Brooke Flammang
Interview Posted By: Ashley Smith
1. Can you tell us a little about your background? i.e. Where you grow 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 a very small town in Connecticut - my high school graduating class only had 72 people in it! When I was 10 years old I announced that I wanted to be a marine biologist. I learned to scuba dive at age 12. I interned at the Mystic Marinelife Aquarium in high school and college. Training to get my job as a professor, I received a Bachelors degree in Marine Biology, a Masters degree in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, and then a PhD in Biology from Harvard.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
My job as a professor is a combination of teaching and research. I teach two classes a year: Comparative Biomechanics and Bioinspired Robotics. I try to involve my students in as many hands-on learning opportunities as possible. I also have a lab here at NJIT where I train graduate students to earn their own PhD. Undergraduate students who are interested in gaining research experience also come to work in our lab. I work with everyone to ask good scientific questions, conduct experiments, analyze data, and write scientific papers. I also write grants to get money for our lab members and equipment.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
My job is STEM! In my lab we study the biomechanics and fluid dynamics of organisms moving in the water. This combines biology, physics, computer modeling, and robotics. Training in all these things, either through my academic coursework or independently has been hugely important to my work.
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?
I have had some interesting experiences where students thought I was a teaching assistant and not a professor. I have also seen that some men are not comfortable around strong, successful women. I believe if you are good at what you do, those people do not matter - so don't let them matter to you. Do what you do well and with confidence and you will be successful.
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?
The best part of my job is my job itself, in my opinion. I have the freedom to try to solve interesting problems and get to work with some very cool people. I am excited to come to work everyday. The worst thing I can think of is when I am in the middle of some amazing science and I have to go to a meeting.
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
It can be really difficult to balance work and personal life. I have a young daughter and I make it a point to remember that she is only this old once. Once I get home from work I do not touch a computer until she goes to bed. Then I stay up a few hours and work on writing papers and grants. Somehow I still manage to get 7-8 hours sleep a night and exercise too. You will not feel happy and successful in your job if you can not also find a way to be happy and successful in your personal life.
7. What do you define success as?
I define success as reaching a point in your life where you are happy with everything you are doing and accomplishing your dreams.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Belief in yourself.
9. 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 have been exceptionally fortunate to have a number of great mentors, but two that stand out are Dr. Lara Ferry and Dr. George Lauder. They both taught me that hard work will get you far but that it is also important to make time for the rest of life and find balance. Both have been supportive in different ways in being an ally in understanding the need to be flexible in time management when raising a child.
10. 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?
The best advice I have ever received was from Dr. Lara Ferry. I asked how she did all the amazing things she does and she simply said "Don't look down". I think that is the right attitude for many things. Just keep looking up and keep climbing.
I grew up in a very small town in Connecticut - my high school graduating class only had 72 people in it! When I was 10 years old I announced that I wanted to be a marine biologist. I learned to scuba dive at age 12. I interned at the Mystic Marinelife Aquarium in high school and college. Training to get my job as a professor, I received a Bachelors degree in Marine Biology, a Masters degree in Marine Science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, and then a PhD in Biology from Harvard.
2. What exactly IS your job? What do you do on a day to day basis?
My job as a professor is a combination of teaching and research. I teach two classes a year: Comparative Biomechanics and Bioinspired Robotics. I try to involve my students in as many hands-on learning opportunities as possible. I also have a lab here at NJIT where I train graduate students to earn their own PhD. Undergraduate students who are interested in gaining research experience also come to work in our lab. I work with everyone to ask good scientific questions, conduct experiments, analyze data, and write scientific papers. I also write grants to get money for our lab members and equipment.
3. How does STEM relate to your job?How do you use the information you learned from your degree in your job?
My job is STEM! In my lab we study the biomechanics and fluid dynamics of organisms moving in the water. This combines biology, physics, computer modeling, and robotics. Training in all these things, either through my academic coursework or independently has been hugely important to my work.
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?
I have had some interesting experiences where students thought I was a teaching assistant and not a professor. I have also seen that some men are not comfortable around strong, successful women. I believe if you are good at what you do, those people do not matter - so don't let them matter to you. Do what you do well and with confidence and you will be successful.
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?
The best part of my job is my job itself, in my opinion. I have the freedom to try to solve interesting problems and get to work with some very cool people. I am excited to come to work everyday. The worst thing I can think of is when I am in the middle of some amazing science and I have to go to a meeting.
6. How do you balance your work and personal life? Any secrets or advice you’d like to share?
It can be really difficult to balance work and personal life. I have a young daughter and I make it a point to remember that she is only this old once. Once I get home from work I do not touch a computer until she goes to bed. Then I stay up a few hours and work on writing papers and grants. Somehow I still manage to get 7-8 hours sleep a night and exercise too. You will not feel happy and successful in your job if you can not also find a way to be happy and successful in your personal life.
7. What do you define success as?
I define success as reaching a point in your life where you are happy with everything you are doing and accomplishing your dreams.
8. What is one personality trait that you think is universally important for a successful career?
Belief in yourself.
9. 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 have been exceptionally fortunate to have a number of great mentors, but two that stand out are Dr. Lara Ferry and Dr. George Lauder. They both taught me that hard work will get you far but that it is also important to make time for the rest of life and find balance. Both have been supportive in different ways in being an ally in understanding the need to be flexible in time management when raising a child.
10. 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?
The best advice I have ever received was from Dr. Lara Ferry. I asked how she did all the amazing things she does and she simply said "Don't look down". I think that is the right attitude for many things. Just keep looking up and keep climbing.
