Erin Zimmerman: From Plant Enthusiast to Botanical Illustrator and Writer on the Girls That Create Podcast
In this episode of the Girls That Create podcast on Word of Mom Radio, Erin talks with Dr. Erin Zimmerman, an evolutionary biologist and botanist, who shares her inspiring journey from plant enthusiast to respected scientist and writer. Zimmerman’s story is not just about plants but also about the evolution of her career and the challenges she faced as a woman and mother in the scientific community.
Listen to the full interview with Dr. Erin Zimmerman on Word of Mom Radio
Zimmerman’s childhood fascination with botany blossomed into a lifelong passion driven by an insatiable curiosity about the natural world. Her scientific journey led her to botanical illustration, a blend of art and scientific precision historically dominated by women. Despite the everyday use of digital photography, Zimmerman believes traditional illustrations are still crucial for scientific documentation, especially in reconstructing the appearance of flora from past eras using fossil records.
Zimmerman’s book also highlights the challenges faced by women, particularly mothers, in academia. Mothers often still find themselves at a disadvantage due to a lack of support and recognition of their dual roles. Zimmerman hopes her book encourages others in academia to consider and adapt to the realities of working mothers and encourages greater inclusivity and support in science communities.
About Dr. Erin Zimmerman
Erin Zimmerman is an evolutionary biologist turned science writer and botanical illustrator. Zimmerman holds an MS in fungal population genomics and a PhD in plant molecular systematics, both from the Université de Montréal. She also completed a BS in Plant Biology and physics at the University of Guelph. She has illustrated a number of scientific research articles, including the description of a newly discovered plant species.
Zimmerman’s interests lie in botany, evolution, scientific illustration, and the history of science. Her writing also explores the intersection of science and motherhood.
She has published nine scientific research papers and is a contributor at New York Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Undark, and Narratively, among others. Zimmerman has previously written a blog exploring evolution and miscellaneous topics in biology at Questionable Evolution and produced twice weekly news briefs on emerging plant science research at Botany One.
Zimmerman’s début book is Unrooted: Botany, Motherhood, and the Fight to Save an Old Science. It is a science memoir about her adventures in natural history research and the experience of mothers in science.
To learn more about Zimmerman, visit drerinzimmerman.com.
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