Ep 91: Disabled Engineers

Today’s episode features an interview with Emily Ackerman, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a disabled activist. Emily will talk about how she got into chemical engineering, her advice for disabled students who want to be scientists, her experiences last year on campus with a delivery robot, and the importance of accessibility in the design and development of technology. Hi! I'm a 6th year chemE PhD candidate applying systems biology approaches to viral infections like the flu and COVID-19. I'm a wheelchair user and am passionate about, among many things, the intersection of disability, tech, and education. #DEHEM #DisInHigherEd #DEHEMRollCall pic.twitter.com/EgFtrtQFp3 — Emily Slackerman Ackerman (@EmilyEAckerman) October 1, 2020 Transcript [Google doc] [PDF] Related Links “My Fight With a Sidewalk Robot,” Emily Ackerman, November 19, 2019, CityLab. “Starship issues new statement after reviewing footage of viral incident on Forbes crosswalk,” Emily Wolfe, October 22, 2019, The Pitt News. “As businesses adjust to Covid-19, a new take on an old question: Who owns the sidewalks?” Dayna Evans, November 5, 2020, The Counter. “Disabled scientists excluded from the lab,” Krystal Vasquez, December 8, 2020, Chemistry World. About Emily sits among plants in a power wheelchair behind a glass door. She is dimly lit, with long brown hair, a tan turtleneck, and black pants and boots. Emily Ackerman is a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering and a disabled activist. She is particularly invested in achieving equity in STEM education and technology for the disabled community. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cat, Poppy. Website: https://www.emilyeackerman.com/ Twitter: @EmilyEAckerman Support Disability Media and Culture DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project® Credits Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host Cheryl Green, Text Transcript Lateef McLeod, Introduction Mike Mort, Artwork Theme Music (used with permission of artist) Song: “Dance Off” Song: “Hard Out Here for A Gimp” Album: NO BIG DEAL Artist: Wheelchair Sports Camp Music “Robot” by Razor5 (Robot by Razor5 is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License). Sounds “VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License. “8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.