In this episode of Ordinarily Extraordinary: Conversations with Women in STEM, host Kathy Nelson sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Mendes, a newly minted PhD and postdoctoral researcher whose work focuses on rare and aggressive pediatric cancers.

Dr. Mendes recently completed her PhD at Duke University, where she spent over five years researching rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood soft-tissue cancer. Her goal: identify new biological targets that could one day lead to better, more effective treatments for children. Kathy and Liz explore not only the science behind pediatric cancer research, but also the deeply human reasons that drive this work.

What We Talk About in This Episode

• What pediatric sarcomas are—and why they’re so challenging to treat
  Liz breaks down complex cancer biology in an approachable way, explaining how sarcomas differ from more common cancers and why their ability to “change form” makes them particularly dangerous.
• A non-traditional path into science
  From archaeology and zoology to teaching middle school math and science, Liz shares how curiosity—and not a straight line—ultimately led her to molecular biology, cancer research, and a PhD.
• Choosing pediatric cancer research
  Liz explains why she decided to focus on rare childhood cancers that receive less funding but have devastating outcomes—and how personal experiences with cancer shaped that decision.
• Science close to the patient
  We discuss the importance (and rarity) of researchers interacting directly with patients, families, and clinicians—and how those experiences fundamentally change how science is done.
• Life after the PhD: postdocs, fellowships, and moving to the UK
  Liz shares what it’s like to finish a PhD, move countries, start a new research position, and navigate life and work during a major transition.
• Being your whole self in STEM
  From makeup and music to mental health and social media, Liz talks about rejecting outdated stereotypes of what scientists “should” look like—and why authenticity matters for the next generation.
• Representation, mentorship, and science communication
  Liz reflects on why visibility matters, especially for women and first-generation students, and how platforms like social media can help make science more accessible and human.

A Conversation About More Than Science

This episode goes beyond lab work and credentials. It’s a candid conversation about grief, resilience, identity, and the responsibility scientists carry—not just to discovery, but to people. Liz’s story is a powerful reminder that STEM careers don’t require fitting into a mold—and that compassion belongs in science.

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In this episode, Kathy sits down with Vinayasri Nidadavolu, a specialist engineer in offshore wind energy at Siemens Energy. Vinaya’s story spans continents, megawatts, and life stages — from earning a rare degree in wind engineering to climbing offshore turbines hundreds of kilometers out at sea, and now navigating her career as a new mother.

Vinaya takes us inside the fascinating world of offshore wind turbines — explaining how today’s turbines have grown from 2–3 megawatts to an astonishing 14–15 megawatts, and what it actually looks like to work on machines that can produce enough energy for two households with a single blade rotation.

We talk about what it really takes to work offshore: the extensive safety and survival training, life aboard service vessels for weeks at a time, and what it feels like to climb, ride lifts, and work inside turbines that are now larger than many apartments. Vinaya shares vivid details about the physical, mental, and emotional demands of the job — and why she still considers it the best career decision she’s ever made.

The conversation also explores Vinaya’s path into engineering, beginning with childhood curiosity and fixing broken appliances, through being the only woman in her mechanical engineering class, to choosing sustainability and renewable energy as her long-term focus. Her story is a powerful reminder that representation matters — and that girls belong everywhere curiosity leads them.

As a new mom, Vinaya reflects on balancing motherhood with a demanding technical career, why she chose not to “compromise herself” professionally, and how leading by example matters more than ever. Her reflections on identity, resilience, and modeling possibility for the next generation are honest, thoughtful, and deeply relatable.

In the Ask the (Not) Expert segment, Vinaya shares practical, no-nonsense advice on how to ask for a raise — especially for women — emphasizing documentation, advocacy, and the importance of asking more than once.

We wrap up with rapid-fire questions that touch on self-care (never underestimate a single cup of coffee), courage, and why Vinaya believes her own life story may one day become her favorite STEM “book.”

This is a wide-ranging, inspiring conversation about engineering at scale, renewable energy, confidence, and choosing not to shrink — even when life changes.

Topics We Cover:

• What offshore wind engineers actually do
• How wind turbines have evolved from 2 MW to 15 MW
• Life, safety training, and work on offshore service vessels
• The physical reality of climbing and working inside turbines
• Choosing sustainability and renewable energy as a career path
• Being the only woman in the room — and staying anyway
• Motherhood, identity, and not compromising your career
• How (and why) to ask for a raise
• Leading by example for the next generation of girls in STEM

Music by Kay Paulus

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In this episode, Kathy and Linda LaTourelle sit down with Linda Rhodes, a former large-animal veterinarian, pharmaceutical executive, entrepreneur, and author, to explore an extraordinary career path rooted in agriculture, science, and perseverance.

Linda shares her journey from being one of the few women working as a large-animal veterinarian to building a groundbreaking career in veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotech startups, and executive leadership. Along the way, she reflects honestly on the realities of being a pioneer in a male-dominated field, the personal tradeoffs that come with ambitious careers, and the importance of making intentional choices — even when there’s no clear roadmap.

This conversation dives into what really counts as STEM, why agriculture and veterinary medicine belong in the STEM conversation, and how women can redefine success on their own terms at every stage of life.

🌾 What We Talk About in This Episode

• Why veterinary medicine and agriculture are often overlooked as STEM careers
• Being one of the first women in large-animal veterinary medicine
• Learning to balance — and sometimes choose between — career, relationships, and personal fulfillment
• Writing Breaking the Barnyard Barrier and transitioning from scientific to narrative writing
• Navigating male-dominated spaces in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and venture capital
• Starting, scaling, and selling a successful animal health company
• Why career paths don’t have to be linear — and often shouldn’t be
• Advice for early-career professionals trying to figure out what they actually want to do
• Redefining success, freedom, and fulfillment later in life

Breaking the Barnyard Barrier by Linda Rhodes

👉 Purchase the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Barnyard-Barrier-Woman-Veterinarian/dp/1647792355

👉 Purchase the book on Barnes and Noble here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breaking-the-barnyard-barrier-linda-rhodes/1147476620?ean=9781647792350

💡 Ask the (Not) Experts – Listener Question

“How do I find a career that I’ll like?”

Linda, Kathy, and Linda LaTourelle reflect on why it’s okay — and often necessary — to try different paths, reassess over time, and pay attention to what doesn’t fit just as much as what does.

✨ Favorite Moments

• The moment Linda first realized she could be a veterinarian
• A candid discussion about the pressure women feel to “do it all”
• Why some of the most fulfilling decades of life can come later than expected

Have a question for Ask the (Not) Experts or want to say hello?
📧 Email us at ordinarilyextraordinarypod@gmail.com

🎙️ Or leave us a voicemail at ordinarilyextraordinary.com

Music by Kay Paulus

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