Oregon State University History and Philosophy of Science PhD candidate Miriam F. Lipton was recently featured on an episode of Inspiration Dissemination. Inspiration Dissemination highlights OSU graduate student research. It airs on Sundays at 7 pm on the university’s radio station, KBVR 88.7 FM and can later be accessed as a podcast. The show is geared towards undergraduate students to show the possibilities of graduate work and how there are many paths to graduate school and research. Lipton was encouraged to be on the show prior to Covid by a previous host, so she applied via the show’s website.
Lipton’s episode aired on November 21, 2021. During the episode, she provided a broad overview of her research on the history of bacteriophages, antibiotics, and the Cold War, the historical context, how she conducts her research, and her path to her current position. As the episode’s guest, Lipton also participated in the show’s two traditions: giving a piece of advice for undergraduates and choosing a song to end the show. Her advice to younger students was that there is no straight path to graduate school and to embrace the circuitous routes. For her song, she chose “Everything Has Changed” by Best Coast, as it can be a reminder that everything gets better.
Lipton says that it was a fun experience discussing her research. She is passionate about providing information about the history of science to the public through mediums that do not require paywalls, such as this podcast. She also feels that this medium gave her the opportunity to frame her dissertation and provide a cursory overview of how and why.
Lipton has since been asked to join Inspiration Dissemination as a host of the show. She expressed her excitement for taking on the new role, as she is interested in learning more about the research other students at OSU are conducting. She feels that in a STEM-heavy school, she can provide a different perspective coming from a non-STEM field.
We wish Lipton the best of luck in her hosting role!
To listen to her episode of the podcast, click here.
You can also follow Lipton on Twitter @WisdombyMiriam or check out her website!
CATEGORIES: Graduate Students