January 22, 2021 Monika Schleier-Smith, Associate Professor of Physics, Stanford University Photo courtesy of Dawn Harmer/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science and Publisher of Science News, chatted with Monika Schleier-Smith, an alumna of the 2001 Science Talent Search who was named to the SN 10, Science News’ list of 10 scientists to watch, in 2019. Schleier-Smith is an Associate Professor of Physics at Stanford University and recently received a MacArthur Fellowship. We are thrilled to share an edited summary of their conversation. What was it like to conduct science research when you were a high school student, and how did it impact your life? Are there any particular moments that still stand out to you?