In this episode we meet my dear friend, Dr. Deborah A. Kashy, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University (MSU).  Season 2 is dedicated to her memory honoring her lifetime commitment to inspiring young students to pursue their academic and career goals.

Most recently, Deborah was awarded the College of Social Science’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, Research, and Service. With nearly 25 years of service at Michigan State University, Dr. Kashy has established a record of remarkable achievements in scholarship, instruction, and mentorship, as well as exceptional service to both the University and the field of social psychology.   

Deborah shares her journey in the STEM field and how she became such an accomplished professor. Some highlights of her episode include: 

• How she pivoted in college, and briefly took a break from her studies, and discovered a renewed motivation for returning to school after a brief stint in the workplace..

• Being patient with yourself in your education path, and not  giving up on your dreams so quickly.

• How it’s very valuable for students to get experience outside of the college environment. Real life experience is useful in finding your passion.

• Her top pieces of advice include: Advocate for yourself, take advantage of and make opportunities happen. 

• Seeking feedback from your colleagues is valuable in helping you grow as a professional.

Dr. Kashy has authored over 140 publications, received over 32,000 citations, and earned multiple awards. Among her notable contributions is co-authoring a reference book on analyzing dyadic data, Dyadic Data Analysis, which has become the go-to resource for social scientists and has been cited over 7,000 times. In 2005 Dr. Kashy received the Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Social Science at MSU.

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sh(e)=mc2 is a new podcast that celebrates the light, energy, and power of women leaders in science. Maya Murshak, CEO of Merit Laboratories is the host, Heidi Komar of BlueOpps, LLC is the executive producer, and Zoe Komar of Michigan State University is the audio engineer. To connect with our podcast or suggest a future guest, please visit our website.