Women in STEM: Three Generations of Cayman’s Female Scientists

The eldest, a mother of two born in Cayman Brac with a 29-year career at NASA; the second, a hardworking Forensic DNA Analyst at the Health Services Authority; and the youngest, a recently qualified Physicians Associate working in Government on a mission to improve Public Health. Their journeys, though wildly different, began with a passion for the sciences, a dream to work in the field and a determination to make it all happen.

The Cayman Islands has long been celebrated for its connections to the world of finance, law and tourism, with many students hoping to venture into these valuable fields. But like so many countries around the world, education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM as these areas are collectively known, has gained immense popularity in recent years. Yet, there is a significant shortage of women in this very male-dominated field, particularly at the upper echelons of these professions, where ‘the STEM gender gap’ is a commonly coined phrase.

According to STEM Women, a UK-based organisation dedicated to encouraging women and under-represented groups to pursue careers in STEM-related industries, after completing their GCSEs, only 35% of females in the UK opt to study STEM subjects. This number drops further to 25% at university level. STEM Women also notes that engineering, technology and computer science fields demonstrate the greatest gender imbalances, spanning current students, graduates and the workforce. Not to mention that these sectors are some of the most profitable, resulting in high-paying jobs being predominantly occupied by men. Therefore, it’s crucial that collectively, we bolster female representation in the field.

With this in mind, Cayman Parent set out to find our own trailblazing women in science. Each has spent years working towards their dream job, and continues to do so, helping to change the systemic STEM gender gap seen across the world. Our three generations of brilliant women in science all hail from the Cayman Islands, and though in different fields of work and at different stages in their career, these three women help paint a picture of STEM in Cayman. Their inspiring journeys, though dissimilar, demonstrate potential pathways for more budding young scientists hoping to carve out their own careers in STEM subjects.

Dr Martha K Williams

Senior Technology Advisor at GenH2

Martha’s self-titled story is one of ‘rocks to rockets’; from running around with her siblings among the blow holes at West End in Cayman Brac, to being inducted into the NASA Inventors Hall of Fame years later.

Years on the Brac

As the fourth child of six to 'Mr Money' and Mrs Elie Bodden, Martha spent most of her youth outside, roaming the island of Cayman Brac with her siblings. Now — as an adult — Martha realises that she and her siblings did some pretty dangerous things as children: learning to swim by simply throwing each other in the sea and holding their breath long enough to swim between the treacherous blow holes. “I think that created this space for creativity and freedom — I’m really grateful for that space and I think what you’re seeing now is a reflection of where I grew up,” Martha explains. As the conversation went on, it became clear that her carefree and wonderful childhood was a huge influence on the person she became.

As was common for the time, Martha’s home was a small three-bedroom dwelling, sharing a room with her two sisters. Often, while her father was at sea, her older brother, Naul Bodden, would go fishing and catch lobster, crab, conch and welks, which the family would cook and share. The younger siblings, Martha included, followed his example in helping provide for the household. It was an idyllic island life, where family was firmly at the centre.

Martha’s trailblazing journey to scientific success was unorthodox, particularly as a young girl from Cayman Brac. Living in the Islands in the 70s, if you wanted to receive a higher education you had to leave for Jamaica, the US or the UK, and back then there were very limited Government grants or subsidies available to students. Also at the time, American Baptist Missionaries, including the King and the Aldridge families, were journeying to the Brac following their spiritual vocations. Little did Martha know they’d help launch her path to NASA.

The American Dream

After getting to know Martha and her family, the Aldridges introduced her to the Elliott family who offered Martha the opportunity to live with them while she attended her senior year in high school in the US. So, in 1973, at 15 years old, Martha left the Brac and headed to the US. Faced with this momentous decision, Martha reflects on how her island life had prepared her: “Growing up in the Brac, you did scary things and you didn't even realise you were doing them. We had this sense of adventure, so that helped!” After graduating from high school, Martha returned to the US in the autumn of 1974 with the financial support and encouragement of the Kings and her family to pursue her dream of becoming a medical doctor. Martha affectionately remembers how these people helped fill her life with knowledge and became her friends too: “I’m so grateful to them.”

At college, Martha majored in Chemistry and Biology (minor in Maths). She completed her studies in three years and graduated early at just 19 years old. However, despite her great fortune in having such amazing support from her family and friends, Martha's education hit a bump in the road. As she was not an American citizen, she was unable to attend medical school and had to return to the Cayman Islands.

Martha recalls it being one of the biggest challenges in her career. At the time, it felt like a big detour from her dream as she entered the world of banking in Grand Cayman. “I was disappointed, and I had to figure it out mostly on my own because there wasn’t as much Government support back then,” Martha says. Thankfully, in 1979, after just two years, she got a graduate fellowship and received enough money to return and complete her Master’s in Chemistry. After an exciting role in forensic chemistry, she married her husband, Robert Williams, and moved to Florida in 1984. Then, after a tenure in pharmaceuticals, Martha began her 29-year career working for NASA at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 1989.

A Dream Realised

Here, working as a scientist and engineer, Martha’s dreams were realised. “What’s really great about NASA,” Martha says, “is that you get to push the creative and technological limits all the time. I'm grateful that I got to hone in on the creative, inventive space of who I am. One can be an engineer and a scientist, but being an ‘inventor’ isn’t necessarily a job description; it's mostly inherent to who you are. Thinking outside the box, putting together pieces of puzzles that have not been put together before. Some of that creative thinking came from growing up in the Islands; where you had to figure things out because you didn't have any choice.”

During her time at NASA, Martha came to be the Lead Polymer Scientist at the Space Center and founder of the Polymer Science and Technology laboratory. She was an inventor on multiple patent applications, including hydrogen sensing materials, wiring detection and repair systems, damage detection systems and many more, all for NASA’s spaceport and exploration technology needs.

Martha obtained a PhD in Polymer Chemistry, was granted 20 patents and inducted into the NASA Inventors Hall of Fame, a select group which has a total of 42 inductees (only five of whom are women). Her work has received many awards, including a NASA Silver Snoopy Award, a NASA Commercial Invention of the Year Award and an Excellence in Technology Transfer Award. Martha has also been recognised in the Cayman Islands for her work in STEM, being awarded the inaugural Cayman Connection Making Waves, Block.One STEM award in 2022.

Now, Martha is a founding member of GenH2, a startup company manufacturing infrastructure solutions for the liquid hydrogen value chain and working to make liquid hydrogen the solution for the next generation’s clean energy. GenH2 is helping to limit CO2 emissions and become a solution to energy provision for the future. “It’s very exciting, very challenging, and like NASA, it pushes technology solutions’ limits,” Martha says.

Martha’s journey into the sciences was unconventional. But, as a girl from the Cayman Islands, she grabbed every opportunity, had faith in God and her ability, and has had a mighty career because of doing so. Her ‘rocks to rockets’ legacy is admirable.

Lakeisha Watler

Forensic DNA Analyst at the Health Services Authority (HSA)

“Ever since I started learning about science I've been interested in it. I just love what you can accomplish with science, what you can learn, discover and create.” Lakeisha, a Forensic DNA Analyst and mother of two-year-old Nyah, has worked in forensics at HSA for eight years.

Nurturing a Love for Science

Lakeisha grew up in the George Town area, spending most of her time outdoors with friends and family. She was involved in many extracurricular activities, including netball, soccer, squash and track and field. She also took part in Girls Brigade and Junior Achievement in school. In her household, Lakeisha recalls family dinner every Sunday, the traditional Easter camping weekends and family parties around Christmas and New Year. With a mother in finance and an entrepreneurial father in farming, it’s not hard to see where Lakeisha’s drive came from.

Lakeisha attended Red Bay Primary, George Hicks for middle school and John Gray High School. Though opportunities have now expanded greatly, Lakeisha remembers how they were much more limited at the time and her schools put more focus on finance and law, as opposed to the sciences. Unfalteringly, Lakeisa began paving her own way.

Loving science from a young age, Lakeisha’s parents began showing support from home, buying her books, helping with projects and encouraging their daughter to take part in extracurricular activities in the hope that her additional skills would ready her for a future career. Like many in high school, Lakeisha didn’t know exactly where she wanted her career to lead, she simply recognised her passion for the sciences.

With this in mind, she studied maths, English, principles of business, child development and integrated sciences at CXC level which led her to an internship at the Health Services Authority (HSA). Here, she worked in their pathology lab and focused on investigative science. It was also here that she discovered her interest in forensics. After receiving her Associate's Degree in Natural Science from the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI), Lakeisha’s education took her to New York, where she studied Forensic Science at Pace University. Impressively, Lakeisha also spent time interning at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York.

Hard Work & Helping Others

After four years, Lakeisha returned to the Cayman Islands. She worked for a number of years before beginning the difficult task of online study — alongside her full-time job — for her Master’s degree in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigations from the University of Leicester, UK. “I went to work for the day and then after work, I dedicated two or three hours every single night, alternating taking the weekends off. It was extremely difficult to maintain the workload, but I made it through,” Lakeisha

laughs mercifully. Lakeisha’s path will look very familiar to many students in Cayman, varying greatly from Martha’s in the years before her, largely due to advances in technology. Yet, her journey was not without its obstacles too. “There were a lot of challenges for me, such as struggling to keep up with working and studying, balancing my personal goals and experiencing unexpected financial woes which led to disappointments and a delay in my studies. It meant I had to reflect, adjust and refocus,” Lakeisha says.

The difficulties Lakeisha faced during her studies inspired her to help other budding scientists who are currently facing similar struggles. Currently, Lakeisha helps mould her interns, getting them to where they want to be and offering them advice that she’s learnt along the way. “Helping them is my biggest career highlight… just being a mentor and a role model for them,” she explains. Lakeisha hopes to use her passion for mentorship to set up a programme for girls just like her, helping to steer them into STEM-related industries available in Cayman, something she wishes she’d had when she left high school.

“I don't have one role model. I have multiple. I just look at all the women in my family. They’re bosses, they’re leaders, supervisors, and they are all driven.” Borrowing from the hard-working women in her life, Lakeisha spent many years studying and juggling work with school in order to get where she is today. She also attributes much of her support to the men and women in her church, who helped her navigate tough times in her school and work life, and helped her stay focused on the end goal.

Now, Lakeisha works as a Forensic DNA Analyst for the HSA. Lakeisha’s responsibilities include analysing biological evidence, interpreting DNA profiles, preparing reports and providing expert testimony in court. Other duties involve maintaining the chain of custody for evidence, staying updated on DNA analysis technologies and collaborating with law enforcement and other experts, making this work vital to solving crimes and ensuring justice is served.

Taneil Lee

Physician Associate & Public Health Professional

Upon meeting the youngest of our scientists, Taneil, she exuded energy and a burning passion for the wellbeing of Cayman’s population. Like Lakeisha, her journey through the sciences is relatively typical of a student today. But her zealous drive to help better the health of Caymanians is what makes her extraordinary.

A Shy Girl With a Goal To Help

Taneil grew up in George Town, Grand Cayman, and lived in Prospect for most of her life. “You know, in Cayman, you can go anywhere and someone knows you,” Taneil says, “I really enjoyed that as a little child.” As a girl, Taneil was very active in her community, showing a keen interest in dancing, volunteering with her mother and being a part of Girls Brigade, like Lakeisha. At Girls Brigade, Taneil learnt ‘how to be a woman’; etiquette, life skills and how to advocate for women, while also performing community service. As a self-confessed ‘shy girl’, Taneil expressed her gratitude for the Girls Brigade as it helped boost her confidence, be more active and encouraged her to speak up; all of which helped her transform into the self-assured woman she is today.

Our conversation quickly turned to Taneil’s mother and the appreciation she has for her. “I watched her balancing being a mother, working full time and attending school,” Taneil shares. “Now that I'm older, I truly understand how challenging that must have been.” Taneil’s mother also dedicated her time to volunteering for the Girls Brigade, in the hope that nurturing these young girls to become exceptional women would continue the cycle of mentorship for other young girls. "I think a lot of my characteristics are a reflection of her and her hard work," Taneil remarks. "So she was, and still is, my biggest role model."

As Taneil grew older, it became obvious to her what her calling was: “When I was younger I knew that I really liked helping people. That was the goal.” With this in mind, Taneil considered a career as a veterinarian, a teacher and a doctor — all roles in which her skills could benefit the wider community. Match this personality trope with her abilities in science, and she knew her future lay in STEM.

Travelling Broadens the Mind

In addition to holding the position of prefect and serving as a peer counsellor, Taneil was actively involved in the business club and volunteered outside of school. She was also selected to participate in her school's gifted and talented programme. Through this programme, she received support with her resumé, public speaking and interview preparation. She even had the chance to travel to Florida to explore various universities, which sparked her interest in pursuing education away from Cayman. "Visiting Florida made me realise that schooling off-Island was possible," she reflects. "I might not have considered it without that opportunity." Taneil regarded her education as a stepping stone for her career and eagerly pursued every opportunity that came her way.

After her mother encouraged her to gain some experience in the field, Taneil completed her first internship at Health City. She shadowed doctors in the orthopaedics department, observed surgeries, and gained valuable hospital experience. This experience led her to Health City's Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). Taneil's achievements in this fellowship allowed her to apply for a third internship, but this time based in India! Taneil initially felt hesitant about the opportunity, partly due to being surrounded by very intelligent peers, most of whom were already studying off-Island, while she was studying at the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI). With encouragement from her mother and her own determination, Taneil passed the test, delivered a stellar personal statement, aced the interview and headed to the other side of the world to help at a hospital in Bangalore, India, at 19 years of age, along with three other Caymanians. It was here that Taneil discovered her love for public health.

During her time working in the hospital, Taneil interacted with patients, often non-verbally due to the language barrier. She examined them, visited operating rooms, observed surgeries and was treated like a medical student. Through these experiences, she realised that the key to improving the health of a population was through prevention, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in public health and medicine. With this dream in mind, after completing her Associate's degree in Science at UCCI, Taneil continued her education at the University of South Florida, where she received her Bachelor’s in Public Health. This then took her across the pond to Newcastle Medical School in the UK, where she graduated with her third degree in 2023. Upon returning to Cayman the same year, Taneil knew her career goal was to merge her love for medicine and public health.

Now, Taneil works with the Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health & Wellness for the Cayman Islands Government, helping to transform the health of our population. Taneil's role allows her to focus on the health of the community at large. "Clinical medicine is very rewarding in itself, but in this role, I truly feel like I'm making a difference within government law and policy," Taneil passionately states. "It's meaningful and tangible, and we're able to go out into the community and see how we're making a difference."

Systemic Issues in STEM

In spite of the success these three extraordinary women have seen, and the contributions each of them has made to STEM-related industries, they represent a minority in their field, both on our Islands and in the world.

According to AAUW, a non-profit organisation advocating for the empowerment of women, ‘girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education, limiting their access, preparation and opportunities to go into these fields as adults.’

Historical data emphasises this further. Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded to 65 female winners, over half of these women winning for Peace or Literature. There have been only 29 female winners in Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Economics in the past 122 years. For a little more context, there have been 905 male winners across the six categories, 710 of which have been in Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Economics. The STEM gender gap is staggering, and sadly it continues.

As we chatted with our three scientists, we wanted to find out their thoughts and experiences on being a woman in STEM.

“Being a woman in a man’s world,” Martha replies when asked about the biggest challenges throughout her career. “Being in a male-dominated field definitely has its challenges, promotions are harder to come by for women and I have experienced that over the years. But positively, it allowed me to collaboratively invent in speciality technologies not necessarily available in the ‘female space’.” Even now, as a founding member of GenH2, Martha is the only female scientist in the team. Despite finding this difficult at times, Martha represents a percentage of women who have achieved commendable success in this male-dominated field, working in various disciplines spanning this diverse sector. Having such valuable experience, Martha encourages women to take advantage of opportunities, embrace the challenges and confidently ask the difficult questions.

Like Martha, Lakeisha recalls arriving at university in the US, and suddenly realising how male-dominated her discipline was. Lakeisha told us that navigating that environment was a challenge: “Sometimes as a woman,” Lakeisha explains, “we get pushed to the side, so it's important for us to state our opinions, share our thoughts or ideas, communicate what we're feeling, where we want to go and what we expect. It’s also important to have your own voice and to use it.”

Taneil’s experience hopefully tells a tale of change in the field. She recalls her cohort, the director of her Master’s programme and lecturers being mostly women. On top of that, during her clinical rotations, a lot of her peers — in medicine and physio for example — were women as well. “I think it is definitely still a male-dominated field, but I feel as the years have gone on, we have more and more women going into medicine.”

However, Taneil is less positive about the experience of being black in the medical field. During her studies and throughout her training, Taneil felt she had to work twice as hard to demonstrate that she deserved the opportunities she earned. In these environments, particularly when studying in the north of England, Taneil often found herself as the only black woman in the room.

“When you're put into spaces where you're the only black person, you feel this pressure to act a certain way or be a certain way,” Taneil shared. “So that was something I had to navigate… being in a space where I didn't really see anyone that looked like me. I didn't feel like I belonged.” Dealing with microaggression from her peers and even the doctors she worked under, Taneil recounted how she sought out therapy to help deal with this trauma. “I had to develop thick skin and I really had to advocate for myself,” Taneil explains. Her experience has made her incredibly passionate about fighting for the rights of black students and patients. “By sharing my journey, I’m really hoping to encourage more people to enter the profession, particularly those of colour, as we are really needed.”

During her programme, Taneil was a member of her campus's Racial Equality in Medicine Society. Through this organisation, she facilitated educational workshops and training programmes for medical and allied health students. Students were given additional training on conditions that predominantly impact black patients, such as sickle cell anemia and diabetes. She also organised and led simulation labs that focused on understanding and addressing the impact of socio-economic background on patient care for the students at her training hospital. These labs emphasised the importance of considering the entire context of a patient when developing treatment plans. Taneil's impactful work led to her being recognised as a recipient of the Cayman Connection Making Waves 2023 award in the category of Inclusion.

The nuanced challenges faced by our three women in STEM are multifaceted, but what’s clear is that the ideologies and stereotypes surrounding the related industries need to change for a more harmonious, diverse and well-represented workforce.

Advice from Three Generations of Scientists

Our three generations of scientists have come up against difficulties throughout their careers, and each of them now works to help others who may be experiencing the same thing. We were interested in what advice they would give other young scientists, particularly women and under-represented groups, following in their footsteps.

“The most important thing I tell young women is not to put themselves in a box and be open to the possibilities of where they can go. There are so many avenues.” With her mentorship programme, Lakeisha hopes to foster an environment where young women can receive guidance so that they understand the diverse career options available in the sciences, particularly in our Islands, and recognise that Cayman offers more than just finance.

Similarly, Taneil expressed her dream of getting more Caymanians into healthcare, and hopes to help shed light on the diverse, ‘non-traditional’ career paths you can take in the field, especially in Cayman. “We need to get into the schools and have more of a mentorship with individuals that are coming up in different professions, nursing, phlebotomy, doctors, public health, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and so many more, and just share their journey,” Taneil passionately advises.

Martha really hoped to emphasise the importance of hard work, but also taking advantage of opportunities. “You might not realise them as opportunities, but they can change the trajectory of your life.” It’s hard not to draw connections between Martha’s advice and her own journey, and how she grabbed every opportunity with both hands. Martha also stressed the importance of having a mission and a vision, both of which help you stay on track and help drive you. “At this stage in my career I'm mentoring, which is one reason for this conversation,” Martha goes on to explain. “I think it’s really important to share the things we’ve discussed today. I think it’s valuable for people to know because I wish someone was able to share some of those things in my early years. I would probably have navigated things differently if I knew what I know now. In certain circumstances I'd have been braver and also more persistent." It’s thought-provoking to hear how a person with such a successful story would consider doing things differently, highlighting that even a NASA scientist comes up against trials and tribulations. “The positive thing is that I have also loved and value my career journey so much,” Martha finishes.

All in all, our three scientists firmly believe in the importance of mentorship and how positively it can affect the journeys of young students in Cayman. This alone could be a potential answer to help rectify the STEM gender gap. It's vital that we encourage the representation of women, and women of colour, in science, technology, engineering and mathematics so that future generations are inspired by women just like themselves. It’s important that we encourage our young minds to challenge those who came before us in order to make the world a more representative place. Lakeisha sums it up brilliantly: “Women have a unique perspective. We are pioneers. We are innovators. Our voices are important, and they are needed.”

Article Credits

With thanks to:

Photography: Rebecca Davidson

Location: Cayman International School

Styling: Josephine Hislop from House of Lore and owner of Botanica Cottages.