Mentors Who Inspire: Decatur Foster, PhD, Says Mentors are an Important Resource for Up-and-Coming Researchers

By Melissa Simon

Decatur Foster, PhD, is a queer scientist who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. They serve as a curriculum specialist and career mentor for the BUILD EXITO program at Portland State University supporting underrepresented students in STEM, specifically in the biomedical sciences. 

A high school teacher dancing around the classroom while instructing students on how to make yogurt and create oil immersion slides was all it took to make Decatur Foster, PhD, enamored with science. 

“I figured if this level of excitement can be brought about by a drop of oil, then there's something with this science thing. And I never looked back,” said Foster, a curriculum specialist and career mentor for Portland State University’s BUILD EXITO. Foster earned a graduate certificate and a PhD in biology from PSU.

However, before Foster fully jumped into biomedical research, they took a detour and went into the U.S. Air Force for five years right out of high school.

As a young adult, Foster said they were just beginning to explore their sexual identity. The policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and having to sign paperwork stating they had never had homosexual thoughts was an odd experience. 

Foster said they did not initially understand the depth of what those statements meant until a few months into their military career, when they realized they were hiding a big part of themselves. Still, their lived experiences and the people Foster met have played a large part in their life and influenced how they approach science and research. 

“I wanted to look at the things that are ‘other’ in science . . . that aren't paid much attention to or the things that are written off. And . . . that's definitely piqued my interest and given me the pathway of wanting to think about how critical theory fits into the scientific method,” Foster said. 

They said they began asking how social and physical sciences could be brought together, how scientists could really delve into nuances, and how the field could be made more accessible to anybody who wants to be involved in research. 

“When I think about my mentors, they're doing all of this out of the kindness of their hearts... and I think it's incredible that people are willing to give of themselves without having anything in return. It makes me feel so thankful that I can pass it down to other people and I hope that I do well in their honor... as a way to repay how incredible they were as mentors to me.”

— Decatur Foster

As a mentor, Foster said simply listening to what is going on in students’ lives and trying to understand what their aspirations are as a researcher have made them a better mentor.

“That's the best way to get people past those hurdles and to where they want to be. . . . You really have to listen to your mentees to figure out what they need versus trying to set them up on the path that you took,” Foster said.

For Foster, the two mentors who helped them along their academic journey were Lisa Weasel, PhD, the chair of PSU’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies department, and Radhika Reddy, PhD, a biology professor at PSU. 

Both women showed Foster what could be possible in terms of research and also how to have reasonable expectations and empathy for students they take under their wing. 

“When I think about my mentors, they're doing all of this out of the kindness of their hearts . . . and I think it's incredible that people are willing to give of themselves without having anything in return,” they said. “It makes me feel so thankful that I can pass it down to other people and I hope that I do well in their honor, . . . as a way to repay how incredible they were as mentors to me.”

In terms of encouragement to the STEM community, Foster said it is inevitable that research can sometimes be difficult and discouraging, but there are always resources available and support to be had. 

“Sometimes in STEM, we can come up against barriers that are research-related or . . . people [who] are getting in the way or don't want to help you. But there will always be people that do want to help,” they said. 

“I have always been continually amazed [at] the people that show up at the right time and open doors and I think that's a part of being open to having community and being willing to help others.”