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iversity in STE A M www.diversityinsteam.com

COVER STORY

Facts of Life , Beauty and the Beast and Webster . In 1994, she earned a major role in Woody Allen's comedy film, Don't Drink the Water . She also played the title character of the NBC sitcom, Blossom. She worked steadily in Hollywood for the next decade before landing her role on The Big Bang Theory, in which she played Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler . She was nominated for Emmy awards in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Com- edy Series in 2015 and 2017. In 2021, it was announced that Bialik would host the primetime version of Jeopar- dy! After Mike Richards stepped down from hosting the syndicated version of the show, Bialik started hosting that version, too, sharing duties with Ken Jennings. Moving forward, it's unclear how producers will handle the hosting situation, but Bialik said it's a joy working on the show. One of my biggest challenges is I'm so impressed that people know the answers that they've asked me to tone down how excited I am when people get them right, which I think is a great note to get, she told Daily Beast .

Advancing STEAM Through Activism

She also hosts a podcast, Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, that focuses on debunking the misconceptions surrounding mental health and neurodivergence with the help of friends, guest experts and media personal- ities. Bialik is a vegan and a founding member of the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, a Jewish organization that advocates for the ethical treatment of animals. Another cause close to her heart is in- creasing opportunities for girls and women to pursue STEAM educations and careers. It's an incredibly enlightening way to view the world once you've been trained in STEM, Bialik has said. It's a smart career choice, and it's a creative and exciting life- style to be a scientist. Bialik has written books - such as Girling Up: How to be Strong, Smart and Spectac- ular - geared toward empowering girls and women, partnered with toy companies to create STEAM-friendly toys for girls and teamed with DeVry University and the Her- World Initiative to get high school girls excit- ed about STEAM, among other ventures. I love encouraging young women to embrace the sciences, she has said. What's her advice to parents and coun- selors?

ELISABETH CAREN/FOX

Mayim Bialik as Kat on season two of Call Me Kat on FOX.