Shannon Greco - "Curiosity is a Super Power!!"

If you all knew how much fun some of these conversations are, you’d all be starting your own podcasts! That was the case today when I chatted with Shannon Greco, Science Education Sr. Program Leader at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab (PPPL). I mean, what other guest would tell me to watch the MIA official video for “Bad Girls” to learn about the movement to allow women to drive in Saudi Arabia? (I did, and as she told me, it slams!)

I met Shannon through Senator Andrew Zwicker, who happens to be her boss over at PPPL. (And a good boss, he is, she reports!) Our conversation tracks her very circuitous path to her current “assignment”, but all along the way, she wasspurred on by curiosity, unexpected opportunities, and a sense of adventure.

Shannon’s path took her from Houston to Saudi Arabia (see “Bad Girls” above), to Switzerland, to Arizona, to New Jersey, with an impactful stop in Mali along the way. This lifelong exposure to diverse cultures fueled her interest in Inter-cultural Communications. This skill set eventually led her to PPPL, where she has become an advocate for STEM and applies her passionate belief that "Science is for everyone". And as emblazoned in the episode title, Shannon firmly believes that Curiosity is a Super Power!

What we can learn from this conversation is that there are opportunities everywhere if we keep an open mind and embrace the possibilities! Oh, and not to listen whensome arbitrary dude gives you career advice…just sayin’.

Please join us!