Jaye Gardiner is an assistant professor of biology at Tufts University, where she focuses on the extracellular matrix (ECM) around cancerous tumors. Being first-generation as both an American and a college graduate, Gardiner didn’t have the easiest path there. But starting in high school, several mentors, including a chemistry teacher who made the periodic table fun, helped to guide her to a career in science. Throughout her education she was drawn to ideas and questions at surprising...