by Margie O’Rourke, AIWC Dublin and Talia Southgate, AIWC Frankfurt
In the second interview of the Daring to Dream series, Margie and Talia speak with Dr. Carmen-Jeanette Stepek, a self-described risk taker who grew up in Northern California and Minnesota, earned her PhD in Dublin and now conducts research in Warsaw. Arriving in Ireland at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found community in the American Women’s Club of Dublin, which led her to the FAWCO Foundation Education Awards. After applying twice, she received the Study Degree Award in 2022—in person, at the Bratislava conference where she was presenting. The award funded research travel to Bonn and conferences in France and Portugal, spared her additional debt and paid for the laptop that lets her research travel with her.
Now a postdoctoral researcher with the University of Minnesota studying systemic ageing and cellular senescence, Carmen hopes to bridge science and global health policy. Her advice to future applicants: even when the path feels improbable, unfamiliar or lonely, focus on the very next step.
Read the full interview and discover how The FAWCO Foundation Education Awards have supported Carmen’s dreams here.
