Q&A with scientist Kate Biberdorf, ‘Kate the Chemist’
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowShe’s been on national TV, written multiple books and hosts the “Seeking a Scientist” podcast. Now, Kate Biberdorf has a new role—the first of its kind in the United States. Widely known as Kate the Chemist, she is the University of Notre Dame’s first professor for the public understanding of science.
While the Michigan native spent 10 years at the University of Texas at Austin, she said being back in the Midwest feels like home.
“My husband and I keep saying it’s green. There’s grass everywhere. Our new house has a big backyard, and it’s green, and it feels like I’m back home,” Biberdorf said.
Inside INdiana Business reporter Kylie Veleta talked to Biberdorf about her new role and how she hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Why does the public need to understand science?
I think an informed community is a better community. If we have our neighbors, our friends and our family members actually understand the science that’s being presented, then we can make a decision based on what is important to us. I want my neighbors to be good voters and decide what is the best thing for them to vote based on what’s important to them. If we get our entire country to understand science and the value of science, then we are going to be a greater nation.
I think some people are intimidated by science; they think it’s too high level. Would you agree with that?
One hundred percent, yes. So many people are intimidated by science. I wrote all of my children’s books to try to get ahead of that stigma that science is boring or scary and get them excited about science before they reach puberty. Then, hopefully, they have enough confidence to continue on and become our next generation of scientists. I think when it comes to the intimidation piece, my colleagues and myself have a hard time not using our jargon. We have ways we like to talk about the science, but if we talk about it the same way we do with our colleagues as we do with our neighbors, it’s going to get lost.
What I love about this job is I basically get to be an ambassador for science. I get to translate what all my nerd friends are saying to all my regular Joe friends. I think with that, we can become a better community.
What is the value in a university having someone like you kind of translating their science work so that everyone else can understand it?
I think the best thing that I can do is highlight my colleagues’ research. I’m going to take the Gen Z approach—it’s social media, it’s YouTube, it’s getting a camera on these people and then helping them translate the science when they go into the jargon. I think I can absolutely help my colleagues translate their science, but then also get the media attention that it so deserves. The goal [with this job] is to lift up the public understanding of science, and if we can do that by lifting up Notre Dame’s rankings as well, it’s a win-win.
What are some of your plans for your time at Notre Dame?
I want to give the gift of science to the community. We want to do these like Banksy, science-y art exhibits that pop up here on campus. They’re here, we bring the community in, we partner it with a lecture, but then it’s gone. After, it’s going to go to the elementary schools for their science fairs, and then it’s going to go international to our sister campuses.
Looking at your role through a business lens, as I’m sure you know, Indiana has a really strong life sciences community. Do you have any thoughts about how your role could plug into Indiana’s business landscape?
From a chemist standpoint, I think the easiest way would be that I go perform at all these other businesses. I think there’s a lot of pieces where corporations can pull me in, and I can use science as a way to talk about the things that they really want to highlight. A lot of people think that science isn’t involved in what they do, but science is laced in everything. If we can get local corporations and local communities to embrace the science, then we can absolutely lift up what they’re doing as well.
Another cool layer to this that I don’t want to skip over is the fact that you’re a female in this prominent science role, publicizing science. Anything you want to say on that topic?
I was inspired by Kelli Palsrok from Portage, Michigan. Ever since I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a scientist. What I’m trying to do is do what Mrs. Palsrok did for me for the next generation of scientists. I want those girls to see that no matter who you are, what you look like, who you love, what kind of shoes you wear or how much makeup you wear, anybody can be a scientist. It doesn’t matter if you like fire and explosions, you can be a scientist.
If you can see it, you can be it. lt just helps to know someone has done it before and you’re not the first.
There’s a new makerspace coming soon as well. What can you tell us about that?
Notre Dame is building me a state of the art makerspace, which is a camera friendly lab. I’m going to have all my gloves, all my tanks of gas, all my safety equipment. But on the other side of the lab, you’re going to see the lights, the camera, the action that you would usually see in a studio. We’re going to get the scientists into this lab and I’m going to teach them how to present their science in a good way. We are going to just be shouting from the rooftops about this amazing science.