The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another

Ramirez is a scientist and science communicator who holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University. She credits watching 3-2-1 Contact, which showed a Black girl solving science problems, for inspiring her to pursue a career in the sciences. After teaching in the Mechanical and Materials Science Department at Yale University for a decade, Ramirez left academia to become a self-proclaimed science evangelist. Her broad goal is to make science accessible to a wide range of people, including women, minorities, and those without a strong background in the field. To this end, she wrote the popular science book The Alchemy of Us, which appeals to a large readership through its engaging and accessible style as well as its emphasis on context and lesser-known inventors, including women and Black people. Ramirez hosts two short video series, Science Xplained and Material Marvels. In addition, she is the founder of Science Saturdays, a program of entertaining lectures for middle-school children. Ramirez also produces a podcast series called Science Underground. In 2013, she published a TED book titled Save Our Science: How to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists, which calls for improvements in STEM education.