Meet Paula Garcia Todd: Being Curious; Asking Questions; Doing the Research; and the Importance of Building a Community

STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia

Episode Summary
1) Paula is from a family of engineers!! She learned a lot watching her brother's journey to engineering and knew fairly early on that she wanted to be an engineer.
2) She learned early on that asking questions and being curious are tools that she used to help advance opportunities for herself and her career.
3) She enjoyed her time at Penn State.
4) Loves the works she has had the opportunity to do in the Pharmaceutical industry. But wasn't afraid to change paths.
5) Is a BIG STEM advocate for women internationally.
Paula Garcia Todd Bio
She became a chemical engineer because she comes from a family of engineers. Her father, grandfather, brothers and uncles are all engineers… She was incredibly lucky to have this exposure from such an early age, constantly surrounded by examples of how engineers improved her life, so it felt obvious to pursue this path herself. She wants all kids to experience this – to be surrounded by the confidence and optimism that they have the power to fix anything in this world.

She loves helping people. She was first drawn to medicine, but since she fainted at the sight of blood, becoming a doctor was not in the cards for her. This is what drew her into pharmaceuticals, where she has worked for 17 years. Her career allows her to witness the magic that happens when difficult problems are met by innovative solutions through STEM.
She is passionate about introducing STEM to children. She has volunteered on boards and organizations focused on increasing the number of female and under-represented students in STEM fields, especially engineering, for the past decade. She has developed new K-12 programs aiming to improve understanding of the real world applicability of STEM while changing the face of what an engineer looks like. She has been active in diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy within the industry, working through women’s and Latinx employee resources groups at each of her companies to create awareness and improve company cultures. In 2019, she was named an AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her devoted work in STEM outreach and will be featured in a life-sized statue exhibit of outstanding women in STEM fields (debuting in Dallas, TX in 2021). In 2020, she was named both Woman of the Year in Engineering by Women in Technology and a Community Trailblazer by STEMConnector’s Million Women Mentors.

Hard to believe that this Brazilian girl, born from Chilean parents, has adjusted so well and found her own definition of success. She went on to receive my B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State. Engineering has proven to be a solid foundation that has opened many opportunities through her career progression.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-garcia-todd-8b88716
Website: https://www.paulagarciatodd.com/
Website: https://www.fabfems.org/users/paula-garcia-todd
Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:
https://www.drtoshia.co
STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A