IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2021 - 171

WOMEN IN GRSS
VICTORIA VANTHOF, HEATHER MCNAIRN, AND SHAWN C. KEFAUVER
Down to Earth Podcast
With Stephanie Tumampos
Reflections on the first season of the series
I would say if you're passionate about what you
are studying and if you've found something that
motivates you to wake up and go to class or go
to the office every day, then stick with it. You
are not alone. There are many initiatives that are
waiting to support you. And find a woman that
inspires you.
-Dr. Gopika Suresh, podcast guest
T
his year, the IEEE Geosciences and Remote Sensing
Society (GRSS) Inspire, Develop, Empower, Advance
(IDEA) Committee sponsored its first-ever podcast,
called Down to Earth: A Podcast for Geoscientists by a Geoscientist.
The underlying message is this: to boldly face
challenges as a researcher and follow your passion in the
field of geosciences.
The eight-episode series featured nine female scientists
working in the fields of geosciences and remote
sensing. Each episode highlighted the lives, careers, and
passions of these inspirational geoscientists. Listeners
came to know these women through the difficulties
each faced while traversing their chosen field of research
and how they overcame these challenges. Hearing the
journeys of these women made listeners cry and laugh.
Most importantly, these stories inspired hope in many
during a year that has been extremely difficult for all but
disproportionately impacted women.
As the podcast continues to make waves, the success
of the program is also attributed to its female-led team,
composed of producer and director Nicole Bedford of
Nicole Bedford Films, graphics designer Mailyne Briggs
of Kilam Media, and host Stephanie Tumampos (Figure
1). To celebrate the success of the podcast and learn
more about its creation, the GRSS IDEA Committee
interviewed Tumampos about her experiences hosting
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MGRS.2021.3103439
Date of current version: 28 September 2021
SEPTEMBER 2021 IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE
her first podcast and what she discovered about these
brave, brilliant women from
around the globe.
A witty and passionate conversationalist
with an excellent
knowledge of geoscience, Tumampos
is currently a graduate
student completing her master's
degree under the Erasmus
Mundus Joint Master's Degree
Copernicus Master's in Digital
Earth. Her research focuses on
urban air pollution and how
Earth observation data, coupled
with data science, can help provide
models that can address
this growing problem in many cities around the world.
LISTENERS CAME TO KNOW
THESE WOMEN THROUGH
THE DIFFICULTIES EACH
FACED WHILE TRAVERSING
THEIR CHOSEN FIELD OF
RESEARCH AND HOW THEY
OVERCAME THESE
CHALLENGES.
FIGURE 1. Stephanie Tumampos, host of Down to Earth: A
Podcast for Geoscientists by a Geoscientist. As the Down to Earth
podcast continues to reach out to many listeners around the
world, a quick chat with Tumampos provided a glimpse of her
passion and why communicating science matters.
171
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2021

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