Videos by Alyssa Elso.
Alexi Cardona and Rebeca Piccardo/FIUSMStaff
Mayim Bialik, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler on “The Big Bang Theory,” struggled for a B- in Organic Chemistry as an undergraduate in the University of California, Los Angeles.
But today, Bialik holds a doctorate in neuroscience, is the spokesperson for Texas Instruments and works with DeVry University to encourage young girls to learn more about the STEM fields: science, technology, electronics and math. She is also a modern Orthodox Jew and has helped lead services at UCLA’s Hillel organization.
Bialik was at the Biscayne Bay Campus on Monday, April 7, as the last guest speaker for the Student Government Association’s lecture series. She spoke to an audience of close to 400 students, alumni and members of the community.
She said being a recognized person and walking the red carpet is nice, but she identifies herself as a scientist more than an actress and uses her public image advocate for STEM education.
“When I think about what I want my impact to be, it’s not to be a famous person,” Bialik said, “I love the ability to put a positive face and a female face on science.”
Bialik started acting when she was about 11. She did guest spots on several shows and had a movie role in the 1980s. One of her best-known roles was that of Blossom Russo in “Blossom,” an early 1990s family sitcom that aired in prime-time for five years.
After “Blossom,” Bialik made the decision to take time off to focus on her education.
Although Bialik said she was never naturally good at math or science, her biology tutor, a dental student, made her fall in love with the field.
“My assumption that because I wasn’t good at something meant I could never be good at it was not true,” said Bialik. “I just needed to learn it differently and I needed more time to learn it.”
Not having the grades to go to medical school didn’t stop Bialik from continuing her work in the sciences. She continued her graduate studies in UCLA, during which she married and had her first child. She was eight months pregnant when she finished her PhD in neuroscience.
“The Esquire image of biting on your glasses with your shirt open and wearing a thong is not how most of us do science,” she said.
“That’s the level of understanding of the human experience that I wanted to have,” said Bialik, who became fascinated by the electrophysiology of neurons.
At the end of her doctorate, Bialik had to choose between her career as a post-doctoral researcher and her family. By choosing to pass on research to be close to her children, Bialik knew that her degree would not maintain the same value.
“This is difficult to talk about because we women are told we can have it all, be it all and do it all,” said Bialik. “But you cannot physically be in two places at once or make more of yourself than there is.”
She taught science to middle and high school students for five years after getting her degree and decided to give acting another try.
When Bialik auditioned for “The Big Bang Theory,” she had never heard about the show. She watched about 15 seconds of Jim Parsons play Sheldon Cooper and knew she could fill the part.
Photo courtesy of Campus Life at Biscayne Bay Campus.
Mayim Bialik visited FIU on April 7 and shared moments of her life in science, acting and parenting, among other things.
“I’m a scientist who went to grad school. I know tons of people like this. That’s not even acting,” she said.
Bialik said she loves playing a character who is awkward and a frumpy dresser.
“The Esquire image of biting on your glasses with your shirt open and wearing a thong is not how most of us do science,” she said.
Bialik said her faith shapes the way she dresses and presents herself on screen and in public. The notions of modesty in Judaism appeal to her, especially as a public person.
“Everybody gets to own a piece of me publicly. For me, it’s been a feminist notion to take aspects of Judaism that try to protect how much of you everybody gets to have. That’s been really empowering,” she said.
Bialik’s work in TV, science, parenting, nutrition and within the Jewish community attracted a lot of members of the community to come see her speak at BBC.
Students and teachers from MAST Academy were among members of the audience, along with other students who admire Bialik’s work.
Luz Delgadillo, a high school student, found out about the event from her sister, Yunova Delgadillo, a sophomore biomedical engineering major. She asked Bialik about her work as a scientist, because she was interested in the field as well.
Bialik said that although her degree has lost weight since she earned, she uses her knowledge to encourage young girls to pursue careers in sciences.
“Women are underrepresented in almost any field,” said Bialik.
-bbc@fiusm.com