About the Guest

Dr Lubna Alam is an Associate Professor of Information Systems at the Deakin Business School Deakin University, co-founder of the volunteer-run not-for-profit ALO Enlightened Women Inc., member of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Multiculturism and winner of the ACT Outstanding Excellence Award for Diversity and Inclusion at the 2023 ACT Multicultural Awards and Westfield local hero 2023.

Lubna was also a finalist for the ACT women of the year in 2024, Women in ICT’s “Wicked women of the year” in 2022 and “ABC Canberra Multicultural champion” in 2022 for her contribution to gender equality and empowering migrant women. With nearly two decades working as an academic and an applied researcher, she is passionate about socio-technical and empowering impacts of emerging technologies on individuals and not-for-profits.

Episode Summary

In this episode of "Voices in STEM," host Dr. Chloe Lim interviews Dr. Lubna Alam, an Associate Professor of Information Systems at Deakin University. Dr. Alam shares her journey into STEM, discussing how cultural expectations in her home country of Bangladesh influenced her career choices. She also highlights her research interests in emerging technologies, such as social media, crowdsourcing, and AI, and the impact they have on individuals and organizations. Dr. Alam reflects on the challenges she faced as a culturally diverse woman in STEM and the importance of mentorship and sponsorship in overcoming these challenges. She also emphasizes the need for continuous learning and upskilling in the rapidly evolving field of STEM.

Key Takeaways:

• Dr. Lubna Alam's journey into STEM was influenced by cultural expectations in Bangladesh, where engineering and medicine were the preferred career paths.
• Balancing a full-time job, raising a newborn, and completing a PhD was a significant challenge for Dr. Alam, but she successfully navigated these responsibilities with the support of mentors and sponsors.
• Language barriers and cultural assimilation can present challenges for culturally diverse women in STEM, but continuous upskilling and networking can help overcome these barriers.

Find out more

• Connect with Dr Lubna Alam on LinkedIn.
• Find out more about Alo Enlightened Women.
  
  

*Season 2 of CALD Voices in STEM was made possible by YWCA Canberra Great Ydeas Small Grants program.*

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