Fired Fed: A Dream Job Lost, and What the Public Lost Too
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
Release Date: 09/05/2025
Meet host and creator Amy Weldon
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
In this special episode of Blue Collar White Coat, host Amy turns the mic on herself. She shares the winding path from small-town Maryland to city living and the National Aquarium, from dolphin training to science communication at a national lab, and the blue-collar roots that shaped her perspective along the way. Amy reflects on growing up in a working-class family, navigating ADHD and college setbacks, and finding her place in STEM storytelling. Through tales of early jobs, graduate school abroad on a budget, and the realities of animal care jobs, she reveals why this show exists: to...
info_outline
Fired Fed: A Dream Job Lost, and What the Public Lost Too
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
When the pandemic hit, Chanapa Tantibanchachai was on the front lines of public health communication at the FDA. Now, months after being laid off, you'll hear how Chanapa has grieved losing her dream job and what she's tackling next. In this episode, Chanapa recounts how being the child of Thai imigrants while growing up with her own rare health condition shaped her commitment to bridging the gap between scientists, journalists, and the public. From explaining complex research to countering misinformation, her work reminds us that trust in science comes down to the people doing the...
info_outline
Roll for Initiative: Elaina Mayer on Cybersecurity & Cosplay
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
What do cybersecurity and Dungeons & Dragons have in common? Elaina Mayer—CISSP, professor, and award-winning cosplayer—reveals how creativity fuels data defense. From AI risks to rolling dice in the classroom, this episode dives into the unpredictable world of cyber threats and the epic quest to protect your data.
info_outline
Former teacher helping farmers grow smarter... from space?
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
Back in the early 2000s, the biggest news in my sleeply little hometown was that our super-tall science teacher, Brian Campbell, was leaving the high school (one of only two in the whole county)… for a job at NASA. To us, it felt like he was blasting off to some screen-filled control room out of a summer blockbuster to push the launch button himself. Fast-forward 25 years — Brian’s now a Senior Earth Science Specialist at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, working on big-deal missions like ICESat-2 (measuring ice sheets, sea ice, and sea level rise) and SMAP (mapping soil moisture for...
info_outline
Dolphins, Degrees and Dedicated Crab Shoes: Rysheem McGirt
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
What do mice, Old Bay Seasoning, and cancer research have in common? Rysheem McGirt. In the very first episode of Blue Collar White Coat Podcast, host Amy Weldon reconnects with her friend and former dolphin training volunteer, now full-time animal welfare project manager. Rysheem's full-time job supports biomedical research outside of their hometown of Baltimore, Maryland and on the side he's doing everything from Door Dash to stand-up comedy. From working two jobs in grade school to earning his MBA before he turned 30, Rysheem's STEM career has been anything but traditional, but that's what...
info_outline
Blue Collar White Coat: Meet the People Powering Science
Blue Collar White Coat Podcast
Welcome to Blue Collar White Coat, a podcast about the people who actually make science happen. Host Amy Weldon—a science communicator with 15 years of experience—introduces the show and the folks you’ll meet along the way: welders, wildlife biologists, coders, divers, NASA educators, and all kinds of behind-the-scenes heroes powering science, one essential job at a time. Some episodes feature guest interviews. On others, Amy digs into the state of STEM, how it’s changing, and where it’s headed next. No lectures—just real talk, jobs you maybe never thought could be related to...
info_outlineWhen the pandemic hit, Chanapa Tantibanchachai was on the front lines of public health communication at the FDA. Now, months after being laid off, you'll hear how Chanapa has grieved losing her dream job and what she's tackling next.
In this episode, Chanapa recounts how being the child of Thai imigrants while growing up with her own rare health condition shaped her commitment to bridging the gap between scientists, journalists, and the public.
From explaining complex research to countering misinformation, her work reminds us that trust in science comes down to the people doing the communicating.
🎙️ You’ll learn:
-
Why clear communication can literally save lives.
-
How stereotypes of scientists and journalists can complicate messaging.
-
What it takes to serve the public when scrutiny and stakes are at their highest.
If you’ve ever wondered how science touches everyday life and who makes sure that information reaches us this is an episode you won’t want to miss.