Renee James
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? i.e. Where you grew up, what education do you have, a summary of your resume, did you always want to do what you are doing now, when did you start to become interested in STEM, what internships/ volunteering
I GREW UP IN HOUSTON, TX (SPACE CITY, RIGHT? WE HAD FIELD TRIPS TO NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER SO MANY TIMES THAT WE COMPLETELY LOST SIGHT OF HOW COOL IT WAS). I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH SPACE WHEN CARL SAGAN'S "COSMOS" AIRED ON PBS. I WANTED TO DO WHAT HE DID, SO I STARTED READING ABOUT ASTRONOMY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12 OR 13. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO ATTEND A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL WITH AN AMAZINGLY ACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE MATH/SCIENCE CLUB, AND I FIT RIGHT INTO THE CULTURE. WHEN YOU'RE THE LONE 'NERD,' IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET TRACTION, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, YOU FIND MORE MOTIVATION.
I WENT TO RICE UNIVERSITY TO STUDY PHYSICS BECAUSE YOU TYPICALLY NEED A PHYSICS DEGREE TO GET AN ASTRONOMY ONE, AND THAT'S WHERE I KNEW I WANTED TO HEAD. MY BROTHER BET ME $10 THAT I COULDN'T SURVIVE BEING A PHYSICS MAJOR. I DEDICATED MY MASTER'S THESIS TO HIM (SORT OF...IT SAID, "TO MY BIG BROTHER, WHO BET ME $10 THAT I'D NEVER SURVIVE BEING A PHYSICS MAJOR. NYAAAAAH!"). AFTER THAT I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL, WHERE I GOT TO PLAY WITH THE REALLY BIG TELESCOPES IN WEST TEXAS.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
MY OFFICIAL TITLE IS PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT MY NICHE IS TEACHING ASTRONOMY TO NON-SCIENCE MAJORS, WRITING FOR THE PUBLIC, AND WORKING TO IMPROVE SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE K-12 AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL. MY TYPICAL DAY INVOLVES TEACHING OR PREPARING TO TEACH, WORKING ON WHATEVER WRITING PROJECT I'VE GOT GOING ON (RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT AN ARTICLE TO FINISH FOR ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE AND A BOOK PROPOSAL TO START), ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF (SUBMITTING FORMS, COMMITTEE WORK, ETC...).
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
I TEACH IT TO THE NEXT GENERATION. IDEALLY I'M INSPIRING MY STUDENTS TO APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF STEM, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT STEM MAJORS THEMSELVES.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
WHEN I WAS FIRST HIRED AS A LOWLY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, I WAS ASKED BY AN UPPER ADMINISTRATOR IF I WAS THE NEW SECRETARY. I'VE OFTEN FELT IN MEETINGS THAT MY IDEAS DON'T HAVE MERIT UNTIL VOICED BY A MALE COLLEAGUE (IT'S SO PERVASIVE, IN FACT, THAT I HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF ASKING A PARTICULAR MALE COLLEAGUE TO REITERATE WHAT I SAY IN THE EVENT THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO CATCH IT). I DEALT WITH A MILLION MICROAGGRESSIONS IN SCHOOL, FROM PROFESSORS TALKING TO MY CHEST TO MY FELLOW MALE STUDENTS MAKING THE MOST HIDEOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE STATEMENTS. AS AN UNDERGRAD, I FELT EXTREMELY ISOLATED BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY FEMALE PHYSICS MAJOR. HEARING SO MANY JOKES ABOUT "WHAT THE BEST TYPE OF WOMAN IS," I NEVER FELT THE SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT I DID IN HIGH SCHOOL.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
BEST PART - BEING PAID TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHATEVER TOPIC CATCHES MY ATTENTION, AND GETTING TO CONVEY THE WONDER OF THE UNIVERSE TO MY STUDENTS. I CAN DO MY JOB PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE. ALL I NEED IS A LAPTOP AND INTERNET. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TROUBLE GETTING UP EACH MORNING TO COME TO THE OFFICE TO WORK ON CLASSES OR WRITING OR RESEARCHING OR EVEN MEETINGS.
WORST PART - BUREAUCRACY. SOMETIMES DECISIONS ARE MADE AT HIGHER LEVELS THAT MAKE NO LOGICAL SENSE, AND ONE FEELS POWERLESS AGAINST IT. THE AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK AND EMAIL EXCHANGES REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING MINOR ARE MIND BOGGLING AT TIME.
6. What do you define success as?
I THINK SUCCESS IS REALIZING WHAT YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT FOR A LIVING. SOME PEOPLE NEVER FIND THEIR PASSION, THEIR 'ELEMENT.' SOME PEOPLE FIND IT, BUT NEVER GET A CHANCE TO KINDLE IT.
7. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYTHING, EVERY ENCOUNTER, EVERY CONVERSATION IS POTENTIALLY HELPFUL. PASSING SOMEONE IN THE HALL COULD SPARK A QUICK CONVERSATION THAT LEADS TO AN IDEA THAT BECOMES A BOOK OR A NEW PROJECT. YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES.
8. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I NEVER MET THE ONE PERSON THAT I THINK WAS CRITICAL TO MY CAREER - CARL SAGAN. HE TAUGHT ME THAT THE UNIVERSE IS AMAZING, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, HE TAUGHT ME THAT CONVEYING SCIENCE TO AN AUDIENCE OF NON-SCIENTISTS IS VALUABLE. I'VE SPENT THE LAST 30+ YEARS TRYING TO EMULATE HIM.
9. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
DON'T TRY TO FLY SOLO. HAVING SOMEONE TO BOUNCE IDEAS OFF IS INVALUABLE - AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, AS A GRADUATE STUDENT, AND AS A PROFESSIONAL. MY UNDERGRADUATE SELF WAS TOO ISOLATED AT TIMES .
I GREW UP IN HOUSTON, TX (SPACE CITY, RIGHT? WE HAD FIELD TRIPS TO NASA'S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER SO MANY TIMES THAT WE COMPLETELY LOST SIGHT OF HOW COOL IT WAS). I REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH SPACE WHEN CARL SAGAN'S "COSMOS" AIRED ON PBS. I WANTED TO DO WHAT HE DID, SO I STARTED READING ABOUT ASTRONOMY WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12 OR 13. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO ATTEND A PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL WITH AN AMAZINGLY ACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE MATH/SCIENCE CLUB, AND I FIT RIGHT INTO THE CULTURE. WHEN YOU'RE THE LONE 'NERD,' IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET TRACTION, BUT WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, YOU FIND MORE MOTIVATION.
I WENT TO RICE UNIVERSITY TO STUDY PHYSICS BECAUSE YOU TYPICALLY NEED A PHYSICS DEGREE TO GET AN ASTRONOMY ONE, AND THAT'S WHERE I KNEW I WANTED TO HEAD. MY BROTHER BET ME $10 THAT I COULDN'T SURVIVE BEING A PHYSICS MAJOR. I DEDICATED MY MASTER'S THESIS TO HIM (SORT OF...IT SAID, "TO MY BIG BROTHER, WHO BET ME $10 THAT I'D NEVER SURVIVE BEING A PHYSICS MAJOR. NYAAAAAH!"). AFTER THAT I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL, WHERE I GOT TO PLAY WITH THE REALLY BIG TELESCOPES IN WEST TEXAS.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
MY OFFICIAL TITLE IS PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT MY NICHE IS TEACHING ASTRONOMY TO NON-SCIENCE MAJORS, WRITING FOR THE PUBLIC, AND WORKING TO IMPROVE SCIENCE EDUCATION AT THE K-12 AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL. MY TYPICAL DAY INVOLVES TEACHING OR PREPARING TO TEACH, WORKING ON WHATEVER WRITING PROJECT I'VE GOT GOING ON (RIGHT NOW I'VE GOT AN ARTICLE TO FINISH FOR ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE AND A BOOK PROPOSAL TO START), ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF (SUBMITTING FORMS, COMMITTEE WORK, ETC...).
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
I TEACH IT TO THE NEXT GENERATION. IDEALLY I'M INSPIRING MY STUDENTS TO APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF STEM, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT STEM MAJORS THEMSELVES.
4. Have you faced any discrimination/ challenges being a woman in a stem field? If so, how did you deal with it? Do you have any advice for up and coming women in STEM?
WHEN I WAS FIRST HIRED AS A LOWLY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, I WAS ASKED BY AN UPPER ADMINISTRATOR IF I WAS THE NEW SECRETARY. I'VE OFTEN FELT IN MEETINGS THAT MY IDEAS DON'T HAVE MERIT UNTIL VOICED BY A MALE COLLEAGUE (IT'S SO PERVASIVE, IN FACT, THAT I HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE HABIT OF ASKING A PARTICULAR MALE COLLEAGUE TO REITERATE WHAT I SAY IN THE EVENT THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO CATCH IT). I DEALT WITH A MILLION MICROAGGRESSIONS IN SCHOOL, FROM PROFESSORS TALKING TO MY CHEST TO MY FELLOW MALE STUDENTS MAKING THE MOST HIDEOUSLY INAPPROPRIATE STATEMENTS. AS AN UNDERGRAD, I FELT EXTREMELY ISOLATED BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY FEMALE PHYSICS MAJOR. HEARING SO MANY JOKES ABOUT "WHAT THE BEST TYPE OF WOMAN IS," I NEVER FELT THE SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT I DID IN HIGH SCHOOL.
5. What is the best and worst part of your job? What do you look forward to in your job on a day to day basis? What do you wish you could change?
BEST PART - BEING PAID TO FIND OUT ABOUT WHATEVER TOPIC CATCHES MY ATTENTION, AND GETTING TO CONVEY THE WONDER OF THE UNIVERSE TO MY STUDENTS. I CAN DO MY JOB PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE. ALL I NEED IS A LAPTOP AND INTERNET. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO TROUBLE GETTING UP EACH MORNING TO COME TO THE OFFICE TO WORK ON CLASSES OR WRITING OR RESEARCHING OR EVEN MEETINGS.
WORST PART - BUREAUCRACY. SOMETIMES DECISIONS ARE MADE AT HIGHER LEVELS THAT MAKE NO LOGICAL SENSE, AND ONE FEELS POWERLESS AGAINST IT. THE AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK AND EMAIL EXCHANGES REQUIRED TO DO SOMETHING MINOR ARE MIND BOGGLING AT TIME.
6. What do you define success as?
I THINK SUCCESS IS REALIZING WHAT YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT FOR A LIVING. SOME PEOPLE NEVER FIND THEIR PASSION, THEIR 'ELEMENT.' SOME PEOPLE FIND IT, BUT NEVER GET A CHANCE TO KINDLE IT.
7. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYTHING, EVERY ENCOUNTER, EVERY CONVERSATION IS POTENTIALLY HELPFUL. PASSING SOMEONE IN THE HALL COULD SPARK A QUICK CONVERSATION THAT LEADS TO AN IDEA THAT BECOMES A BOOK OR A NEW PROJECT. YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES.
8. Who was a mentor to you throughout your career? (can be more than one!) What did they teach you? How did they impact your life?
I NEVER MET THE ONE PERSON THAT I THINK WAS CRITICAL TO MY CAREER - CARL SAGAN. HE TAUGHT ME THAT THE UNIVERSE IS AMAZING, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, HE TAUGHT ME THAT CONVEYING SCIENCE TO AN AUDIENCE OF NON-SCIENTISTS IS VALUABLE. I'VE SPENT THE LAST 30+ YEARS TRYING TO EMULATE HIM.
9. What do you think is the best advice you've ever received ? What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance? What’s one piece of advice you can pass on to us?
DON'T TRY TO FLY SOLO. HAVING SOMEONE TO BOUNCE IDEAS OFF IS INVALUABLE - AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT, AS A GRADUATE STUDENT, AND AS A PROFESSIONAL. MY UNDERGRADUATE SELF WAS TOO ISOLATED AT TIMES .