The Power of Connection
Embryologist and alumna Alease Barnes was the keynote speaker at the college’s Excellence in STEM Dinner. The event was sponsored by BASF.
Embryologist Alease Barnes is accustomed to difficult, emotional conversations with prospective parents aching to have a child. These hopefuls often fear the worst when the embryos produced during in vitro fertilization aren’t perfect. But that doesn’t mean, Barnes advises, that they won’t turn into beautiful babies.
In life as in the lab, she told the audience at the college’s annual Excellence in STEM Dinner, imperfections abound.
“There’s value in taking action, even when it’s scary or imperfect,” she said. “Whether that’s sending an email, applying for a job or pitching your big ideas, you only need one to stick.”
Barnes was the keynote speaker at the Feb. 5 event, which was hosted by the college and sponsored by BASF. The event mixes STEM students from across the university with science leaders from BASF and NC State’s faculty, alumni and friends.
This year’s theme, “The Power of Connection,” resonated particularly well with Barnes. Her desire to help explain embryology to patients and the public led her in 2021 to begin developing content for Instagram and TikTok. Since then, she has amassed more than 183,000 followers on the two platforms, where she has become known for dispelling misinformation and providing support for reproductive journeys. Her work attracted the attention of Good Morning America, WRAL and other media outlets.
Barnes earned her B.S. in genetics from NC State in 2018 and then began a career in embryology. Today, she is chief executive officer of ReproMedia Consulting, a company she founded, and vice president of embryology science education and business development at Gattaca Genomics. In the College of Sciences, Barnes is a member of the Alumni Advisory Board and received the college’s 2024 Outstanding Young Alumnus award.
The Excellence in STEM event also featured remarks from Ali Scott, vice president of global regulatory affairs for seeds at BASF and a member of the College of Sciences Foundation Board of Directors. Also speaking was Joann Blumenfeld, founder and director of the Catalyst Program in The Science House. The program aims to open STEM opportunities to high school students with disabilities.
Barnes closed her remarks by showing photos of many of the embryologists she’s helped train over the years, including some who were NC State alumni and in the audience. Making a concerted effort to build connections, she said, helped start what for her have become lasting relationships.
“I love NC State’s motto, Think and Do,” she said. “But let’s make sure we don’t just think, but take action, too.”
