A partnership between ILMxLab and The Void has already brought 'Star Wars' and Disney Animation to location-based VR. Now: the MCU.
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Friday, October 18, 2019
Rep. Elijah Cummings, Donald Trump relations soured amid House investigations
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Elijah Cummings said somebody once told him he would see one guy when he sat down with President Donald Trump “and then you might see another guy” the next day.
Cummings eventually saw that other side of Trump — the one who called the longtime Baltimore-area congressman a “brutal bully” and his district a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” That was after the burly Cummings, as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, angrily berated a Homeland Security official at a congressional hearing on the administration’s policy of separating migrant families at the southern border.
Cummings, who died Thursday at age 68 of complications from chronic health issues, refused to respond in kind. Instead, he invited Trump to come see the district for himself.
Trump on Thursday had nothing but praise for Cummings, tweeting that he was a “highly respected” leader whose voice “will be very hard, if not impossible, to replace.” He ordered that U.S. flags fly at half-staff through Friday out of respect for the congressman.
Relations between the veteran Democratic lawmaker and the Republican political newcomer seemed to get off to a positive start just a few weeks after Trump took office.
The two met in the Oval Office in March 2017 to discuss legislation Cummings and other lawmakers planned to offer to help lower prescription drug prices, an interest the two men shared. Cummings told reporters afterward that the issue had come up when he ran into Trump at the president’s inaugural lunch in January and they agreed to talk more.
Trump was “enthusiastic” about the proposal, Cummings said, and Trump tweeted about the “Great discussion!” they’d had. A White House statement said Trump had expressed to Cummings his interest in working in a “bipartisan fashion” to help make prescription drugs more affordable.
But the relationship collapsed after the drug proposal stalled, voters put Democrats in control of the House in the 2018 elections and Cummings, in his new role as chairman, ramped up oversight of a White House that had faced scant scrutiny when Republicans ran the chamber.
At the time of his death, Cummings was among the House committee chairmen leading an impeachment inquiry Trump has denounced as “witch hunt.”
On its own, Cummings’ committee was examining conflict-of-interest issues involving Trump’s hotel in Washington and family members serving in the White House. It also was looking into how the White House, and Trump, approved security clearances, including for Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The committee also heard testimony from Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, a key figure in federal law enforcement probes of potential coordination between Russia and Trump’s campaign, and campaign finance violations involving hush money paid to women who said they had had intimate relationships with Trump. Trump has denied those relationships.
Cummings had also reviewed the administration’s treatment of migrant children after they were separated from adults who brought them to the border.
Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Mich., who served on Cummings’ committee, said the chairman believed in his constitutional responsibility to keep watch over the executive branch.
“He was so committed to protecting our democracy,” Lawrence told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday. “He did not take his role lightly.”
In response to the series of July attacks by Trump, Cummings invited the president to tour his district, from the poorest parts of the majority-black city of Baltimore to the more well-off areas in suburban Baltimore and Howard counties.
“Come to Baltimore. Do not just criticize us, but come to Baltimore and I promise you, you will be welcomed,” the lawmaker said in August in his first public comments about the president’s criticism. Trump had also complained about other cities run by Democrats he did not name. The comments were widely seen as a race-centered attack on big cities with minority populations.
Trump defended his comments, which were widely condemned, before moving on from Cummings. He also said he would visit Baltimore “at the right time.”
That turned out to be in September, when he addressed House Republicans holding their annual retreat in the city. But Trump did not meet with any city officials or otherwise tour the city while there.
In a subsequent August appearance at the National Press Club, Cummings recalled being interviewed by a newspaper reporter, who said he was Trump’s “worst nightmare.” Cummings, the son of sharecroppers who rose to become a civil rights champion and leading member of Congress, said he explained that that was not his intention.
“I said, ‘You know, I’m doing my job,'” Cummings said. “I said the president is probably a nice guy but I love my democracy. I love my country and I love my countrymen more.”
___
Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
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Willow and Jaden Smith are gearing up to hit the road for concert tour
The dynamic brother and sister duo of Jaden and Willow Smith have united like ‘Wonder Twins’ to launch a North American co-headlining tour.
READ MORE: Wendy Williams celebrates her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Willow & Erys tour kicks off on Nov. 12 at Soma in San Diego, Billboard reports.
The singer and rapper will make tour stops in Austin, Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Toronto and more.
The month-long tour will conclude Dec. 19 at the Novo in Los Angeles.
Jaden previously said he and his sister “are like a band,” comparing their artistry to hip-hop duo OutKast and their famed Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album.
“Me and Willow are like OutKast except we only ever release individual albums.” You remember how OutKast did that one album where it was like two albums? That’s me and Willow. It’s like we’re not really a band, but we kind of are. It’s Jaden and Willow, we have to have the uniform names.”
Jaden recently released a new album ERYS, along with its first single “Again,” and has been prepping to hit the road with Tyler the Creator for the IGOR tour. But even with his musical talent, the son of Hollywood royalty says “I’m not a musician. I’m an inventor. Elon Musk is my idol and I’m not gonna stop until I’m like Elon Musk.”
As previously reported by theGrio, Smith’s celebrated his 21st birthday (on July 8) by launching his I Love You mobile restaurant; a food truck servicing L.A.’s Skid Row district. Back in March Smith’s foundation made headlines for helping bring clean water to Flint, Michigan by deploying a mobile water filtration system known as “The Water Box” that reduces lead and other potential contaminants.
READ MORE: Nivea says Lauren London became her friend when the two were pregnant
In his interview with Complex, Smith also explained why he dropped his last name on music streaming services.
“You want to know why? Because Willow’s name is “just Willow.” And everything is a character. I feel like I had to separate the things that I do as different characters,” he explains.
Tickets are on sale now for the Willow & Erys tour. Check out a full list of dates below.
Willow & Erys Tour Dates:
Nov 12 — San Diego, CA @ SOMA
Nov 13 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee
Nov 16 — Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Nov 17 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
Nov 18 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Nov 20 — Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
Nov 21 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
Nov 22 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Nov 24 — Washington, DC @ Echostage
Nov 25 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
Nov 26 — New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Nov 30 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theater
Dec 1 — Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Dec 3 — Toronto, ON @ Rebel Complex
Dec 6 — Denver, CO @ The Paramount Theater
Dec 8 — Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Dec 9 — Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove
Dec 10 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
Dec 19 — Los Angeles, CA @ Novo
xxx
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New York Comic Con becomes a welcome home for Black nerds
With movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Black Panther having multi-million dollar box office results, families across the nations are becoming more familiar with Black superheroes on their screens, and in their lives. From comic books to the big screen, characters like Miles Morales, the first Black Spider-Man, have been around for a while. Yet, a majority of the heroes we are familiar with are white, much like the perceived nerd demographic.
Well, contrary to popular belief, there really is a Black nerd culture. The best place to confirm this was at New York City’s Javits Center for Comic Con 2019, the holy grail of fan conventions for nerds of all kinds. TheGrio was on hand to find and celebrate the glory of other Blerds through cosplayers, comic book creators, photographers and publishers to understand why this Black nerd culture if finally getting its just dues.
Let’s start with the great art of Cosplay, the act of dressing in the likeness of a fictional character. Leigh “Dr.Law” Willis is a photographer who runs a cosplay photography service that focuses on Black cosplayers at Comic Con’s across the country. Willis has made it his duty to photograph Black cosplayers after witnessing the way they were excluded.
“I used to go to Cons and I honestly would see a lot of photographers not really want to take photos of Black [cosplayers] at all because they weren’t ‘canon,'” said Willis. “Why shouldn’t they have nice photographs of themselves too?”
In order for something to be ‘canon,’ it has to be considered authentic among fans, as part of a story line. For example, Miles Morales being from New York City is considered canon, as opposed to him being from California. If you want to cosplay Morales as a surfer, that’s fine, just know that while it may be a valid cosplay, it’s just not canon.
READ MORE: Black Panther’ Cheat Sheet: 11 things you should know before Friday’s premiere
Visibility is very important for Blerd culture, if they aren’t seen then how will they know there are others like them?
For Kaylah Oglesby, cosplaying as Kim Possible made NYCC her second con. Her experience during a themed “dress up like at character day, “at her private school revealed another problem Blerds often face: Inclusion.
“They’re all Disney princesses, like Marvel heroes, and you show up like a Black Leia, you’re not usually the coolest girl in class after that,” said Oglesby. “It was kind of weird for me because I didn’t see myself as Black Leia.”
Kaylah’s experience is why Black people need to be represented in their own spaces, and its why Black characters featured in their own movies, shows, and even animes are also becoming more recognizable.
“I don’t think Black Panther would have been like a billion dollar success without Black people,” said Erika Hardison, publisher and founder of Fabulize Magazine.
“I believe that we can produce creators and we can produce comics and books and novels without censoring anyone else but ourselves.”
READ MORE: Black Captain America leads comic book diversity
Independent examples of this do exist. Manuel Godoy, is the President of Black Sands Entertainment, a publishing company that features a comic book with Black characters for Black children and families.
Godoy has witnessed first hand the the power of the Black community when we galvanize to support Black content creators.
“The whole idea of the Black community don’t got money and stuff like that. That’s nonsense,” he said.”Whenever I did a Kickstarter, people came out, and they came hard. Some people were dropping $1,000 to $2,000 on a campaign themselves, just because they were feeling it.”
READ MORE: Comic book genius Stan Lee, Spider-Man creator, dies at 95
Godoy has been successful at creating content for, and being supported by the Black community. His comics, books and novels all feature Black families, and will soon be part of their own animated series.
“We don’t need to pander to the general audience in order to be successful,” said Godoy.
The community exists and it is thriving, but it needs a different kind of support from the Black community that goes beyond just buying a Black Panther t-shirt. Support independent comics, support cosplayers, and support Black content creators. Together we can elevate the culture.
Kiana Matthews-Quinonez is a freelance production assistant at theGrio. She’s a recent graduate of the
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Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland Signs Podcast Deal with iHeartRadio
According to The New York Times, Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has signed a lucrative podcast deal. Rhimes’ production company, Shondaland, has inked a deal to create a new slate of podcasts for iHeartRadio over the next three years.
“Podcasting continues to see tremendous growth and I’m excited to partner with iHeartMedia as Shondaland expands its storytelling journey into this medium which has seemed to usher in a unique sense of boldness, intimacy, and connection,” Rhimes said in a statement. “With iHeartMedia we aim to share stories that are engaging, insightful, and reflect a robust world-view while staying true to the authentic storytelling voice that has become synonymous with Shondaland.”
“Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers of our time,” said Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network. “We’re honored that she’s chosen the iHeartPodcast Network to extend her storytelling craft to audio, bringing a massive slate of new original podcasts to the world. With our unparalleled reach across multiple platforms, we can’t wait to introduce the incredibly engaging and brilliant Shondaland podcasts to millions of listeners.”
Shondaland is the pioneering storytelling company founded by award-winning writer and producer Rhimes. The company has produced the television series Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, For The People and Station 19 for ABC. Through the company’s unprecedented shift to streaming, it is producing content exclusively for Netflix including upcoming series Bridgerton, Inventing Anna and Notes on Love. In recent years the company has expanded into other divisions including launching the website Shondaland.com, part of the Hearst Digital Networks, and Shondaland Audio, part of the iHeartPodcast Network. The company is rooted in the ideals of creating content that changes culture, changes perceptions, and writes the future.
“Our fans have been dedicated to the Shondaland brand in a big way for many years, and similar to when we launched our website Shondaland.com with Hearst Digital Networks, we definitely see this as a brand extension,” Rhimes said on her website, Shondaland.com. “We know our fans well and we’re hopeful they will continue this journey with us in the audio space. Shondaland has always had a history of sharing compelling stories that reflect the full range of the human experience so we’re confident that the new voices and concepts we’re considering will excite our fans and general podcast listeners.”
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Lee Merritt critiques DA in charge of Atatiana Jefferson case
Civil Rights attorney Lee Merritt blasted the Tarrant County District Attorney (DA) Sharen Wilson and called her “a racist,” who he believes can’t effectively handle the investigation involving a white Fort Worth cop who killed a Black woman, Atatiana Jefferson.
READ MORE: Mom, who lied about her white son’s race to get into college, goes to jail
On Tuesday Merritt criticized Wilson for what he believes are past indiscretions that serve as evidence that she’s biased against Black women.
Case in point: Wilson is the same DA who jailed a Black woman Crystal Mason for voting illegally in an election even though she was a felon and didn’t realize it was against her rights.
“We do know this district attorney,” Merritt said. “Her name is Sharen Wilson. She’s the woman responsible for sentencing a black woman to five years in prison for voting in the last election–a young woman named Crystal Mason,” he said during a Tuesday interview with SiriusXM’s Joe Madison.
Earlier this year Mason was sentenced to 10 months in prison for voting in the 2016 Presidential election, which violated the terms of her release for a felony conviction. Mason was convicted of a felony and unbeknownst to her, the past criminal record prohibited her from voting.
Even though Mason’s vote wasn’t even counted, Wilson’s office still pushed to prosecute her.
“I call Sharen Wilson the Bull Connor of our generation. She is a bad district attorney and she is a racist, quite frankly. And it concerns that this case is landing in her lap. I’m hoping that the Department of Justice will step in and prosecute this case on their own.”
Wilson has been charged with leading the case investigation.
Jefferson reportedly heard noises in her backyard. Her nephew recalled that it was so concerning for her that she grabbed her gun from out of her purse to defend herself, and “pointed it toward a window.” Former Fort Worth cop Aaron was creeping around out back and shot Jefferson through the window. She died at the scene.
READ MORE: ‘The Squad’ members reportedly plan to endorse Bernie Sanders’ 2020 run
“We’re nowhere close to being concluded that this officer is even going to be formally charged with murder,” Merritt told Madison. “There’s still so much more work to do in this case.”
While Dean was charged with murder, currently his case is presented to a grand jury. There’s no assurance that he will be indicted though.
Check out more of what Merritt had to say below
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Wendy Williams celebrates her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
From the hot seat to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Wendy Williams was shining on Thursday when she was honored for her successful years in the entertainment industry.
READ MORE: Wendy Williams earns a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Williams attended a ceremony paying homage to her multi-disciplined career. She first rose in notoriety as a mouthy DJ, earning her famed by dropping dimes on the stars to being an author. Later, she re-invented herself, becoming a successful talk show maven, who’s been a TV mainstay for the last 11 years.
Williams, who has had a rocky year with health setbacks and dealing with a bed-hopping husband, now says her personal life is better than ever, ExtraTV reports.
“My personal life has been better than ever, you know, all things considered. I’ve got love. I’ve got my family. I’ve got loyal staffers at ‘Wendy,’ who aren’t just there because it’s a paycheck, like, we love each other. You know, I’ve got great bosses at FOX. What gets better than [CEO of FOX Television Stations] Jack Abernethy coming out of his office to talk about me?”
READ MORE: Wendy Williams takes subtle jab at estranged husband with new executive producer credits
Williams, who made her name as a controversial radio host in radio for 20 years. Williams was known for her shocking commentary, dishing dirt that sometimes earned her the ire of celebrities.
She had stints at the former KISS, Hot 97, and WBLS in New York as well as Philadelphia’s Power 99 from 1989 until she left radio in 2009.
The moment was surreal for Williams who received the 2,677th star on Hollywood Boulevard thanks to her work on her popular Emmy-nominated daytime talk show.
“I mean, you know, just the girl from Jersey, trying to make our bones, trying to figure out how to keep the mic hot without being thrown off.” She added, “You know, I’ve been having the mic for over 30 years of my career… the last 11 years, I never imagined that would happen.”
READ MORE: Wendy Williams ordered to pay cheating ex-husband $250,000
“I’m genuinely happy about my career today and the direction that it’s going to be taking for the next few years.”
And despite the difficult year, Williams pulled up her bootstraps, and put on her best face for the occasion.
“Well, you don’t want to have a hellish year and then look horrible,” she quipped.
And Williams had some parting words about what she thinks of her own achievements:
“You showed them — and stay humble. It’s a pretty heady ride.”
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Nivea says Lauren London became her friend when the two were pregnant
Nivea sat down with VLAD TV to dish about her ex Lil Wayne, and the humiliating reality that he also fathered a child with Lauren London who ultimately became an unlikely ally.
READ MORE: Nipsey Hussle’s family granted guardianship of daughter, Lauren London of son
On Wednesday, the Grammy-nominated singer revealed that she and Wayne dated for years. Despite having an on-again off-again relationship and getting engaged, the “Young Money” rapper called it off in 2003.
PEOPLE reports, however, that the two the childhood sweethearts ultimately reconnected after Nivea divorced her ex-husband, Terius “The-Dream” Nash in 2007,
“He reached back out like, ‘Where have you been?’ It had been five years,” Nivea, 37, said. “He wanted to apologize for the way it ended before. And I needed a damn friend. I felt like the whole world was laughing at me.”
It was a vulnerable time for the singer. She admits that despite the rapper being a rolling stone and he having a son on the way with his Sarah Vivian, she still decided to rekindle their relationship. Wayne proposed (again) to Nivea in 2009.
They would be a blended family, as Wayne already had a daughter Reginae, with his ex Toya Wright and Nivea shared three kids with The-Dream. Together they decided to forge ahead with their big family – at least that’s what Nivea thought.
“When we reconnected, I had three [kids],” Nivea said. “I wasn’t pregnant. That’s not the reason he proposed to me or anything like that. I took it for, ‘You accepted mine.’ If this occurred before us and we’re just now getting back to it, why wouldn’t I accept that son if you’re telling me you want to marry me? So that was that.”
Nivea got pregnant with her fourth child, her son Neal. This would be her first son, who is now 9, with Lil Tunechi. Things seemed perfect, until she was hit with a bombshell: actress Lauren London, 34, was pregnant too, and the impending deliveries were not far off from each other.
“I found out the day I was confirmed pregnant with our son that he had another one that should be expected three months ahead of ours,” Nivea said. “I’m like ‘Wow.’ Then my mama died. So yeah, life!”
Life came at Nivea fast, so she decided to end her relationship with the rapper.
“I ended our relationship while I was carrying our son was because I couldn’t take that,” she said. “I thought I could. I’m a different type of woman. I was like, ‘You know what? You love me? F— it!’ But then I realized that’s not what I wanted. So I let it go.”
While most situations like this result in baby mommas feuding on end, Nivea said London became the relatable friend that she needed.
“It was very crushing, then she and I became very close, ironically, after he and I decided to let it go,” she said. “She was a real good friend to me during my mother’s death. I know that sounds weird, but we were two people going through something that was along the lines of humiliating. It felt like, who else could you share this oddly unique situation with?”
READ MORE: Music producer claims he wrote Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts,” and wants credit
“We called each other to get information because she and I were both previous relationships of his in our younger years as well,” she about London.
“But it was our first time ever talking. We talked about all kinds of stuff from the past and in that we connected as friends. It’s still a testament to the type of man he is because all of his baby mothers, we’re all cool with each other. We get now that the children are here, damn it! They’re here now. You can’t take nothing back. So we are the best mothers that I’ve ever seen in a group with the same baby father. I think it’s amazing.”
London had a son Kameron, 10, with Wayne but went on to find love with slain rapper Nipsey Hussle.
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Thursday, October 17, 2019
Computer science in service of medicine
MIT’s Ray and Maria Stata Center (Building 32), known for its striking outward appearance, is also designed to foster collaboration among the people inside. Sitting in the famous building’s amphitheater on a brisk fall day, Kristy Carpenter smiles as she speaks enthusiastically about how interdisciplinary efforts between the fields of computer science and molecular biology are helping accelerate the process of drug discovery and design.
Carpenter, an MIT senior with a joint major in both subjects, said she didn’t want to specialize in only one or the other — it’s the intersection between both disciplines, and the application of that work to improving human health, that she finds compelling.
“For me, to be really fulfilled in my work as a scientist, I want to have some tangible impact,” she says.
Carpenter explains that artificial intelligence, which can help compute the combinations of compounds that would be better for a particular drug, can reduce trial-and-error time and ideally quicken the process of designing new medicines.
“I feel like helping make drugs in a more efficient manner, or coming up with some new medicine or way to tackle cancer or Alzheimer’s or something, would really make me feel fulfilled,” she says.
In the future, Carpenter hopes to get a PhD and pursue computational approaches to biomedicine, perhaps at one of the national laboratories or the National Institutes of Health. She also plans to continue advocating for diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), throughout her career, drawing in part from her experiences as part of the leadership of the MIT chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the MIT Women’s Independent Living Group.
Finding her niche in STEM
Carpenter was first drawn to computer science and coding in middle school. She recalls becoming engrossed in a program called Scratch, spending hours in the computer lab playing with the block-based visual programming language, which, as it happens, was developed at MIT’s Media Lab.
As an MIT student, Carpenter found her way into the computational biology major after a summer internship at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, where researchers were using computer simulations and physics to look at a particular protein implicated in tumors.
Next, she got hooked on using computational biology for drug discovery and design during her sophomore year, as an intern at Massachusetts General Hospital. There, she learned that developing a new drug can be a very long, tedious, and complicated process that can take years, but that using machine learning and screening drugs virtually can help hasten this process. She followed that internship with an Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project in the lab of Professor Collin Stultz, within the MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics.
Building community
For Carpenter, who is part Japanese-American and part Alaskan Native and grew up outside of Seattle, the fact that there were Native American students at MIT, albeit just about a dozen of them, was an important factor in deciding where to attend college.
Soon after Carpenter was admitted, a senior from MIT’s AISES chapter called her and told her about the organization.
“They sort of recruited me before I even came here,” she recalls.
Carpenter is now the vice president of the chapter. The people in the organization, which Carpenter describes as a cultural group at MIT, have become her close friends.
“AISES has been a really important part of my time here,” Carpenter says. “At MIT, it’s mostly about having a community of Native students since it’s very easy for us to get isolated here. It’s hard to find people of a similar background, and so AISES is a place where we can all gather just to hang out, socialize, check in with each other.”
The organization also puts on movie screenings and other events to “show that we exist and that there are Native people at MIT because a lot of people forget that.”
Carpenter first became a member of the national AISES organization as a high school student, when she and her father made serious efforts to reconnect with their Alutiiq heritage. She began educating herself more about the history of Alaska Natives on Kodiak Island, and learning the Alutiiq language, which is severely endangered — just about a couple hundred people still speak it and even fewer speak it fluently.
Carpenter started to teach herself the language and then took an online class in high school through Kodiak College. She said she learned very basic amounts and knows simple sentences and personal introductions.
“I feel like learning the language was one of the best ways to connect to my culture and sort of legitimize myself in a way. Also, I knew it was important to keep the culture around,” she says. “I would always be telling my friends about it and trying to teach them what I was learning.”
Carpenter has also built her MIT community through the Women’s Independent Living Group, one of the few all-women housing options at the Institute. She joined the group of about 40 women the spring semester of her sophomore year.
“I really appreciate the group because there’s a lot of diversity in major and diversity in [graduation] year,” she says. “The living group is meant to be a strong community of women at MIT.”
Carpenter is now the president of the living group, which has been a significant source of support for her. When she was trying to increase her iron intake so she could donate blood, her friends in the living group helped cook meals and cheered her on.
Carpenter also hopes to rise in the ranks at the organizations where she ends up working after MIT, taking a leadership role in advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I don’t want to lose sight of where I came from or my heritage or being a woman in STEM,” Carpenter says. “Wherever I end up working, I hopefully will move up and keep my Native and Asian identity visible, to be an example for others.”
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