First-Gen Geoscience Community Blog
I am a first generation graduate (geospatial data scientist) and a woman faculty* of color. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in suburban Kolkata, India. As an only child, my life was no different than the boy next door; but that was not the story of all the girls in my school. Even as a child, I noticed discrepancies in how some of my girl-friends received much less attention (both financially and emotionally) compared to their brothers.
Witnessing this discrepancy throughout my formative years fuelled my life-long passion for gender equity. I was extremely fortunate to be raised by strong, progressive parents who instilled in me the belief that anyone can achieve anything, irrespective of their gender identity. I owe it to their progressive thinking that I was not only the first in my family to graduate high school, but that I also went on to obtain a PhD.
Dr. Pinki Mondal, Geospatial Data Scientist, University of Delaware, USA
*Term used in USA for lecturer/lecturing staff/academic staff