In their new podcast Lab Mates, college besties Emilee and Sam highlight the diversity of careers and people in STEM. Host Sam is a 4th generation scientist working in preclinical therapeutics research and development. Producer Emilee is a print journalists specializing in science reporting. Together they bring you conversations with scientists in all stages of their careers and industries in the podcast they wish they had in high school.
Consulting Forester and Low Impact Logger Tom Jenkins
In this episode, Emilee joins Sam to speak with Tom Jenkins, owner of Blue Dog Forestry in western Massachusetts. They talk about Jenkins’s specialty with oxen, impact of parcelization of forest land and varied jobs of a forester. Plus, Sam gives insight into her personal experience with foresters, and Emilee rants about her frustrations with public information offers.
Learn more about Blue Dog Forestry: https://www.facebook.com/bluedogforestry/ (https://www.facebook.com/bluedogforestry/)
A photo of Jenkins with his oxen from the Daily Hampshire Gazette: https://gazettenet.com/2026/03/21/photos-a-sweet-haul/ (https://gazettenet.com/2026/03/21/photos-a-sweet-haul/)
4 Sept 2026
Associate Director of Lab Operations at a Start-up Incubator Tara Tatu
In this episode, Sam chats with Tara about her role at The Engine, a start-up incubator founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They discuss finding the right place to rent lab space; getting buy-in for environment, health, and safety (EHS) policies and transitioning from the bench to a career in operations. Plus, Tara gives an insider scoop on how the start-up industry has changed.
15 May 2026
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Emily Perriello
In this episode, Sam gets some sexual and reproductive health tips from (another) Emily, who works at a publicly-funded reproductive health clinic in Boston. Plus, the women discuss their own complicated paths to their current professions, the importance of diversity in healthcare and boundaries in public health professions.
28 Mar 2026
Academic Animal Research Technician Maria Platero
In this episode, Sam gets into the nuances of working with research animals with her friend Maria. The two scientists discuss the process of picking an animal model for a study, the upward mobility in animal research and importance of animal welfare in research.
20 Feb 2026
Tenured Professor to expert ESL teacher Angela Stewart
This month, Sam sits down with Angela Stewart, a tenured professor at a Brazilian university who made a career pivot into K-12 education when she moved back to the United States with her family. They discuss the importance of inclusion in study design and analysis, the hiring process of a professor in Brazil and the qualities professors look for in a strong PhD candidate.
10 Jan 2026
Materials Engineer Kaleigh Marcotte
This week, Sam dives into the art of science and importance of crafts with materials engineer and good friend Kaleigh Marcotte. Plus, they discuss higher education during COVID, journeys in coding and the power of pigment.
24 Oct 2025
Biomedical Engineer and Researcher: Maya Jaffe
This week, Sam sits down with Emilee’s childhood friend and biomedical engineer Maya Jaffe. They discuss vaccine development at a large biotech company, being a scientist versus engineer and the unwritten rules of Microsoft Teams.
“Science” Fridays episode featuring Dr. Karmella Haynes: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QBbUeJiIBVqHbXQFq1vwP?si=a2b7c939b44845ea
8 Sept 2025
International Postdoc - Kim Biggs, PhD
For the pilot episode of Lab Mates, Sam and Emilee are joined by postdoctorate extraordinaire, Kim Biggs, PhD. These women in STEM get into the challenges of PhDs, cultural differences between Australia and the US, and the transformative power of an afternoon sweet treat.
Produced by Emilee Klein and Samantha Bozorgadeh
Edited by Emilee Klein
Podcast graphic created by Aiden Donaher
Music by Alex and Drew. Listen to more here: https://www.youtube.com/@drewkaler/videos
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
11 ratings
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