Amy R. Nava

I attribute all my success to the people that took the time to mentor me and care about me and encourage me. I'm incredibly grateful to those people, and that's part of the reason why I always kind of want to give back. Those mentors made such a difference in my life that I feel compelled to do the same for others, especially for people of color in academia who face similar challenges that I did.

The best career advice I've ever received is to always have side projects or side experiments going. Sometimes your main project that you're working on, nothing works and everything goes to hell, but sometimes your side projects really take off and they're ready to publish and they turn into something amazing that you just didn't even know about. Meanwhile, your other main projects just all go to hell. You don't want to have all your eggs in one basket. This advice has really helped me navigate the unpredictable nature of research and has led to some of my most successful work.

Do not give up, and don't let misogyny get in the way of your dreams. Don't worry about what Jealous Bob has to say about you, because in the end, it's all about your achievements and your life. Don't worry about what other people think of you. The field can be incredibly challenging, especially for women, but you have to push through and focus on what matters - your work, your goals, and your success. There will always be people trying to bring you down, but you can't let that stop you from achieving what you're capable of.

I just wish people were less discriminatory. Honestly, the biggest challenge I've faced as a postdoc here at Stanford is dealing with sexism, racism, and homophobia. Believe it or not, I've met up with the most sexism, the most racism, the most homophobia as a scientist at Stanford. They give a lot of lip service to how welcoming and supportive they are, but it's not like that. As an organization, they'll say that, but then individually, professors will continue just to hire from the usual demographics. The disconnect between what institutions claim and what actually happens on the ground is a major challenge in academia right now.

The values most important to me are always encouraging and helping out people, especially people of color like myself, in academia. I believe in always being willing to have your heart open and work with people, encouraging them, and trying to be as inclusive as you can. I've learned that everybody loses when you're quiet about discrimination and injustice, so speaking up and supporting others is crucial. I also value taking care of my mental health - when I hit a brick wall and feel frustrated, I go for a hike, take a couple days off, and spend time with my daughter. When I come back, I have a fresh perspective and the solution to my problem often just hits me.