What was your STEM pathway to your current role with Amyris?

I’ve been hugely influenced by the teachers and professors in my life. In high school, my favorite teacher was my chemistry teacher, and her classes basically pushed me towards my degree in chemical engineering. I went to UC Berkeley for undergrad, and I took a class on synthetic biology where multiple industry representatives came to speak to us, including a scientist from Amyris. This class really sparked my interest in the biotech industry, which led to an internship followed by my full-time role at Amyris.

It’s really important for kids of all backgrounds to see scientists that look like them. As a mixed-race woman, I feel it’s important to see people in these roles that defy the typical stereotypes.

-Samantha Marinkovich, Process Engineer at Amyris, Scientist Role Model with BASIS

The Amyris Team stand in front of a school after a morning of teaching. Samantha is second from right.

Samantha Marinkovich helps students make predictions during an experiment with yeast.

Who or what inspires you to do science outreach with CRS?

Because I was so influenced by the scientists and science teachers in my life growing up, I know how important and life-changing it can be to spark interest in science at a young age. I also just love working with children and don’t get to do it often, so it’s always a highlight for me volunteering here!

How do you think your outreach activities with CRS support greater science education?

It’s really important for kids of all backgrounds to see scientists that look like them. As a mixed-race woman, I feel it’s important to see people in these roles that defy the typical stereotypes. Also, it’s useful to see different types of scientists, especially when kids are so impressionable and aren’t aware of the realm of possibilities science careers can offer. Exposure is key!

What is your favorite part about doing science outreach?

I just love interacting with the kids. Their questions and comments are often surprisingly insightful and adorable. For example, on our last visit, we were explaining what a microorganism is and that they live all over your body, and a student said, “So we’re never alone!”. It warms my heart.

Thank you, Samantha, for being a valued member of our scientist role model community! We look forward to visiting, celebrating, and sharing more of your science outreach adventures in a classroom soon!

The mission of CRS is to empower teachers and STEM professionals serving schools in historically marginalized communities to activate TK-8 students’ curiosity about the world, foster critical thinking, and inspire children to imagine future career pathways. We envision a community of educators, scientists, families and partners working together to build school cultures that equip all children to explore the world around them and build the skills needed to become innovators, problem solvers, environmental stewards, life-long learners and leaders. CRS leads a dynamic network, fostering relationships and collaborations that leverage expertise and resources to transform science teaching and learning toward greater equity, opportunity, and success for all students.

Our goal is simple: help teachers give students more opportunities to “do science” – to ask questions, test ideas, get their hands on real science activities. We need to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders!

The Joy of Science Outreach: Samantha Marinkovich’s STEM Journey

May 2023

Samantha Marinkovich, a Process Engineer with Amyris, started volunteering as a UC scientist in 2018 as an undergraduate. Now an engineer with Amyris, she heads into classrooms as a scientist role models, teaching 4th graders about the power of microorganisms!