Efra Rivera Serrano began his PhD journey very simply, he went to college in order to escape the poverty of rural Puerto Rico.  He fell in love with biology after his college classes built upon his favorite subjects in high school. The goal moved to PhD when he discovered a living could be had by being curious and asking questions. Efra then discovered a love for writing and science communications. Now he is taking all this and giving to his community of unique scientist and opportunity to share their stories.  Efra's Unique Scientist project https://uniquescientists.com Efra on Twitter - https://twitter.com/nakedcapsid

You could say the the PhD journey for Dr. Sam Benz began as a kid. His father was a professor at a seminary in Iowa, studying The Old Testament and Greek, and Sam found himself at archeological dig sites, living overseas, and being exposed to the greater world around him. Mix that with a love of building things, math, and a general curiosity of the world, the foundation was built for Sam to learn how to ask the questions that would lead to his PhD. Sam has continued to ask questions as he explores the world of quantum physics and is part of a group of scientist looking to prepare humanity for the next great leap. Link to NIST article on measurement system McDonald-Nobel Laureate vs Grad Stud-PToday 8-01

You might think a PhD built upon earthquakes and other natural disasters would be all science and stuff; not the case with Dr. Sara McBride. This journey begins with finding a love of writing and of far away places, putting those skills to work serving communities facing threats from Mother Nature and then traveling around the world chasing the disasters and helping communities recover.  For Sara the beginning of the PhD comes when her adopted hometown is the center of an  immense disaster. It is here she comes to grips with the realization;  as good as she is as a communicator she needed to do more to ensure her writing was hitting its mark.  Visit Sara on Twitter - https://twitter.com/DisastrousComms

Samer Hijazi can point to a Japanese cartoon for being the inspiration for his pursuit of a PhD in Electrical Engineering. The cartoon was about a robot that understood what he was being told, but didn’t speak, but serves the greater good. This is the starting line for a love of technology and inspired a desire to build robots. Eventually the path leads to improvements to wireless communication networks and finally to a career focused on improving the ability for computers to better understand what people are really talking about.  

The adventures of Gabrielle Palmer are rooted in her childhood. An early love of art carried her through college studies, taking her to Ecuador and Spain, and inspiring her to lead the restoration of an 18th Century Spanish Church sitting in Downtown Sante Fe, New Mexico. Along the way she met a king, led the efforts to save the. historic trail of the Spanish, and continues to explore the wonders of art.