Dr. Teenie Matlock, professor emerita of cognitive science at the University of California, Merced and active member of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, joins us in this episode of Diverse to honor Native American Heritage Month.
Interviewed by Laurie Shuster, editor-in-chief of SWE Magazine, Dr. Matlock shares how her heritage shaped her upbringing, educational journey, perspective, and career in the sciences.
Hear the challenges and opportunities Indigenous women face in STEM, the importance of fostering inclusive environments, and Dr. Matlock’s vision for increased representation in leadership.
Plus, learn how to get involved with Advancing Indigenous Peoples in STEM (AISES), one of SWE’s joint member partner organizations.
Listen to the episode on SWE’s website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Guest: Dr. Teenie Matlock, Professor Emerita of Cognitive Science, University of California, Merced

Teenie Matlock is professor emerita of cognitive science at the University of California, Merced, where she was the McClatchy chair in communications and the vice provost for academic personnel.
A cognitive scientist by training, she is the recipient of awards for significant contributions to research, leadership, teaching, mentoring, and outreach, including the Jeffrey L. Elman Prize for Scientific Achievement and Community Building and the Athena Award for Academic Leadership.
Matlock has published over 100 articles, many of which focus on everyday communication, including how people talk and think about technology, climate change, wildfire risk, disease, and other challenging or complex domains. She has worked on projects with various institutes and companies over the years, including the AI Group at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) as well as the USER Group at IBM Almaden Research Center.
Matlock has served as a standing member of the NIH Language and Communication Study Section (LCOM) and as an elected member of the Cognitive Science Society Governing Board. The first to attend college in her family, she was raised near Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and is an active member of Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation.
Host: Laurie Shuster, Editor-in-Chief, SWE Magazine

Laurie A. Shuster is the Editor-in-Chief of SWE Magazine for the Society of Women Engineers. She has more than 30 years of experience in writing, editing, and managing print and online publications in the B2B (business-to-business) field. Shuster is responsible for the content planning, editing, production, and day-to-day management of SWE Magazine.
Before joining SWE, Shuster was Deputy Editor of Landscape Architecture Magazine for the American Society of Landscape Architects and Editor-in-Chief of Civil Engineering magazine for the American Society of Civil Engineers.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the University of Maryland and completed the Program for Developing Managers at Simmons College Graduate School of Management in Boston. Throughout her career, Laurie received numerous accolades and awards for her magazine work, both in editorial and design excellence.
Diverse: a SWE podcast has been recognized as a top women in STEM podcast and a top engineering podcast!
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