Speakers:

Robert (Robbie) Hable, Ph.D., [pr. HOB-LEE], received his doctorate in chemical engineering at the end of 2019 with an emphasis in biological & thermochemical conversion processes of various biomass sources for alternative crude oil production. Hable had to overcome several mental health challenges throughout his graduate career. It was through support networks such as PhDBalance and Cheeky Scientist that he was able to finish his degree and find a career in industry. His successes have been highlighted both in Nature and TEDx talks. He is currently employed by BASF and works as an Innovation Manager for the Dispersions & Resins (paints & adhesives) business located in Charlotte, NC. In his free time, he can be found on the lake, at the ice rink or improv comedy club, or flying his drone.

Inge Hansen, Psy.D., is a clinical psychologist and director of well-being at Stanford University, as well as the inaugural winner of Stanford’s Christine Griffith Award for Student Well-Being. She is also the co-founder and director of the Weiland Health Initiative, which is dedicated to promoting mental health and wellness across all genders and sexualities. This initiative has generated a variety of innovative clinical and educational programs at Stanford and beyond. Hansen has developed several new academic courses in the realm of gender and sexualities, including "Challenging Sex & Gender Dichotomies in Medicine," "Human Sexual Diversity and Health," and "Transgender Studies." She is a popular speaker and consultant on diversity, equity and inclusion topics. Hansen co-organizes and hosts the North America event for World Sexual Health Day, an event that brings together speakers from across the country to provide both education and celebration around sexual health and rights. Hansen’s book The Ethical Sellout, co-authored with Lily Zheng, won the IPPY Award in 2020.

Yen Teng Tai, Ph.D., obtained her bachelor degree in Biotechnology at University of Science Malaysia (USM). She was working under the supervision of Prof. Sudesh Kumar, one of the pioneer scientists who works on biodegradable plastics. He recognized her dedication to scientific research and encouraged her to continue with postgraduate studies. He offered her a chance to pursue a master’s degree in science under his guidance, in which she accepted without hesitation. Then, she continued her training in research under the guidance of Prof. Shiozaki Kazuhiro in Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Japan, funded by the Japanese Government MEXT scholarship. Her doctoral research focused on the mTOR complex 1 (TORC1) signaling pathway, which is known to be associated with several human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and neuro-degeneration. Following her career plan to gain additional research training in disease-related mechanisms, she is now working as a postdoctoral researcher in the lab led by Dr. Zhonghua Gao at Penn State University College of Medicine, studying how cell identity is established and maintained via epigenetic mechanisms, particularly how an important epigenetic protein complex known as Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) is involved in regulating chromatin architecture and gene transcription.