Visiting Professor of Biology and Marine Science Christina Goethel’s STEM career has included several arctic adventures, including a two-month stay at the North Pole. Her extraordinary path, as told in a recently released book, was paved with determination, perseverance and a belief in herself.
“Determined to Be Extraordinary: Modern Women in STEM,“ by Dawn Heimer shares the stories of 27 women from around the world, including Goethel, who chose STEM careers.
Goethel, a Fulbright scholar, said one of the missions Heimer had for her book was to showcase living female-identifying members of society doing STEM that would inspire youth. “The range this book covers is absolutely incredible, all different walks of lives, beginnings, STEM fields, paths, etc.,” Goethel said. “Anyone interested in STEM could find something from one of the stories,” she added.
Goethel said she likes that the book includes personal and professional pieces of each respective story. In the book, Goethel talks of her love for all things related to the ocean from an early age and how her first opportunity to go to the arctic came with a few personal hurdles.
“I wanted to go and learn everything I could, but with two disabled parents and little money, I didn’t know how I could pay for another trip,” reads an excerpt of the book.
Goethel explains in the story how she went about overcoming her obstacles and other “ingredients” as she calls them, that led to her successful career.
Goethel plans to use portions of the book for St. Mary’s College’s "Life at Sea: The intersection of marine science, gender, and culture“ course to spark some discussion about female-identifying folks in STEM fields.
In addition to her faculty position at St. Mary’s College, Goethel is also a research scientist at the University of Maryland Center of Environmental Science.
