CLEVELAND — The Great Lakes Science Center went virtual this year for its Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, putting the spotlight on diversity in the science, engineering, technology and mathematics fields.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Three NASA STEM professionals spoke about their careers in science, including their experiences working as a minority or woman in a STEM field

  • Among them was Lancert Foster, an aerospace engineer

  • The day's virtual events also included a virtual tour of the Guy Bluford exhibit

Among the panelist was Lancert Foster, an aerospace engineer and graduate from Forida A&M University, who now works as a technical lead and is responsible for research projects related to hypersonic flight. He shared some of his challenges with the viewers.  

“The quote-unquote 'challenge' I am aways aware is, as I think most people of a diverse background, whether an ethnic minority or if your certainly a woman working in STEM, you’re always having a kind of double conversation, like you’re having the conversation we’re having, but you’re also at the same time, kind of, kind of doing awareness policing,” said Foster. “You know, for myself, there’s a kind of being appropriately buttoned up. I need to have this conversation and do this work, but I’m not always sure I’m safe to be all of me here in this space. Like, I’m not sure if it’s safe for them to see all of me. So, you’re always kind of having the conversation, doing the work, but also at the same time, being aware.”

The day’s virtual events also included a virtual tour of the Guy Bluford exhibit. Bluford was a longtime Northeast Ohio resident and the first African American in space.​