Episode Highlights:

• Navigating school as a non-traditional student

• The best and worst parts of working the night shift

• The critical role MLS professionals play in a hospital ER

Timestamps:

0:19 - What is a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

5:26 - What does a typical day look like?

9:42 - What do you enjoy?

12:42 - What do you dislike?

15:05 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations?

23:04 - What were your career milestones?

27:39 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional?

About Our Guest:

Haley Gooch is a board-certified Medical Laboratory Scientist working night shifts in blood banking at a level one trauma center in Kansas City. After earning a degree in criminal justice, she returned to school as a non-traditional student and discovered her passion for clinical lab work through microbiology. Haley now advocates for greater public awareness of the vital, behind-the-scenes role of MLS professionals and is committed to bridging communication gaps within hospital systems.

• Connect with Haley on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/goochhb

• Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠

Looking for career support?

• Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

Episode Highlights:

• How to turn your love for writing and drawing into a science career

• Why you should read those random university emails

• Why scientists shouldn’t stop at publishing in journals

Timestamps:

0:55 - What is a Science Communicator?

7:42 - What does a typical day look like?

13:16 - What do you enjoy?

25:33 - What do you dislike?

37:08 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations?

43:35 - What were your career milestones?

45:08 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional?

About Our Guest:

Aarati Asundi is the founder of Sykom, a science communication startup that bridges the gap between scientists and the public through accessible, engaging media. She’s also the co-host of the Smart Tea podcast, where she explores the lives and legacies of scientific innovators throughout history. With a passion for transforming complex ideas into clear, creative stories, Aarati brings science to life through illustration, writing, and visual storytelling. Whether she’s building explainer videos for biotech companies or coaching researchers on how to communicate their work, her mission is simple: make science make sense—for everyone.

• Connect with Aarati on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarati-asundi/

• Aarati’s Website - https://www.sykommer.com/

• Aarati’s Podcast - https://www.smartteapodcast.com/

• Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠

Looking for career support?

• Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠

• Follow us on Instagram @sciencecareercoach

Episode Highlights:

• The surprising power of knocking on a professor’s door (even if you’re an introvert)

• How to return to your career after 10+ years away—and still thrive

• This one mindset shift that will change how you see career paths and options in science

Timestamps:

0:22 - What is an Astrophysicist?

5:11 - What does a typical day look like?

9:59 - What do you enjoy?

11:29 - What do you dislike?

13:28 - How does your career compare to your initial aspirations?

15:56 - What were your career milestones?

21:18 - What advice would you give an aspiring professional?

About Our Guest:

Nicole Lloyd-Ronning is an astrophysicist at Los Alamos National Lab and a physics and astronomy instructor at the University of New Mexico–Los Alamos. Her research focuses on the explosive deaths of massive stars, black holes, and their role in the evolution of the universe. A passionate science communicator, she leads outreach programs across Northern New Mexico, collaborates on global STEAM initiatives, and actively advocates for equity in STEM. After earning degrees from Cornell and Stanford and completing prestigious fellowships in Canada and at LANL, she returned to science following a decade-long career break, supported by the APS Blewett Fellowship. Nicole has received multiple awards for mentoring, teaching, and community impact, and enjoys running, cooking, dancing, and spending time with her family.

• Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-lloyd-ronning-488160a

• Extended Interview - ⁠patreon.com/diverseroutes ⁠

Looking for career support?

• Check out ⁠Success in Science Career Coaching⁠