Two CLA alumnae are featured in a new art exhibit of female STEM ambassadors
Alumnae Lindsey Dietz (PhD '16, statistics) and Samantha Thi Porter (PhD '19, anthropology) are featured in If/Then, a new art exhibit of female STEM ambassadors. The exhibit comprises more than 120 3D printed statues of STEM innovators--the most statues of women ever assembled in one location at one time--and is opening May 15, 2021 at NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Lindsey Dietz is a hall of fame athlete who translated teamwork on the basketball court to the collaborative field of quantitative analytics. She works for the public as an employee of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis where she contributes to the financial stress testing of banks. Her experiences as an athlete taught her to take risks and speak up for those who are underrepresented. She is a co-leader of R Ladies - Twin Cities, a group that supports women who code. Her college degrees in math and statistics have given her the fundamental skills to pursue her personal and professional goals.
Something old, something new, Dr. Samantha Thi Porter studies it all. As a digital archaeologist she uses new technologies like 3D scanning to study artifacts like stone tools, some of the oldest technology around! As an Advanced Imaging and Visualization Research Associate at the University of Minnesota, she gets to work on all kinds of projects from making virtual reality tours of archaeological sites, to digitizing tree rings to study climate change, to using 3D printing to help artists make sculptures. Coming from a family of refugees, she was taught that even through adversity you can make it AND make great things happen.
About the If/Then exhibit
IF she can see it...THEN she can be it
These 3D-printed statues celebrate accomplished women from across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Their jobs include shark tagging, designing fashion, and training Olympic athletes—and that’s just for starters. Selected to share their stories and serve as high-profile role models, these diverse innovators serve as Ambassadors for IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers.
This installation is rooted in a simple truth: seeing is believing. When a girl sees a woman successfully pursuing a STEM career (and having fun!), she is more likely to imagine a STEM career for herself … and perhaps even change the world.
