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Sofija Spasojević is a researcher in the field of Signal Processing and Machine Learning. After obtaining her dual PhD with the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal, she now works as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in Canada. I’ve recently had a chance to chat with Sofija about her journey as a girl scientist, which I’m very pleased to share with you. Q: When and why did you decide you would be a scientist? 

A: I got interested in research during my Master’s studies in System Control and Signal Processing. So as soon as I got my Master’s degree, I enrolled in a PhD program.

Q: What projects are you working on? A: I’m mainly working on the analysis of the sensor data collected from the patients with neurological disorders. We try to draw conclusions about their condition by using sensors and machine learning models. Currently, we work on predicting episodes of agitation and aggression in people living with dementia. Previously, I also worked on objective movement evaluation of Parkinson patients and patients recovering from a stroke. 

Q: What do you like about your work? A: I like it a lot because it’s multidisciplinary research. It allows me to apply technical knowledge in clinical practice, and it has a high impact on the society. By using the sensors, we try to improve the quality of life of the patients and support medical doctors to have a better evaluation of their condition. It’s really nice to learn something new in this area and see it's very important application.

The full interview: http://jeannewald.com/sofija-spasojevic/

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I won't deny I’m in love with the whole “Ivy + Bean” chapter book series by Annie Barrows. While every book in the series deals with various topics, two of the books are science-centered: “Break the Fossil Record” (book 3) and “What’s the Big Idea?” (book 7).⁣ 👭Bean, is a restless, quirky second-grader who likes doing things in her own way. Ivy, a quiet bookworm with weird ideas, is a seeming opposite of Bean but she understands her best friend better than anybody else.⁣ 📕In “Break the Fossil Record”, Bean is bored to death until the teacher gives her an Amazing Book of World Records. Now Bean can’t think of anything but breaking a world record herself. She tries to stuff her mouth with over two hundred straws, wash dishes quicker than anyone, and even break a glass animal with her loudest scream. ⁣ 🐊 But nothing works until Ivy proposes to follow in the footsteps of Mary Anning, the famous paleontologist, and look for dinosaur fossils in Bean’s backyard. Fueled by the admiration for the great scientist, the two girls start their race to the title of the youngest paleontologists in the world.⁣ This great book with funny black & white illustrations by Sophie Blackall will be a delight for all kids, and especially those who love digging around in search for the unknown.⁣ The full review: http://jeannewald.com/book-review-ivy-and-bean-break-the-fossil-record/

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What a wonderful encouragement from the great actress who has inspired so many girls to pursue science, and especially aeronautics, with her groundbreaking performance as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Treck 👩🏿‍🚀 ❤️.

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I really enjoyed “Ellie, Engineer” by Jackson Pearce ❤️.⁣ 🐛The story has great characters, funny situations (like chasing of a dog wearing a pants-scarf and accidental activation of a bug security system) as well as strong messages about gender stereotypes, honesty, team work and friendship.⁣ 🛠️Ellie is a smart budding engineer. She wears a tool belt over her skirt, considers a cordless drill the best Christmas present and even has her own workshop (technically a playhouse, but if she works in there it’s a workshop, right?). I especially liked how Ellie was always available to help other people using her engineering skills.⁣ 🏠When the initial present Ellie built for Kit’s birthday ends in a disaster, she has only a few days to build a whole new present. She has a great idea, but it’s so ambitious that she has to ask neighborhood kids for help, even though they don’t get along.⁣ ❤️This wonderful story with doodle-like illustrations from Ellie’s notepad will be certainly loved by all engineering-minded kids! They’ll also appreciate a how-to guide at the end of the book, explaining how to use all the different tools that Ellie has.⁣ This is a longer book (~20k words) compared to similar chapter books (~8-12K words) and will be great for kids who are more confident readers.⁣ The full review: http://jeannewald.com/book-review-ellie-engineer/

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I had a lot of fun reading “Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters” by Andrea Beaty.

The story is a great mix of funky inventions (e.g. SnakeAway, a snake-scaring machine), quirky characters (like Rosie’s great-great-aunt flying on a cheese-copter or her joyful friends, the Raucous Riveters, who built airplanes during the World War II), and great messages (dealing with pressure, the power of friendship, overcoming fears).

The book pictures the real process of engineering: brainstorming, research, sketching ideas, design, making prototypes, testing and redesign based on performance.

⁣ Rosie is a creative little engineer. She loves building machines from old gears, wires, and broken motors. Her inventions often fail, but Rosie never gives up. Her perseverance is tested again when the Raucous Riveters need her help to create a new invention. Together with her friends, Rosie works really hard and even finds courage to approach a person she’s been scared of for a long time. ⁣ This fast-paced story with fun 2-color illustrations will be perfect for all budding inventors!

The full review: http://jeannewald.com/book-review-rosie-revere-and-the-raucous-riveters/

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“Ada Lace, on the Case” by Emily Calandrelli is among the best chapter books I’ve read! ❤️ 🔭 It’s an exciting mystery adventure full of modern technology (wireless camera, tablet, drone, robot). 🤖It explains great scientific concepts, such as Occam’s razor and Turing Test, in a fun and engaging way. 👩‍🔧The main character Ada is a young girl engineer. She creates new gadgets (e.g. gecko gloves) and also upgrades the existing ones (e.g. walkie-talkie).

🐶When a neighbor���s dog suddenly disappears, Ada and her unlikely friend Nina - a quirky girl with all sorts of wild theories - unite to solve the mystery and find the dognapper. As a result, the seeming opposites get closer and develop a true friendship. 🤸‍♂️The wealth of supporting characters – from Ada’s energetic little brother Elliott to lovely Ms. Reed – adds a unique touch to the story. This chapter book has a lot to be loved for: interesting characters, engaging plot, nice black & white illustrations by Renée Kurilla and modern technology. It’ll surely be an instant hit for any STEM-loving kid! The full review: http://jeannewald.com/book-review-ada-lace-on-the-case/

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One of my favorite quotes from the book.

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Stéphanie Amati is a Research Engineer in the field of underwater robotics🤖. After her studies at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, she is now working with autonomous submarine robots at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal. In my recent chat with Stéphanie, she was very kind to share her experiences, challenges and aspirations as a young girl engineer. Q1: When and why did you decide that you would be an engineer? Stéphanie: This was a bit difficult path for me. Before I went into engineering, I did audiovisual media training, where I also studied web design. But the only thing that actually motivated me there was the logic behind the code of websites. So I realized that I liked logic a lot and I wanted to solve problems. My parents are also engineers, and when I talked to them about a possible change in the field of study, they supported me. So I chose a Bachelor degree in Microengineering, which was broad and allowed me to decide on the specialty at a later stage. It was nice, because we did a bit of everything: mechanics, electronics and also informatics. Q2: What do you like most about working in your field? Stéphanie: That I can see the practical application of my work. During my studies it was only theory, and the application side was really missing. But there are a lot of things that you can only understand when you do them. Q3: What was the biggest challenge during your studies? Stéphanie: Even though we are already at a point when gender parity is improving, my biggest challenge was to take my place as a woman in the engineering field. During the first year of my studies, every time we did a group assignment together and I gave an answer to a question, my male colleagues always double-checked with someone else. I think it wasn’t mean but rather unconscious. My male colleagues only started to trust me after the first session of exams, because I had good marks. They finally realized that I could be intelligent too. The full interview: http://jeannewald.com/stephanie-amati/

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I absolutely loved “Dragons and Marshmallows”, which is the first book in the “Zoey and Sassafras” series by Asia Citro. The story wonderfully combines science and magic, introducing the scientific method in such a natural way that kids will learn it without noticing that they are being taught. The scientific facts covered in the book include eating preferences of reptiles, the difference between a carnivore, an herbivore and an omnivore, and a cold-blooded and a warm-blooded animal. In addition, there’s a glossary at the end of the book, explaining the new terms. The main character Zoey is a kind, smart and curious budding scientist. She has her own science journal and special Thinking Goggles, which help her come up with brilliant ideas. Together with her adorable pet cat, Sassafras, Zoey explores the woods around her house, having a lot of fun.The only thing that Zoey loves more than science is magic. So when she learns that her mom, who is a scientist too, has been treating sick magical animals in their barn for years, Zoey gets super excited and offers her help. While her mom is out for a week, Zoey and Sassafras find a sick baby dragon at their barn’s door. Trying to learn what’s wrong with the magic creature and how to help, Zoey uses the scientific method (question, hypothesis, experiments, conclusion), her past experience and her mom’s old science journals. I admired how Zoey keeps trying even when things get really hard. The support and trust that Zoey’s parents grant her only reinforces Zoey’s ability to handle a difficult mission.

The exciting mix of science and magic, adorable characters, cute black & white illustrations and relatively short chapters make this book a perfect fit for any young reader!

http://jeannewald.com/book-review-dragons-and-marshmallows/