Now that the Brood X cicadas have emerged, many are talking about this curious creature’s 17-year life cycle. The earliest recorded observations of this Brood occurred in the 1700s with documentation of emergences starting in 1715 and ending in 1800, and with notes on each 17-year emergence throughout that century. Benjamin Banneker first met this…
Category: STEM Like Me
Scientist's Interest and Careers: Cassidy!

Hello! My name is Cassidy Miles. I use pronouns she, her, and hers. I identify as queer and I am 30 years old. My hobbies are picking up trash while walking my dog and roller skating! I am currently finishing up graduate school at Western Illinois University for my Master’s in Biology. Important classes I…
Scientist's Interests and Careers: Julia!

My name is Julia Hampton and I work as an aquatic ecology technician at the Great Rivers Field Station (GRFS), which is part of the Illinois Natural History Survey. During the field season, June through October, I work on a team conducting fish surveys on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. Our team samples fishes that…
YCITYSCI February Blog Post on Scientist’s Careers

Today’s blog post is brought to you by Candi Johnson. There are countless STEM careers, many that the general public do not even know exist. I would like to share my unique career and the path I took to get to it. I am the Program Coordinator for the SIUE STEM Center. What this…
Black History Month - A STEM Like Me Story

February is Black History Month, a time to highlight the achievements of Black Americans and to recognize that Black history is American history. Initially established as “Negro History Week” in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson, the idea was to ensure that Black Americans knew their history and that the value of their contributions to…