Board Members
Natasha Louise Tilston, Ph.D
President
(Assistant Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine)
Choosing a STEM career has always felt like a natural fit for me! I’ve been fascinated by biology for as long as I can remember, particularly when it comes to the human body. At first, I thought my path would lead me to medicine, especially pediatrics, but my interests turned toward virology as I became captivated by how something as tiny as a virus—just nucleic acid wrapped in a protein shell—can wield such significant influence on our health.
Tara Hobson, Ph.D
Vice-President
(Director of Faculty Development at Indiana University School of Medicine)
People often ask how I ended up in STEM as a social scientist. For me, it’s about helping people. When I started my career in academia, I worked to design research studies, class projects, and internships. I found myself drawn to STEM disciplines because it was unlike anything I had studied, yet I often saw the connection to societal improvement. From there, my career advanced to supporting training and mentorship for researchers in the biomedical sciences. There are so many contributions that come from STEM and help make lives better, and I LOVE being a small part of that work. My passion for my work has really grown from helping others do what they do.
Julie Ann Brothwell, Ph.D
Secretary & Treasurer
(Assistant Research Professor at Indiana University School of Medicine)
I went into science because I liked the challenge and creativity involved in learning about something new. Microbiology was particularly interesting to me because microbes are so small, yet they have the potential to either cause significant disease and damage while other microbes can promote health in typically much larger hosts. The main goal of my research is to define the essential host-pathogen interactions for disease pathogenesis so that we can find new ways to inhibit pathogens while preserving beneficial bacterial interactions within the host.
Patricia Esparza
Membership officer
(Research Analyst at Indiana University School of Medicine)
My love for science started when I was very young. I participated in science fairs from a young age and loved learning about new concepts. As I got older, I knew I wanted a career in science because I wanted to help pioneer changes that could impact people’s lives.
Amilia Nusbaum
Student representative
(Graduate Student at Indiana University School of Medicine)
For me, pursuing STEM has been all about the thrill of critical thinking, problem-solving, and pushing myself to achieve challenging goals. From an early age, I strived to immerse myself in science courses such as genetics, neuroscience, and microbiology. I became captivated by the connections between these fields, especially the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience. Now, in my graduate work, I’m exploring the intricate ways gut microbes influence our brains.
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