From Lab to Equity, Leveraging Chemistry PhD for Inclusive STEM Access with Dr. Eugenia Addy - CEO of Visions of Science
Dr. Eugenia Addy, a versatile scientist, educator, speaker, and community organizer, boasts an impressive academic background with 2 honours bachelor's degrees in Chemistry and Biology, as well as a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. With a passion for community advocacy spanning over 15 years, Dr. Addy has developed and implemented numerous children and youth initiatives across more than 40 "low-income" communities throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. She is the CEO of Visions of Science, a charitable organization with the mission of transforming communities, society, and the planet through equitable access to STEM.
It was a delightful experience to connect with Dr. Addy and delve into her incredible journey. I am truly inspired by the impactful contributions she has made to the communities. Dive into our interview below to have a glance into her endeavours within the not-for-profit sector, her typical day as a CEO, and even her favourite element!
**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
As I was pursuing my undergraduate degree, I really enjoyed what I was learning. I also did a fourth-year research project, which opened my eyes to chemistry-related opportunities. To be honest, at the time, I wasn't thinking about grad school, but one of my friends approached me and challenged me to think about it, like, "Why wouldn't you do a PhD?". It never crossed my mind because I thought only super-smart people would do that. I thought it would be so hard, so much more school, and I did not see myself as a scholar. But then, during and after that conversation, I started to realize that I actually had what it takes and decided to pursue my PhD. On the other side, I think I've always been the type of person who really wanted to make a meaningful impact, and I knew that it was important for me to go as far as I could in education to set an example to the people around me and to have the platform to make real changes. So, there were a couple of reasons. Obviously, it was my passion for chemistry, and this desire to really challenge myself, live up to my full potential, and create a platform for change.
You know, it's funny. I have always been really passionate about community engagement and development in different ways. For me, I knew from an early age that whatever I did, I needed to be really connected and rooted in my community. When I was doing my PhD, I definitely did entertain the idea of moving forward in industry or academia. However, I realized that I also had the power to make a greater influence in my community by doing direct work to change systems. Even before my PhD, I had been involved in organizing grassroots communities or small charities. So, not only did I understand how the not-for-profit sector works, but I also knew that I could make a difference and assume leadership there. It was me taking an opportunity to make that change.
"I know that in academia, I was able to make a change in some ways, but I wanted that change to be more directly connected to the communities that I really cared about."
Were you able to transfer any skills from academia to the not-for-profit sector?
Absolutely, I learned so much. What I learned as a PhD student has helped me become a leader in what I'm doing right now. For instance, things like communication and fundraising skills, presenting complex ideas, writing grants, and advocating for change. Also, just writing skills in general - I think having to write really complex papers helped me with how I write and communicate in my work. Besides that, my lab, in particular, was really multidisciplinary. Working in a fast-paced environment with different individuals, such as biologists, physicists, etc., forced me to become a supervisor and mentor, among many other different roles. And it's the same thing that I have to do in the not-for-profit sector, as I have to work with different types of people and stakeholders. Many of the skills that you gain as a PhD student are completely transferable not just in not-for-profit but also in business as well. And I think being a chemistry Ph.D. student, you have to get used to the trying-failing-trying again mentality. That level of resilience definitely helped me in my career.
I'd say my day consists of meetings. There are a lot of different types of meetings; some are with various stakeholders and some are with my team for strategic planning. My day can change depending on what needs to happen. But whether I'm working internally with my team around strategy or I'm working externally where I'm presenting at conferences or in the community, it's essentially to propel our mission forward.
“For anyone looking to be a CEO, you really need to have a diverse set of skills. You have to know how to do everything and have an intimate awareness of what you're good at and what you're not.”
You have to hire people for the things that you're not so good at and train people for the things that you're good at so that your team and your mission can grow. I do a lot of different types of things, but it's all very fun.
In the second season, I had the opportunity to help write two episodes. One was on "Why is our hair different?" and another one was "Why is our skin colour different?". And I think that it was really beautiful to be able to write and act in those episodes with kids who were genuinely curious about those topics. I would say those were my favourite parts of the experience.
I'm not only a CEO, but I'm also a mom and a wife. And you know what? I think that I gained a lot of project management skills as a PhD student because there are so many different things that you have to consider and think about. I have to employ those project management skills in my life. I use Google Calendar for everything, and I put them all in my calendar, whether I'm cleaning, hosting a meeting, or giving a speech. I also have to recognize for myself that sometimes work and life won't be balanced. Sometimes, it's more work and less of other things or vice versa. However, I'm learning to make sure that I maintain a consistent awareness of what needs to be done and rest when I need to. I think it's also important to learn to be upfront when things cannot be done and then ask for help. That's kind of how it is.
“There's this myth that people who have a lot going on do everything by themselves. I have a lot of help, and I just have to use it. That's kind of how I manage this life.”
Yeah, I think the most challenging thing was the decision to take on Visions of Science. As I was transitioning from my PhD to taking on this new role, our organization was very small. There weren't any full-time staff, and I was the first one. The fundraising was low; I even had to fundraise my own salary for the first year. It was so nerve-wracking to go from this track record and walk away from certain opportunities to go into something where I didn’t know how it was going to turn out. I had to take a lot of risks and had a lot of faith that what I believed could happen, and it would happen. It's been a journey, but I think that time period was very difficult. The last year of my PhD was the same year that I started Visions of Science full-time. It was really hard, but it was worth it.
I think I'm most influenced by my children, probably. Now that I'm a mom, I have a different perspective on my work, my time and the type of life I want to lead. I think that my children have changed my perspective in terms of who I am as a person and the person that I want to be, which has dramatically shifted from before. They are the only ones that could do that, along with my husband.
Terbium! The reason is that it was the element I used as the main component for the detection tool that I developed while doing my PhD. It was everything that I had to go through during my PhD and everything I had to learn. I remember when my colleague and I first discovered the application of this lanthanide terbium; it was such a game changer. It came at the right moment because I was so discouraged by the other projects that I was working on. So, being able to use and widen its application was very cool. I love that element; that's my favourite.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Looking at your education journey, people would assume that you would continue your career in academia. What made you decide to make a career change and work in the not-for-profit sector?
As the CEO of Vision of Science, how would you describe your typical day?
With so many responsibilities, how do you manage your work-life balance?
Who would you say is the most influential person in your life right now?