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Dr. Kim Dao

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Dr. Kim Dao
Podiatrist at Southwest Austin Foot & Ankle Clinic

Often being the only girl in her classes, rotations, and medical training, Kim decided to expose more girls to her career field. We are so grateful to have her as a Girlstart volunteer and to have her speak about her experience in the medical field with us today!

Briefly describe your career.
I am a physician and surgeon dealing with the ailments of the foot and ankle.

What are your favorite things about being a podiatrist?
I am able to treat children to grandparents. I have the opportunity to work in a hospital, surgical, and clinical setting, and best of all, I get make people’s feet and ankles feel better; thus they feel better as a whole.

What would you like to tell girls who are interested in pursuing a STEM career?
It will be a challenging road, with a lot of studying, and sacrifice with some of your social life, but in the end, you come out with a wonderful, rewarding career that helps you give back to society in such a direct way. And the pride that comes with that is immeasurable.

What words of encouragement would you share with them?
Always strive high for your dreams.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
Girls should know they have every ability to do anything boys can do… and sometimes better!

What is your favorite Girlstart moment?
I love volunteering during the Annual Girlstart conference, where I am able to present my career to many young, inquiring female minds, and the joyful thought that someday, potentially several of these ladies will be future podiatrists and my fellow colleagues in the field.

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Carrie Bell

Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Be inspired as these incredible women describe how they became interested in their field, provide insight into a day in the life, and share learnings from their experiences.

Carrie Bell
Sr. Quality Assurance Engineer @ Luminex

Carrie got involved with Girlstart after seeing how much her daughter enjoyed our programs. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to hear about her career and the advice she has for the future generation of Women In STEM!

What’s your background?
I have a BS in mechanical engineering and an MBA. I have worked in the medical device and diagnostics industries for 20 years. I spent most of my career at orthopedic implant companies (hip, knee, and spine) supporting the manufacture of implants and surgical instruments. I recently joined Luminex Corporation and work in Quality Assurance supporting the manufacturing of Diagnostic Instruments. These instruments are used to detect diseases such as the one we are experiencing in our society today.

What’s your favorite thing about your career?
I like knowing that the products I have worked on help people such as restoring mobility and diagnosing disease.

What words of encouragement would you share with girls who are interested in pursuing a STEM career?
I suggest being bold and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just because you are the only girl on a team project doesn’t mean anything. When I was in college working on engineering class projects and the only girl on the team, I was sometimes told, “Why don’t you just write the report.” In hindsight I wish I had been more assertive and jumped in and contributed anyway. I think having a mentor would be helpful.

Was there a specific person in your life that led you to your STEM career?
My dad encouraged me to be an engineer since I liked math and science. We rebuilt my first car together after the engine caught fire. We bought some new parts and some parts from the junk yard and got it running again.

Why is confidence in STEM important for girls?
I think it is important to show girls that it is okay to be interested in degrees and careers that have traditionally had a low number of girls. Many girls just lack exposure to opportunities.

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