In response to the growing needs of our expanding Open Science & Data Collaborations Program, CMU Libraries hired the inaugural Open Science Postdoctoral Associate, Chasz Griego, in 2022. In that role, Chasz started a research program on reproducibility, created and taught a number of workshops on Python and other data science skills, and helped develop the Data & Code Support Service. In 2023, he joined the library faculty at CMU Libraries as a Science & Engineering Librarian and continues to study reproducibility and support Open Science in that role.
In October, we welcomed our second Open Science Postdoctoral Associate, Kristen Scotti. Kristen recently completed a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering at Northwestern University, where she conducted microgravity research to improve Earth-based materials processing technique. We asked Kristen a few questions about her interest in Open Science and plans for her postdoc.
How did you become interested in Open Science?
I was conducting research on a materials processing technique that was relatively new and somewhat popular; a fair number of publications were published on the technique over a short period of time. I started extracting data from papers in an attempt to better understand some of the underlying relationships. As the dataset grew, I realized that I should probably share it. When I looked into sharing options, I came upon various articles on Open Science. So, I became interested in Open Science as a route to accelerate materials development through data sharing. My next research project was part of NASA’s Materials Lab Open Science Campaign. My experiences on that project gave me a more holistic understanding of Open Science.
What attracted you to this position of Open Science Postdoctoral Associate at CMU Libraries, rather than a more traditional postdoc or career path?
The CMU Libraries position was the only position I came across in my job search that was directly related to Open Science; all of the other positions I applied to would have constituted a more traditional path. I wasn’t particularly excited about any of the “traditional path” options, but I was thrilled when I read the CMU Libraries position description. I think Open Science is largely about breaking down barriers that impede broad and representative participation in the sciences; this is the realm that I want to be working in.
What are you currently working on and what areas of open science might you want to explore during your time here?
I am currently working on synthesizing literature on how academic libraries are engaging in and supporting Open Science. This is part of the background work that is being done at CMU Libraries to support Open Science curriculum development, a project that is being led by Emily Bongiovanni. I am also working on developing curricula for two new Open Science-related workshops. During my time here, I am also interested in exploring data reuse practices, avenues for automating workflows related to synthesizing information, and how assessment metrics can be established to better ensure that our engagement in Open Science promotes equity.
What do you like to outside of work?
I love traveling to new places and cooking new things, especially if the cooking involves trying to recreate amazing food that I ate while traveling!
Feature image by Brandi Redd on Unsplash