What Does A Scientist Look Like?

What does a scientist look like?

Recently, the Saint Louis Science Center has been helping address this question with a series of informational posters on display inside the Science Center.

The posters, funded by the Association of Science and Technology Centers’ (ASTC) If/Then Initiative, feature various women in STEM fields, ranging from astrophysicist Dr. Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil and herpetologist Dr. Earyn McGee to molecular biologist and artist Dr. Beata Mierzwa and more—all under the heading “This is what a scientist looks like.”

Telling the stories of women in STEM through grants, posters, and banners, the If/Then Initiative is an online project library featuring programs, activities and digital media, and more. With the mantra “If we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world”, the initiative’s focus is on diversity in STEM—not just for women, but for people of color and various abilities as well.

In addition to social media posts, the Science Center is promoting this project in both the Oakland Building, where guests will be able to find six posters throughout the galleries, and the Taylor Community Science Resource Center—home of the Science Center’s Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program. There, eight more posters will be on display.

The posters will be on display through the summer. Guests are encouraged to come visit during Women’s History Month to see if they can find all six posters!

View the If/Then Collection online here.