students were exposed to scientific research and even conducted their own experiments! Diverse scientists with non-traditional backgrounds were recruited in order to challenge the students’ perception of a scientist.
OUR COMMUNITY INCLUDES THE UNIVERSITY, LOCALS, AND THE INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC NETWORK
Before coming to the University of Toronto, Helen participated in various outreach events, such as Girls Science Day and Science Saturday Starters, and actively engaged with the community. Specifically, she volunteered to sit on panels sharing her teaching insights, served as a mentor to younger graduate students outside of her department, given seminars for local high school teachers and community college students, led tours for the Material Science and Nanotechnology High school program, and helped start a discussion of sustainability in research environments (CLEEN). She also published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) to better explain synthesis to an international audience and started an interdisciplinary seminar series to connect researchers across disparate fields at Columbia University (MiMs).
Before coming to the University of Toronto, Helen participated in various outreach events, such as Girls Science Day and Science Saturday Starters, and actively engaged with the community. Specifically, she volunteered to sit on panels sharing her teaching insights, served as a mentor to younger graduate students outside of her department, given seminars for local high school teachers and community college students, led tours for the Material Science and Nanotechnology High school program, and helped start a discussion of sustainability in research environments (CLEEN). She also published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) to better explain synthesis to an international audience and started an interdisciplinary seminar series to connect researchers across disparate fields at Columbia University (MiMs).
