The Cohort Sistas Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dr. Ijeoma Kola
Cohort Sistas is a digital network that supports Black women pursuing research doctorates by providing resources, mentorship, and community. Hosted by Cohort Sistas founder Dr. Ijeoma Kola, the Cohort Sistas Podcast brings to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women with doctoral degrees and their lives beyond the degree. If you are interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our website at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on social, and don't forget to leave us a review to let us know what you think! Be sure to follow us on social at https://www.twitter.com/cohortsistas and https://www.instagram.com/cohortsistas.
In this episode, Dr. Buqué shares invaluable insights on intergenerational trauma, imposter syndrome, and the integration of indigenous healing practices into therapeutic settings. Dr. Buqué sheds light on how intergenerational trauma manifests in professional environments, particularly within academia, and offers empowering perspectives on reclaiming cultural healing practices.
Listeners are treated to a thought-provoking conversation as Dr. Buqué explores the significance of embracing diverse healing modalities, the power of communal healing practices, and the importance of honoring one's lived experiences. From redefining imposter syndrome as an intergenerational lie to envisioning a future where marginalized communities reclaim their healing wisdom, Dr. Buqué wisdom offers a roadmap for Black women and non-binary doctoral students navigating their academic and professional journeys. Tune in for an inspiring dialogue that challenges conventional norms and empowers listeners to embrace their inherent wisdom and resilience.
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Picture yourself in a conversation with Dr. Raquel Martin, an inspiring clinical psychologist and researcher championing for Black mental health. We explore her ambitions, her journey through academia, and how she is redefining her field, one Instagram post at a time. Dr. Martin's honest reflections on her experiences as a person of color in academia and her endeavors in balancing motherhood while pursuing a PhD will touch your heart and motivate you.
In this episode, we shift focus to the academia, its unspoken challenges, and the psychological toll it takes on Black scholars and women of color. We leave no stone unturned in this unfiltered discussion, shedding light on the systemic obstacles and highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and self-care. We also address the role of social media as a powerful tool in bridging the gap between complex research and the general public.
Our journey concludes with a deep dive into the world of coding analysis and the need for making research enjoyable. We stress the power of networking and the importance of challenging the status quo in academia, emphasizing the strength of marginalized communities and the need to continue pushing for change. Tune in for a thrilling roller-coaster of emotions, inspiration, and enlightenment.
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We're thrilled to introduce our guest, the distinguished Dr. Christina Cleveland, a social psychologist, public theologian, and author of the groundbreaking book, "God is a Black Woman." Prepare to be engrossed as she peels back the layers of her intriguing journey and how her love for fashion and design intertwines with her current retreat in central France, where she's exploring the symbolism of Black Madonna's and sacred Black womanhood.
Graduate school decisions can be daunting - more so for minority students. Dr. Cleveland delves into how mentors were pivotal in shaping her academic career and how their guidance led her to UCSB for her PhD. She opens up about the complexities of being the only black woman in her cohort, the lack of diversity in graduate programs, and the unique hurdles she navigated. However, the journey wasn't solely challenging; our guest also shares the moments of solidarity and support she received amidst her trials.
The final act of our conversation takes a deep dive into Dr. Cleveland's book, "God as a Black Woman." She shares how her academic experiences, personal insights, and the sacred black feminine converged in its pages. Additionally, we touch on the transformative power of the Black Madonna's imagery and how it has shifted her perspective on power, abundance, and control. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation that traverses academia, spirituality, and black womanhood.
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Ever feel like you're facing Everest when considering a doctoral degree? Dr. FeLisa Albert-Wisses, a beacon of hope and resilience, joins us to share her story of triumph over adversity in academia and healthcare. As a black woman who surged through the barriers of the healthcare system, she inspires us with her journey of choosing to disrupt systemic racism in education by pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health.
Through this candid conversation, Dr. FeLisa peels back the curtain on the largely unspoken challenges black women and non-binary individuals face in academia. She underscores the power of self-advocacy, confidence and a robust support system, all while navigating the transition from being a nurse and consultant to becoming a doctor. We glean insights on the potential financial benefits that come with a doctoral degree, as well as the importance of supporting and uplifting fellow black professionals.
As we traverse through this thought-provoking chat, you'll discover the significance of racial equity, magnified in the face of COVID-19. Dr. FeLisa combines her expertise in education, health, and racial equity to champion the cause of black women. This dialog serves as a reminder to prioritize self-care, especially for black women and non-binary doctoral students, emphasizing the need for mentorship and well-being. Join us for this compelling episode and learn to navigate academia with confidence, resilience, and compassion.
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What if you could bridge the gap between diverse fields like education, neuroscience, and anthropology, and then use those insights to create spaces for healing and thriving? Dr. Sará King, a trailblazer with three Ph.D.s from UCLA, has done just that. She shares her inspiring journey, her explorations into alternative education methods, and her groundbreaking work with MindHeart Consulting and MindHeart Collective. Her transformative concept of Libertory Technology is something you won't want to miss.
Dr. King's story takes an even deeper turn as she reveals the influences shaping her academic pursuits. The belief of her family in education as liberation and spiritual responsibility laid the foundation. However, her academic journey wasn't without its hardships. She navigated the challenging environment of a doctoral program at UCLA, and later battled depression and anxiety while being a young black single mother. The insights she shares about building relationships in academic circles, dealing with mentor departures, and amplifying diverse voices in academia will inspire and empower.
The final leg of our journey with Dr. King leads us into the future, with her research on contemplative AI. A product of her lived experience and passion for social justice, she envisions it as a tool for promoting well-being and liberation. Listen in as she discusses the power of perseverance and the impact of representation in higher education. This episode packs a punch with powerful insights for anyone interested in education, neuroscience, anthropology, and the intersections of these fields.
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We're thrilled to bring you an episode with a guest we admire enormously, Dr. Niah Grimes. She's a force to be reckoned with as an assistant professor at Morgan State University, an artist, and a vociferous advocate for social justice, mental health awareness, and higher education. Dr. Grimes generously shares her unique personal journey that has seen her balance art with academia, her struggles with chronic illness, and the centrality of self-care in her life. This episode is peppered with her passions - cooking, nature, and family heritage.
Our conversation takes an introspective turn as we delve into my experiences as a researcher and educator, a queer Black femme with chronic illness, and disability. I discuss the challenges I faced in my academic journey within the southeastern United States and the pivotal role played by mentorship and a supportive community at the University of Georgia. This episode will underline the importance of having a supportive community and serve as a testament to the power of resilience in overcoming obstacles.
Finally, we journey with Dr. Grimes as she shares her experience transitioning into her role as an assistant professor, meeting diverse student needs across different campuses, and the divine timing and resource utilization that led her to the perfect job. We lean into her strategies for navigating unfamiliar environments, bridging gaps, and being unapologetic in meeting her needs. As we wrap up, Dr. Grimes leaves us with empowering advice for prospective and current Black women and non-binary doctoral students. This episode is a testament to resilience, passion, and balance; indeed, a must-listen for anyone navigating the complex landscapes of higher education, identity, and personal growth.
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We share a stage with Dr. Jasmine C. Jackson, an inspiring assistant professor from Texas Christian University. We delve into her journey, from a budding lawyer to a passionate academic, and talk about her amazing experience in research and teaching. We discuss the importance of self-discovery in research and the fascinating thought process behind her PhD research.
We then venture into the sensitive topic of being the only person of color in a department and the invisible labor often shouldered by students of color at PWIs. We share personal encounters with similar situations and how the delicate balance between responsibilities often requires giving oneself a break. Let's navigate together through these unique circumstances, understanding the strain it might cause on an advisor who is also a marginalized, historically underrepresented person.
In our concluding conversation, we explore the essence of black political knowledge and the need for a paradigm shift to recognize its value. We delve into the importance of investing in spaces where black people are socialized into American and black political culture. Dr. Jackson also enlightens us on the role of academic year and summer fellowships in preparing her for graduate school and her career. From personal stories to insightful discussions, this episode is a journey into the world of academia, research and the unwavering spirit of marginalized academics.
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Step into the world of Dr. Jallicia Jolly, an exceptional scholar who balances her roles as an assistant professor of American Studies and Black Studies at Amherst College, and a health organizer. Drawing on a rich heritage of advocacy from her mother and grandmother, she artfully blends her love for spoken word and travel into her academic pursuits. Dr. Jolly offers a fresh perspective on her experiences, exploring the nuances of her academic journey, her passion for advocacy, and how she continually draws inspiration from her roots.
Delve into the complexities of juggling teaching, academia, and health advocacy, as we discuss with Dr. Jolly her role at Benjamin, a Black woman-led Reproductive Justice coalition. Uncover her motivations for pursuing a career in academia, and take inspiration from her innovative approaches in creating vibrant classroom environments. In the face of evolving challenges within the fields of American Studies and Black Studies, we discuss the shifting landscape of American history education and the implications it carries.
Finally, we offer a soulful reflection on our doctoral journeys and the transformative power of intergenerational communities like Cohort Sistas. As we navigate through our discussion, Dr. Jolly compellingly illustrates the potential of leveraging our expertise to confront systemic racism, health equity, reproductive justice, and a host of other pressing issues. This introspective conversation promises to be a unique blend of academic exploration and personal narratives, shedding light on the joys and challenges of our academic pursuits.
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In this conversation, we talk alongside Dr. Brown, tracing her roots back to her family's deep commitment to education and exploring the profound influence of 90s black love movies on her life. We'll delve into how she gave birth to the transformative Black girlhood collaborative, driven by her passion and vision.
Our discussion doesn't shy away from tackling the profound and systemic issues that shape the educational landscape. We challenge the narrative that individuals can single-handedly overcome their circumstances, emphasizing the importance of external support. Dr. Brown's unconventional educational journey and her significant role in the College of Education offer a beacon of hope for those with a thirst for higher learning but without the traditional classroom background.
As our conversation unfolds, we uncover the fascinating concept of Black Girl Cartography, inspired by the groundbreaking work of Tamara Butler and Catherine McKintrick. This concept beautifully encapsulates the experiences of Black girls in various settings, from schools and afterschool programs to within the dynamics of their families.
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In this enlightening conversation with Dr. Miya Carey-Agyemang, we venture into the world of Black girlhood in 20th-century Washington DC. Our esteemed guest, a true scholar in African-American and US women's and gender history, weaves a captivating tapestry with her book project, bringing to life stories often overlooked in historical narratives. From her Jersey girl roots to her passion for history and academia, Dr. Carey-Agyemang's journey is a testament to the power of focused determination and the significant role of mentorship.
How can staying connected to your roots impact your academic journey? Dr. Carey-Agyemang's decision to pursue her doctoral program at Rutgers University in her home state of New Jersey is a compelling story of dedication. Balancing the demands of academia with the emotional and financial benefits of staying close to home, her experiences highlight the unique challenges faced by Black women in academia. From the vital role of mentors to the importance of building a community during graduate school, Dr. Carey-Agyemang's insights offer invaluable guidance for aspiring academics.
Transitioning from a dissertation to a book is no small feat, but Dr. Carey-Agyemang gracefully navigates this journey. Together, we delve into the trials of the job market, her strategic summer defense, and her unique approach to animating Black girls' stories through oral histories. Her advice on giving your work room to breathe, receiving feedback, and understanding the 'why' behind your work is priceless. As we conclude our conversation, we leave you with a renewed appreciation for the rich tapestry that is the history of Black girlhood.
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This week on Cohort Sistas Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tiffany Wiggins, the powerhouse founder of Black Girl Mentor. Dr. Wiggins, armed with a Ph.D. in education leadership, an ICF life and academic coaching certificate, and a wealth of experience in higher education, has channeled her passion for transformative mentorship into a thriving community for black women and girls. This episode is a treasure trove of insights, from her personal journey to her love of travel and yes, even her penchant for denim jackets!
As we explore Dr. Wiggins' own PhD journey, we uncover the pivotal role mentorship played in her experience. Her stories of having mentors and the times she grappled without one, are a testament to the importance of mentorship for black women in academia. Dr. Wiggins cracks open her challenges of juggling time, her commitment to her young daughter, and navigating the academic labyrinth to find a supportive dissertation committee. She emphatically underscores the need to know your 'why,' ensuring that the pursuit of a doctoral degree is an intentional decision, not a fleeting whim.
Finally, we delve deeper into the intricacies of the PhD journey with Dr. Wiggins. From the process of crafting a dissertation replete with typos to having the right editor, she shares crucial insights that often get overlooked. Her emphasis on the far-reaching impact of a doctoral degree on oneself, family, and community is a profound reminder of the responsibility that comes with such an endeavor. This is a riveting episode, guaranteed to inspire and motivate you, irrespective of where you are in your academic journey or if you're just intrigued by the world of higher education and mentorship.
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In this episode, we had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Michelle Cowin Gibbs, an accomplished expert in theater, academia, and solo performance. She'll share her incredible journey, starting from her childhood dream of becoming a pilot to her deep passion for theater. Join us as we delve into Dr. Gibbs' remarkable life story, where she fearlessly tackled challenges like pursuing a Ph.D. while raising a toddler and navigating the worlds of performance, academia, and being a black woman with unwavering resilience and grace.
During our conversation with Dr. Gibbs, we'll explore the fascinating connections between race, gender, and performance. Be inspired as she shares profound insights into the work of Zora Neale Hurston and discusses her exploration of black womanhood. Dr. Gibbs uses her own experiences to create thought-provoking stories through solo performances, providing a platform for empathy and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
In the final part of our conversation, Dr. Gibbs extends a helping hand to current black women and non-binary doctoral students, offering invaluable advice. She speaks candidly about the importance of maintaining a life outside of academia, the value of a supportive community, and the vitality of staying connected with loved ones. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for academics, theater enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the inspiring journeys of exceptional individuals. Don't miss this enlightening and heartwarming conversation with Dr. Michelle Gibbs.
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Dr. Ijeoma Kola sits down with a transformative educator, Gholnecsar Muhammad, a revolutionary figure in education and a profound force for change. From her beginnings to her passion for literacy in the black community, Dr. Muhammad offers an intimate look into her inspiring path to becoming one of the most highly regarded educators in the country.
Dr. Muhammad is not just an educator, but an author who has penned two influential books. We peel back the curtain on her journey from doctoral student to published author. Discover how her work with black girls in the classroom shaped her dissertation study and how this passion propelled her to produce meaningful and impactful literature. We also delve into the challenges she faced in the publishing world, revealing invaluable insights into the hurdles black women authors often encounter.
The conversation takes a deeper turn as Dr. Muhammad shares her wisdom on building authentic relationships in academia and beyond. Hear firsthand the importance of mentorship and its role in her journey to success. She also gives us a glimpse into her follow-up book to Cultivating Genius and her exciting collaboration with musician Pharrell Williams. Wrapping up with advice for prospective and current Black women and non-binary doctoral students, this episode is brimming with wisdom and inspiration.
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Dr. Tara Pixley is a visual journalist, strategic storytelling consultant, and professor renowned for reshaping visual narratives and championing diversity. Dr. Pixley's dedication to her work extends beyond the classroom - she's a mother who courageously moved across the country with her young children to pursue grad school, making her an embodiment of determination and resilience. She offers a real-world perspective on managing family and academic life, proving it's possible to thrive in both spheres.
Our candid talk with Dr. Pixley illuminates her educational journey, highlighting the exhilarating opportunities that opened up with her Ph.D. She guides us through the peaks and valleys of her academic career, discussing the nurturing environment graduate housing provided for her children, her burgeoning interest in superhero journalism that sparked her photojournalism career, and her triumphant transition to journalism education. Her experiences with challenging hierarchies and overcoming expectations in academia offer invaluable insights and stirring inspiration.
Not only does Dr. Pixley share her journey in academia, but she also uncovers how she uses her work as a platform for change, crafting narratives that reflect the experiences of marginalized communities. Her unwavering commitment to making journalism education accessible to women and people of color is inspiring. As we talk about her future plans, the importance of education, and her passion for her work, the joy she finds in adversity shines through. Listen to this compelling exploration into the life and work of a woman using her influence to effect lasting change.
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Get ready to be inspired by Dr. Jimmeka Anderson, a visionary educator from Charlotte, North Carolina. Her passion for film and education to build a path for young Black girls in the media industry is nothing short of astounding. Specializing in critical digital media literacies, Dr. Anderson shares her journey into media literacy, pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Education and creating a groundbreaking initiative, the Black Girls Film Camp.
Navigating the rigorous world of a Ph.D. program is not for the faint-hearted. Hear about Dr. Anderson's struggles and victories, how she maintained her authenticity, and how she tackled the well-known imposter syndrome. Learn from her experience on how she mastered the art of trusting her own expertise and standing her ground in an academic setting that often leans towards publicly accessible data.
We take you through the incredible journey of the Black Girls Film Camp. Dr. Anderson designed this program to empower girls aged 13 to 18, providing them with adequate resources to transform a story concept into a short film. They get to tour studios like ARRAY Creative Campus and Walt Disney Studios and get to see their work premiered at renowned film festivals. Lastly, we address the profound impact of media on mental health and the vital role of media literacy education. So, tune in as we share Dr. Anderson's advice for Black women and non-binary doctoral students about staying true to their paths.
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Have you ever felt that burnout is a badge of honor? We invite you to pause and re-evaluate as we introduce our next guest, the incredible Dr. Shaquinta Richardson - a life coach passionate about helping Black women prioritize self-care to find joy. Listen to Shaquinta's intriguing journey from a role in a Fortune 500 company to becoming a renowned therapist and how she navigated the complexities of pursuing a Ph.D. with grace and resilience.
Shaquinta's unique experiences juggling multiple roles - a professor, clinical director, private practice clinician, and a Ph.D. student, all at the same time and experience the strength and determination that led her to transition into a full-time life coach and business owner during the peak of the global pandemic. We'll also delve into the nitty-gritty of her upcoming book, Gifted Black Women Navigating the Doctoral Process, and learn her innovative strategy of 'radical self-care'.
This conversation will challenge your narrative of success and guide you toward embracing rest and self-care to achieve it. Get ready to transform your approach to life as Shaquinta shares her insights on therapy, gratitude, and the importance of self-care in maintaining physical and mental health. If you're an aspiring or current doctoral student, you'll find her advice on slowing down and recharging to be invaluable in your journey. Join us to learn, unlearn, and relearn the essence of living a fulfilling life.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Get ready to immerse yourself in an enriching exploration of film and media studies as we unfold the intriguing world of early 20th-century Black silent cinema with Dr. Philana Payton. As an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine, she provides insightful perspectives on the complex interplay of race, gender, and visual culture in media. She also gives us a glimpse into her academic journey, her new hobby of DJing, and her favorite movies.
Dr. Payton candidly shares her transition from a master's degree to a Ph.D. program. Her determination and resilience are evident from her first undergraduate research program at Howard University to applying for almost all film and media studies programs in California. Listen to her recount her experiences at USC, her decision to pursue her studies there, and the enormous influence of being located in the hub of the industry. You'll gain insights into her research on black silent cinema and how this has shaped her understanding of contemporary black cinema.
Finally, we delve into the often-underappreciated history of black women in Hollywood. From Billie Holiday to Beyoncé, we discuss the challenges they faced while trying to gain support, land significant roles, and achieve mainstream recognition in the entertainment industry. Dr. Payton also shares her personal experience of balancing academia and creative work, highlighting the importance of finding a supportive community both within and outside the academic realm. This is a conversation you wouldn’t want to miss. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that not only shines a light on the struggles of black women in Hollywood but also celebrates their resilience and triumphs.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Meet Dr. Brenda Dogbey, a shining beacon of resilience, passion, and outstanding achievement, and our extraordinary guest on the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Her story of triumph, from studying abroad to launching Career Slay Mama and Complify Incorporated, is a masterclass in juggling academia, professional life, and motherhood.
Through the trials and tribulations of her academic journey, Dr. Dogbey provides an intimate glimpse into the challenges of being a Ph.D. student in public health. Alongside the struggle to secure funding, she navigates demanding supervisors and balances studies with family responsibilities. She openly discusses the arduous task of combining work experience with academic expertise when transitioning to the professional world. Furthermore, Dr. Dogbey offers tips on reframing and repackaging of skills to thrive in the workplace, while also highlighting the importance of a robust support system and initiatives like the Cohort Sistas Program.
This episode is a treasure trove of inspiring anecdotes, enlightening discussions, and priceless advice. We explore Dr. Dogbey's creative side, the birth of Career Slay Mama and Complify Incorporated, and the role of these ventures in navigating personal identity challenges. As we draw this enlightening conversation to a close, Dr. Dogbey leaves us with a wealth of advice for current and prospective doctoral students, emphasizing the significance of supportive networks and openness to new opportunities. So tune in and let Dr. Brenda Dogbey inspire you to aspire for more.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to shatter glass ceilings in the world of physics? Our guest, Dr. Jamie Valentine Miller, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University, opens up about her journey, offering a rare glimpse into the world of a trailblazer in STEM. Dr. Miller's story begins in Philadelphia, weaves through her involvement in a regional engineering program, and culminates at Florida A&M University, where she sharply navigated the academic world, securing a full scholarship and internships at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
Dr. Miller takes us through her transition from academia to a fulfilling career as a U.S. patent examiner, highlighting the struggles she encountered as an African-American woman in the STEM field. However, it's not all work for this physicist. Tantalizing tales of her exploration of cultures through travel and cuisine, her love for Zumba instruction, and her cherished family moments add a personal touch to her extraordinary story.
The conversation wouldn't be complete without mentioning Dr. Miller's tireless efforts to foster diversity and inclusion in STEM through the African American Women in Physics (AAWIP) organization. She shares how AWIP is actively building a community, instigating initiatives against harassment in STEM, and championing diversity and equity for Black women in physics. In closing, Dr. Miller imparts her wisdom to Black women and non-binary doctoral students, underscoring the paramount importance of mental health and critical assessment of relationships. Join us in this enlightening conversation with Dr. Miller, a beacon of perseverance and resilience in the world of STEM.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Ever wondered how a scientist navigates their journey through the academic world? Our latest guest, Dr. Aisha Burton, has some answers that might surprise you. A black woman with a strong desire to see diversity in the world of science, Dr. Burton's journey is nothing short of inspiring as it is a tale that stretches from her early years exploring the natural world with her grandmother to her current position in the field of science.
Her journey starts with her AP Chemistry teacher, Mr. Stark, who introduced her to the fascinating world of research. As a native of Chicago, she shares her experiences studying at the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri. She also walks us through the challenges she faced during her PhD program, such as changing labs and making difficult decisions related to her career. Dr. Burton’s story is a true testament to the power of resilience and determination.
In our final segment, Dr. Burton shines a light on her achievements and her passion for mentoring. She shares her commitment to her community, through mentoring her students to actively participating in her sorority. As she gears up for a new position at Cornell University, Dr. Burton emphasizes the importance of a supportive community. Listen and journey with Dr. Burton through her inspiring story and learn invaluable advice for those aspiring to embark on their own STEM journey. This episode is a testament to the power of passion, mentorship and community support in the world of science.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Have you ever wondered how a single person can wear multiple hats, break barriers, and continue to thrive in their personal and professional life? Join us as we amplify the incredible journey of Dr. Kimberly Murray, a clinical psychologist who has artfully managed a traditional career alongside a plethora of entrepreneurial pursuits. Discover her secret to maintaining harmony between a demanding 9 to 5 job and a successful commercial photography business. Learn about her inspiring academic journey at the University of Michigan, and how she found love amid the pressure-cooker environment of a doctoral program.
Continuing the conversation, we plunge into the topic of finding your voice and seizing opportunities, a subject that resonates with many, especially introverts. Dr. Murray recounts her experiences and the invaluable mentorship she received that guided her to express her thoughts boldly in the academic world. Gain valuable insights into the significance of therapy for those in the counseling field and the empowering role of gender in sexual communication. We explore the diverse facets of her life, including her dynamic career trajectory, her passion for continual learning, and her expertise in various fields such as interior design, fashion, and photography.
Lastly, we navigate through the realms of pursuing multiple passions and juggling them successfully. Dr. Murray shares her personal methodologies for prioritizing and carving out time for creative projects without compromising her main career. We bust the common misconception that one must stick to a single passion. Learn the importance of following your curiosity, taking regular breaks, and the courage required to transition between identities in the pursuit of passion. Join us on this enlightening journey with Dr. Kimberly Murray and take home a wealth of inspiration and practical strategies.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Ever thought about the power of perseverance and networking in achieving your dreams? Meet our guest, Dr. Robina Onwong'a, a black psychologist and executive leadership consultant who has shattered barriers and defied odds to become the first in her family to earn a doctoral degree. Join us as she peels back the layers of her journey, revealing the highs and lows, the triumphs and trials of her path to attaining a doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Missouri.
Dr. Onwong'a shares her gripping research about the long-term effects of childhood trauma, and its link with ethnic identity and psychological well-being. She gives us an intimate look into her work, which focuses on how these factors shape the development trajectory of black emerging adults in the US. As she recounts her experiences, you'll gain wisdom on the significance of networking and grit in higher education, and how an individual's grades and assessments are not the sole measures of intelligence and capabilities.
Finally, we journey with Dr. Onwong'a through her career transition from counseling psychology to consulting. Hear her visionary reflections on cultural sustainability, black liberation, and the profound impact of her consulting work. She provides a refreshing perspective on authenticity, self-care, and the importance of a balanced social life during the doctoral process. Brace yourself for a wave of inspiration as you tune into this enlightening conversation with Dr. Robina Onwong'a.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
How often do you think about the intersection of mental health, community engagement, and spirituality? Dr. Kimberly T Arnold, a dedicated health policy who received a Ph.D. in Public Health/Health Policy and Management from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, has managed to weave her passion for yoga into the fabric of her work, using it as a transformative tool for self-care and healing within the Black church. Her journey from a small farm town in South Carolina to becoming an integral part of the urban health landscape in Philadelphia is a story of resilience, mentorship, and untiring pursuit of passion that will inspire you.
Dr. Arnold's research focuses on addressing health disparities and creating comprehensive mental health support in churches. She exposes the often-overlooked impacts of policies and social determinants of health like racism, education, and income on health outcomes. But it doesn't stop at exposing the problems. She illuminates how community engagement and institutions like the Black Church can serve as anchors in the community, providing alternative systems of survival and addressing these very social determinants of health.
In a world where the acceptance of mental health in spiritual spaces is growing, Dr. Arnold has found a unique way to incorporate her love for yoga into her work within the Black church. She stresses the importance of self-care for Black women and non-binary doctoral students, sharing advice on being intentional and making self-care a priority during their doctoral journey. Join us as she shares her story, her learnings, and her advocacy for health equity. This is an episode for anyone interested in public health, mental health, or the power of community engagement.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
We've got a remarkable guest on the Cohort Sisters podcast today, none other than Dr. Janice Gassam Asare who received a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University . This multifaceted personality's accomplishments range from being an industrial organizational psychologist to one of LinkedIn's top voices in racial equity. On our journey with Dr. Gassam Asare, we learn about her passion for psychology that led her from dreams of healthcare to her unexpected love for industrial organizational psychology. She takes us through her academic journey, and why she shifted gears from an MBA program to focus on her true passion, influenced by her parents.
We're also getting real about the challenges that come with establishing a niche in a field dominated by diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Gassam Asare shares her intriguing original doctoral research idea about manipulating skin color and religious headgear on LinkedIn profiles to study hiring bias. Unfortunately, budget constraints led her to change course and research the impact of disclosing mental health issues on hiring instead. Our conversation explores the critical importance of advocating for oneself, especially when your research topic is related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Lastly, we dig into the potential of LinkedIn as a powerful tool for networking and professional growth. Our guest shares her inspiring journey of leveraging this platform to secure speaking engagements, forge communities, and even land a writing role with Forbes. She also talks about her transition from academia to her own consultancy, shining a light on the unique challenges she faced as a Black woman in this sphere. Don't miss out on her advice about bringing research expertise to large corporations, and how LinkedIn can be an invaluable resource for networking and professional growth. Tune in, grow, and be inspired!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Discover the transformative journey of Dr. Allycin Powell-Hicks, a clinical psychologist, TV personality, and consultant with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University, who transitioned from traditional psychology practice to making TV appearances on shows like Love and Hip Hop and Like Mother, Like Daughter.
In this episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast, Dr. Powell Hicks offers valuable advice for Black women doctoral students, encouraging them to find balance, self-love, and grounding practices while navigating a doctoral program. We also explore the power of finding mentors in diverse areas, joining smaller divisions and subsections of professional organizations as a way to connect with potential mentors, and the role of mentorship in Dr. Powell Hicks' own journey into media psychology.
Lastly, we delve into Dr. Powell Hicks' approach to ethical coaching and her personal philosophy that guides her work, emphasizing the importance of standing on your own ethical standards and considering how your communication will impact the black audience watching. With her top three motivators - beauty, knowledge, and creativity - Dr. Powell Hicks inspires us to balance research, science, and ethics in our own professional endeavors. Don't miss this powerful conversation that explores the intersection of mental health and black women, as well as how we can best take care of ourselves in this space.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today, we're joined by the inspiring Dr. Shelly Ann Gajadhar, a Caribbean woman from Trinidad and Tobago, who shares her incredible journey from being a criminal prosecutor to obtaining her doctoral degree focusing on the Triple Helix Model of partnerships between universities, industry, and government.
Dr. Gajadhar shares her challenges and successes in finding the right university program, receiving a full scholarship, and overcoming microaggressions and isolation. We also discuss her decision to pursue her own path amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the creation of Alpha Stute, a coaching and consultancy business that empowers students to achieve top university admissions.
How can we balance high achievement and the 'soft life' identity, and can they coexist? Dr. Gajadhar shares her experiences and insights on integrating these lifestyles, finding what a 'soft life' means for each individual, and the importance of recognizing that this balance may not look the way one initially expected. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Dr. Gajadhar's radiant accomplishments and be encouraged to embrace your own journey towards success.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
At the end of episodes 202 to 219, we asked our guests to share advice with listeners embarking on a Ph.D. journey. This episode is a compilation of all that they shared, from Dr. Jen Fry’s word of warning not to let younger students make you feel inferior to Dr. Natasha Johnson’s thoughts on imposter syndrome and taking a break. Hear Dr. Anna Ampaw’s wisdom to think carefully before pursuing doctoral studies and Dr. Lauren D. Kendall Brooks’s thoughts on changing track. Dr. Nsa Dada offers encouragement to anyone feeling less than, and Dr. Julia Nepper emphasizes the value of community before Dr. Tassiana Moura De Oliveira echoes her thoughts. Dr. Ayanna Abrams and Dr. Mikal Woldu urge listeners to prioritize their mental health, and Dr. Geniece Crawford Mondé draws on her own experience to illustrate the power of research. You’ll discover how Dr. Fatu Badiane Markey learned to say yes and learn about Dr. Reka Barton’s commitment to designing a Ph.D. journey that worked for her. Dr. Kristen Nichole shares her insight on building connections, and Dr. Marvette Lacy empowers listeners to put their truth into words. Lastly, Dr. Ebony Butler speaks to the power of presence. Tune in today for all this and more!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
What you focus on during your doctoral program can heavily influence the state of your well-being. Your doctorate can be a scary, confusing, and complex time, and oftentimes a lot of your foundations can be up in the air. So give yourself some room to breathe! On this week’s episode of The Cohort Sistas podcast, we welcome a special guest, Dr. Ebony Butler. Dr. Ebony is a licensed psychologist and food-relationship strategist, with a Ph.D., in counseling education from the University of Houston. During our conversation today, Dr. Ebony talks about her journey of applying for a doctoral program three times and shares key insights into what she learned. We also discuss the interconnectedness of our trauma and our relationship to food. She shares about her dissertation and research, her mentors, funding, and the highs and lows of the program. We end the conversation hearing from Dr. Ebony about how you can focus on being the healthiest version of yourself and what that can look like. Don’t miss out, so make sure to check out this week’s episode.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
The story we bring to life today is that of Dr. Marvette Lacy, the Founder, and CEO of Qual Scholars, a coaching and membership program that helps higher education professionals and doctoral students finish their dissertations and build consulting businesses. Dr. Lacy received her Ph.D. in college student affairs and administration from the University of Georgia. In this episode, Dr. Lacy tells us about her dissertation and how she decided on the topic, and also shares what initially inspired her to pursue a doctoral degree. We hear about how the scrappiness that she needed for survival growing up in Chicago was helpful in graduate school and she tells us about the culture shock she first experienced stepping into the University of Georgia. Tune in now to hear more about how she came back from academic probation after her first year, navigated fallouts with mentors, and employs the Sistas Circle research methodology in her work today. Enjoy.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this episode of Cohort Sistas, the podcast, we speak with Dr. Mikal Woldu, who received her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from SOAS University of London. Dr. Woldu is of Eritrean heritage and grew up in Italy before moving to London. This migratory pattern both shaped her personal life and informed her research questions, primarily dealing with the practices and attitudes of second-generation Africans in the Diaspora. During our conversation with Dr. Woldu, we discuss how just one person in her Master’s program convinced her to enroll in graduate school, why her research is so much more extensive than just her, and how she advocated for and switched her academic supervisor partway through her doctoral program. She talks about her post-doc project and how they are redefining Pan-Africanism. Dr. Woldu gives incredibly insightful advice regarding the Ph.D. journey and leaves listeners encouraged. Tune in for this insightful conversation with Dr. Woldu!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today’s guest Dr. Kristen Nichole turned to pole movement as a way to cope with the stress of doing a Ph.D. This led her to start her business, Polecology, while continuing to work in qualitative research. In this episode, she shares her story with us. Tuning in you’ll hear about her Ph.D. in Applied Community and Social Psychology, her dissertation project on identity and counter-storytelling among emerging adult writing leaders, and how she completed her degree with a brand new baby. She explains how she became interested in psychology and decided to do a Ph.D., despite getting a C in AP Psychology. We also discuss the importance of developing relationships with faculty members to gain the research experience necessary for a doctoral degree, the pros and cons of going straight from undergrad to Ph.D., and what to consider before choosing a university. To hear her story of how her Ph.D. and her knowledge of storytelling informs her work in teaching movement, as well as countless helpful tips and advice for anyone pursuing a doctoral program, tune in today!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
When you are in the midst of doing a doctoral program it’s easy to get swept up in the work and sideline other important aspects of your life, like building friendships and finding community. But when we do this we miss out on potentially life-changing connections and deprive ourselves of the opportunity to fully experience a truly unique time in our lives. In addition to her intuitive knack for all things STEM, our guest today, Dr. Chantrell Frazier, has a natural talent for socializing and making friends. This hasn’t stopped her from achieving, though! In 2022 Dr. Frazier became the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Florida International University and is currently a Mary Miles Bibbs Teaching Fellow at Framingham State University in Massachusetts. We talk with Dr. Frazier about her doctoral journey, the pivotal role her mentors played, and how finding a community of Black students expanded her horizons and even helped her discover key funding avenues for her Ph.D. She also shares some of the biggest challenges she faced as a Black female student, and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, before sharing her words of support and wisdom on persevering through imposter syndrome, especially when things are tough. Join us for a candid conversation on the many highs and lows of student life, and everything in between!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today we speak with Dr. Terrion Williamson, an associate professor of Black Studies and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Dr. Williamson didn’t have an awareness of what it would mean to go to grad school and completed a law degree before she found the career path most suited to her. In this episode, she joins us to talk about her journey. Tuning in you’ll hear about how growing up in the Midwest shaped her and why she chose to go back there. This leads to a discussion about the tension between objectivity and subjectivity in the work we do in Black, feminist, or gender studies. Dr. Williamson shares how she deals with the backlash against Black studies and feminist studies and the utilities of these as valid academic scholarly pursuits. You’ll also hear more about her career path, why she chose to do her doctoral program in California, her top highlights and biggest challenges, and the importance of considering the culture and ecosystem of an educational institution before choosing to study there. To hear all this as well as Dr. Williamson’s advice to current and prospective Black women and non-binary doctoral students, tune in today!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
We are so lucky and excited to sit down with Dr. Toyin Alli in today's episode to talk about her inspiring and somewhat unusual path through academia, and why she chose to focus on teaching above all the other areas of the tertiary educational space. Dr. Alli also shares about her amazing company, the Academic Society, and its work helping students through developing time management, productivity, and self-care tools. Toyin is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Georgia and has been working full-time in teaching since she completed her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Alabama in 2016. Our guest generously shares a lot of insight and honest reflection from different points in her journey, from the summer programs she took part in, to finding her groove in teaching, and mentorship relationships that have helped her toward success. We also discuss the lack of encouragement for Black women and POC in the math field and the responsibility that Dr. Alli feels to shift this reality. So for all this and more from a truly dedicated and inspiring friend of the show, listen in now.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Dr. Reka Barton received a Ph.D. in education from the joint doctoral program with San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University. Today, she works as a diversity postgraduate faculty fellow for the School of Leadership and Educational Sciences at the University of San Diego. Having worked in education in various capacities before beginning her doctoral studies, Dr. Barton is a visual researcher studying the experience of Black girls at the intersections of race, language, and equity. Tuning in today, she shares her insights about learning the unique language of a doctoral program, distilling and discerning well-meaning advice that may not be for you and navigating the academic job market as a very recent graduate.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
We all know that the journey to getting your Ph.D. can be arduous and often non-linear, but what happens after you’ve received your degree? What if the traditional academic path doesn’t turn out to be precisely what you want to do? Today, we welcome to the podcast Dr. Fatu Badiane Markey; a science programs officer at the Rita Allen Foundation and co-host of the We Love Science podcast. Before transitioning into a career in science communications and non-profit foundation grant-making, she received her Ph.D. in molecular biology at Rutgers University in Newark. In this episode, she takes us along on her educational journey leading to her application for doctoral programs, we discuss the pros and cons of working with a brand-new professor and PI in her doctoral degree and how she ultimately realized she did not want to run her own lab as a scientist. If you want to hear about how a last-minute application to a job turned into a fulfilling non-academic career, and if you are interested in transitioning from a science doctorate to a non-research or teaching career, then be sure not to miss out on this episode of The Cohort Sistas Podcast!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Conducting research with vulnerable populations calls for a special kind of humility and self-awareness. Joining us today to share her doctoral journey and provide insight into her dissertation research on formerly incarcerated mothers and their experience of re-entering society and reuniting with their children is Dr. Geniece Crawford Mondé. Dr. Mondé received her Ph.D. in sociology from Harvard University and is now an associate professor of sociology at Wingate University. During the pandemic, she converted her dissertation into a book, This is Our Freedom: Motherhood in the Shadow of the American Prison System, published by UC Press in 2022. In this episode, we learn the requirements for good qualitative interviewing, some tips for saving money in grad school, and how to manage feelings of intimidation. Dr. Mondé opens up about the intention behind seeking a tenure-track job at a small liberal arts college and returning to her dissertation after receiving tenure. Tune in to hear our prestigious guest’s grad school challenges and successes, and her considered advice for current Black women and non-binary doctoral students.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Completing your educational journey without a break — from undergrad to earning a doctoral degree — is no easy feat. And it’s not uncommon to find that these candidates often have specific ideas on what they would have done differently after spending time working in their field and getting some distance from their studies. Such is the case with today’s guest, Dr. Ayanna Abrams, a licensed clinical psychologist, Founder of Ascension Behavioral Health, and Co-Founder of NotSoStrong, a platform that aims to improve the mental health and relational functioning of Black women. We talked with Dr. Abrams about completing her Psy.D, why she chose it over a Ph.D., and the difference between the two. She then reflects on what she might have done differently during her studies, like possibly choosing a different degree and what she could have done to avoid predatory student loans. We discuss how academic degrees rarely prepare students for the business side of their specialty, and why this is particularly harmful to those pursuing a Psy.D, specifically geared toward serving your community through therapy. We also spend some time exploring her fascinating dissertation topic, the research she conducted for it, and how she would approach it differently today. Dr. Abrams closes off by sharing her advice for students on how to find safety within overwhelmingly white institutions and why prioritizing your mental health during your studies is vital. To learn more about Dr. Abrams and her journey, be sure to tune in today!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
It is one thing being a Black woman pursuing a doctoral degree, but to be a female Brazilian Black immigrant in the United States is an entirely different ball game. Today’s guest knows all about what it’s like to do a Ph.D. in a foreign country and to feel unrepresented in her university both in terms of race and in terms of gender. Dr. Tassiana Moura de Oliveira recently moved to the USA from Brazil and is a law and political science professor. In this episode, she tells us about her upbringing, what she likes to do, and how her lack of choices led her to become a lawyer. She tells us about how she approached her father with the news that she wanted to be a teacher before delving into what she is currently researching. Dr. Tassiana had a very difficult experience throughout her studies due to the lack of female, Black representation in the institution and today, she gives us some insight into the unique challenges she faced, what was good about her experience, the difference affirmative action makes, and what she wishes she had done differently. Finally, she shares some advice for people looking to expand their studies outside of their bubble and reminds us of the importance of establishing a community you can relate to while pursuing a doctorate. To hear all this and more, tune in now!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Dr. Julia Nepper was thrust into advanced academia at the remarkable age of 12 when she enrolled in community college. She went on to do her doctoral degree at age 18 and in this episode, we hear about her extraordinary education journey. With a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and significant experience as a science writer, Dr. Nepper has now returned to UW-Madison as a post-doc researcher. In our conversation, she shares insight into her doctorate dissertation project and the scientific and social focal points of her current research. She opens up about the role of mentorship in her life and the power of peer mentorship, in particular. Tune in to hear Dr. Nepper’s fascinating story and her well-informed advice for Black female doctoral students to maintain perspective and thrive in the academic world and beyond.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Dr. Nsa Dada is a vector biologist and microbial ecologist who studies how microbes shape mosquito biology and mosquito-borne disease transmission. Dr. Dada is currently an assistant professor at Arizona State University, the Mosquito Microbiome Consortium's founder. She is here today to share her experiences as a Black woman studying at reputable institutions across the globe. She tells us what it was like to jump right into her Ph.D. from her Masters and reveals how she has been able to build an international research profile, along with many other insights. Join us to learn from Dr. Dada’s story and hear some valuable advice on mentorship, persistence, navigating the job market, and much more today.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
During today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Lauren D. Kendall Brooks, who holds a Ph.D. in Health Psychology with a concentration in behavioral and community health science. She is a research scientist at Assessment for Good where she works on building innovative assessments, academic resilience in Black and Latinx adolescents and college students, and health disparities as it relates to academic achievement. Tuning in, you’ll hear why Dr. Kendall Brooks pursued a doctoral degree at an HBCU, how she navigated a relationship with a partner who was also a student, how current and aspiring Black scholars can get plugged into the Black in Psych community, and more!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Getting a Ph.D. is not for the faint of heart and as a Black woman, social isolation can make it even more difficult. Here today on The Cohort Sistas Podcast is the incredible Dr. Anna Ampaw to tell us all about the highs and lows of the pursuit of her doctoral degree. In this episode, you will hear about Anna’s background, her family of immigrants, what she is currently doing, what made her shift focus from dentistry to biochemistry, and how her incredible supervisor made her into the doctor she is today. It’s no secret that getting a Ph.D. is unbelievably difficult and today, Anna walks us through the challenges and lows she faced throughout her journey before we explore how cultural diversity impacts studies and the importance of having a community and mentorship. She even goes into her high points, the funding of her program, what she would do differently given the chance, and so much more. She also discusses her amazing non-profit organization called Empowering Female Minds in STEM. Finally, she leaves Black women looking to do a Ph.D. with some wonderful pieces of advice. To hear the truth about getting a Ph.D. as a woman of color, tune in now!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Finding the time to ‘do it all’ can feel impossible because, well, it is. Joining us today on The Cohort Sistas Podcast is Dr. Natasha N. Johnson to tell us all about how she juggles (and sometimes doesn’t juggle) being an educator, writer, and wife! Tuning in, you’ll hear all about her background, how she became an educator and studied further, the movie-like story of how she met her husband, and her adventures in Jamaica. We discuss her and her husband's co-published works before Natasha delves into how she makes time to publish work. We even discuss how they make time for bonding in their personal relationship away from work. Finally, Natasha leaves us with some beautiful advice about realistic expectations and seeking help. You don’t want to miss this episode!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Sports and geography are deeply interconnected, often more so than most of us realize. From the ways that location impacts your fanbase as a sports team to how your identity as a Black female athlete shapes your experiences when competing overseas, there are seemingly endless ways in which sport and geography intersect. Today’s guest, Dr. Jen Fry, has done hugely important work in the field of sports geography, and by all accounts could be considered to be the only Black female sports geographer in the world. Dr. Fry is a veteran volleyball coach and social justice educator, whose recent dissertation focused on the experiences of Black female volleyball players competing in Europe and was written to serve as a guide to players competing abroad. In our conversation, Dr. Fry describes her fascinating trajectory from coaching collegiate volleyball for over 15 years, to earning her second master's and pursuing public speaking, before deciding to pursue her Ph.D. in sports geography from Michigan State University. She describes the conditions that prompted her to leave coaching behind, how her love of travel helped her make a shift in her career, and why we should all try to be less afraid of being a beginner. Dr. Fry goes on to share her advice for older students, the benefits of gaining experience outside of higher education, and why you shouldn’t be intimidated by younger doctoral candidates. She also emphasizes the importance of finding supervisors and chairs who have the time to care about you and your work, and why it’s so much more valuable than choosing one based on status. Be sure to tune in to learn all about Dr. Fry’s fascinating journey, along with key insights on how to make decisions when pursuing your Ph.D.!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Have you missed us? Welcome to 2023 and our exciting new season of the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Thank you for a phenomenal first season! In this episode, we shed light on why you haven’t heard from us and what brings us back now, before recapping some of our biggest takeaways from season one. We also give you a sneak peek of what we look forward to bringing you in season two. Finally, we remind you why we share these stories and encourage you to share in the success and struggles of women just like you. So tune in now to be inspired to stick with us for our new season!
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com. Find us on Twitter and Instagram (@cohortsistas), and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today on the show we invite Dr. Thato Motlhalamme, who is here to impart some valuable and hard-won advice on pushing your comfort zones, trusting your voice, and standing up for yourself in spaces where you aren’t being heard! Author of Holding the Knife's Edge: Journeys of Black Female Scientists, Dr. Motlhalamme tells the story of her life-long love of science, her passion for addressing the knowledge gap between plant medicine and allopathic treatment, and how she intentionally chose her PhD program because she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone. She shares with us how she navigated having a faculty advisor who did not have a definitive project timeline, and the experience of co-authoring a book about black female scientists with her mentor, as well as the various pivots in her career that led her to the creation of this much-needed book. We dive into why it was the right decision to change universities, burnout, and the unexpected reprieve because of the pandemic, plus you’ll hear some great insights on beginning your PhD with the right frame of mind, and how to navigate the difficult moments by asking the right questions. In closing, Dr. Motlhalamme shares her top advice for Black women in science and academia and reflects on not underestimating the value of your contributions in spaces where you think you’re out of your depth. We hope you join us today for this inspiring conversation with our Cohort Sista scientist.
Connect with Dr. Motlhalamme on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about her book, Holding The Knife's Edge by visiting her website.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
There's a common perception that if you wish to pursue academia and tenure, then you need to solely focus on institutional work. Today I'm speaking with Dr. Bukola Salami, an Associate Professor of Nursing and Director of the Intersections of Gender Program at the University of Alberta, who is living proof that that isn't the only way. Dr. Salami received her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Toronto, where she studied the experiences of Filipino migrants, who work as caregivers in Canada. In her short career, Dr. Salami has established a robust program of research that intersects Immigrant Health and Workforce Mobility, Black Canadian Health and Well-being, Immigrant Mental Health, Nurse Mobility, and COVID vaccine hesitancy. In this episode, Dr. Salami first outlines her doctoral journey and its valuable work on the intersection of immigration experiences and workforce development, before imparting her top tips for graduate students and new faculty members when navigating the politics of an academic department. Hear her recommendations for collaborating with other scholars to increase publication, as well as how to develop a program of research to advance your career. This episode is overflowing with hard-won and discerning advice for those already in academia or wishing to begin with the right footing; we hope you join us today!
Connect with Dr. Salami on Twitter and LinkedIn.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Many of us anchor our self-worth to our achievements, be they academic, physical, or fiscal. While we may find it motivating in the short term, the long-term effects of this can often result in unhealthy coping mechanisms and a paradoxically low sense of self-worth. Our guest today, Dr. Adia Gooden, is a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, and host of the podcast Unconditionally Worthy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University and earned her PhD in clinical Community psychology from DePaul University. She formerly worked as a college counselor and recently set out on her own by starting her private practice. In today’s conversation with Dr. Gooden, we discuss her journey to psychology, why she decided to pursue entrepreneurship over academia, and her deep passion for educating people on their unconditional worthiness, especially women of color. She shares insights into her self-worth journey and explains how therapy helped her address her harmful relationship with achievement and the unhealthy coping mechanisms she relied on during graduate school. We also touch on her parents’ work as clinical psychologists and academics and discuss how their careers influenced her studies, including how their expertise in academia helped her navigate university life. Dr. Gooden has a wealth of insights to offer for students and non-students alike, so tune in for an informative and thought-provoking discussion on academia, entrepreneurship, and the power of unconditional self-worth, plus more!
Connect with Dr. Gooden on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and her website.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
While navigating a doctoral degree program as a Black woman has its challenges, if you are an immigrant studying in the USA, this path can be even more difficult. Today we speak with Dr. Clara Mundia from Kenya who received her Ph.D. in Environmental Resources and Policy from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and now works as a research director for Dalberg in her home country. In this episode, we discuss what led her into the field of environmental resources and policy and why she chose to come to the US to pursue college and graduate school. She explains the culture shock she experienced in the USA, the challenges she faced with her advisor, and how she navigated single motherhood during graduate school while away from her family. In this inspiring conversation, she talks about how she overcame some of the cultural and financial challenges of being an African international student in college and grad school, as well as the difficulties of finding employment in Kenya when she returned “overqualified”. To hear her inspirational story as well as her valuable advice to anyone considering doing their doctoral degree outside of their home country, tune in today!
Connect with Dr. Mundia on LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
There are many variables that impact the doctoral and postdoctoral experience. One of these is undoubtedly location. Today's guest, Dr. Anna Hood, has unique insight into higher education both here in the US, and in the UK, having completed her Ph.D. at Washington University, and now working as a lecturer in psychology at the University of Manchester. During this conversation, she shares the story of how she came to pursue her doctorate in Psychological and Brain Sciences and finding community in a cohort of Black and Brown first-time doctoral students. We hear from Dr. Hood about her current research into the biophysical model of sickle cell disease, why she chose to apply to grad schools right out of the MARC program, and how the conferences she attended enriched her educational experience. We touch on what it was like to be a postgraduate student on the ground for Michael Brown, and how she came to start the Diversity Committee at the University of Manchester. Dr. Hood gets candid about procuring funding, applying for fellowships, and creating presentations, and shares her experience of being a graduate school advisor herself. She unpacks some of the differences between the UK and US experience, and leaves listeners with some powerful advice: get paid, find money, don't pay for graduate school! We hope you join us to hear all this and more today.
Connect with Dr. Anna Hood on LinkedIn and Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
While we have made great strides toward racial and gender equity over the last century, disparities still remain in fairness and equal opportunity. Unfortunately, one of the sectors where these disparities are the easiest to spot is in STEM. Today on The Cohort Sistas Podcast, you’ll hear from Dr. Carlotta Berry, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and the 2021 to 2024 Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Berry, who goes by NoireSTEMinist online, is a leading scholar in robotics and was one of the co-founders of Black In Engineering and Black In Robotics, which both work to bring awareness to systemic racism and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. In this episode, Dr. Berry talks about her passion for diversifying the engineering profession by recruiting more underrepresented populations and women to the field, elaborating on her belief that the profession should reflect the world that we live in order to solve the unique problems that we face. She also shares how she intentionally pursued a PhD in order to become a teacher, why she chose to pursue a master’s degree before going into a doctoral program, and how she supplemented her doctoral stipend with side gigs, as well as the importance of using your voice and position to advocate for change, despite the potential repercussions. Tune in today to learn more!
Connect with Dr. Carlotta Berry on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Thank you for tuning in to another episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Here today to share her journey is Dr. Bianca Goodrum, a licensed counselor and assistant professor at Our Lady of the Lake University. Dr. Goodrum’s dissertation focused on the stories of grief counselors’ self-care and wellness practices and, in today’s episode, she shares her findings with us, along with how she has integrated these practices into her own work. She shares why it is important to externalize your experiences and how there is a lot of strength in crying, and we talk about her father’s work as a counselor, and what motivated her to choose the program she ended up pursuing, before exploring what it was like to study her doctorate while working full time. Next, we touch on the dangers of comparison and Dr. Goodrum tells us why she believes there is a seat for everyone at the table. You’ll hear about her experience of transitioning from a student to dissertation writer, to searching for a job, before detailing the rare story of moving from adjunct professor to tenure track professor. Dr. Goodrum believes that the more doors we close, the more the ones we want to go through will open, and her advice to young Black women entering the doctoral space includes being intentional about your decisions and finding someone you can cry in front of. Join us today to hear more!
Connect with Dr. Goodrum on LinkedIn and Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
As Gettysburg College’s first black administrator, and the only black woman to ever be a full professor at the college, Dr. Jennifer Bloomquist has many stories to share from her 20 year career. Although there have been challenges of being immersed in all-white spaces at the college, Jennifer has always felt that the institution has invested in helping her achieve success, and she in turn, has made it her goal to do the same for other black and brown folks who come through Gettysburg’s doors. In today’s episode, Jennifer shares how her doctoral degree and her family commitments led her to Gettysburg, and her journey from Assistant Professor of Africana Studies to Associate Provost of Faculty Development and the Dean of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies. We also discuss the pros and cons of working at a liberal arts college as opposed to an R1, the most effective mentorship model, how to break away from harmful socialization, and ways to make academic institutions more hospitable to people of color.
Connect with Dr. Jennifer Bloomquist on LinkedIn.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Welcome to another episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Here today to discuss her work on Black girlhood and Black joy, and how she slowed down the doctoral journey to focus on fertility, is tenured professor Dr. Monique Lane. During this conversation, she shares how she published her dissertation in a book called Engendering #BlackGirlJoy. How to Cultivate Empowered Identities and Educational Persistence in Struggling Schools, and the two key offerings she has outlined in it. Next, she unpacks what she means by joy, and how Black girl joy is the precursor to Black girl magic. We talk about her journey from undergrad, to high school teacher, to doctoral student and beyond, and how her work as a teacher motivated the research direction she took during her doctorate, as well as sharing highlights and challenges from her journey in the world of education, and why she believes it is divine work. We hope you join us today to hear all this and more!
Connect with Dr. Monique Lane on LinkedIn and on her website. You can also purchase her recently published book, Engendering #BlackGirlJoy.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Doing a single postgraduate degree is hard enough under normal circumstances, and a real challenge during a pandemic. Dr. Tonia Burgess not only completed her Ph.D. during this time, but it was also her third degree in less than 10 years. Join us today as we discuss where she found the inspiration to start a master's and a Ph.D. after a nearly 30-year career with the California Government, and where she drew inspiration from throughout this process. Tonia talks about how she picked her topic and gives advice on confronting traumatic subjects. Discover the importance of a supportive family and planning your schedule to study and work simultaneously, followed by three things Tonia learned throughout her Ph.D. Don't miss out on this must-hear episode!
Connect with Dr. Tonia Burgess on LinkedIn.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today’s guest started out her college educational career in the field of chemistry, but when she was exposed to the lack of focus on non-traditional end users in the field of engineering, she decided to pursue a PhD which looked at how to improve the methodology of design. Dr. Malena Agyemang’s PhD journey had a few bumps in the road, and in today’s episode she explains the factors which pushed her to transfer from Arizona State to Clemson University. Malena discusses the positive impact that yoga has had on her life, and the goal behind her decision to do her yoga teacher training course. We end the episode with a key piece of advice from Malena which speaks to the personal struggles that she went through as a PhD student.
Connect with Dr. Malena Agyemang on LinkedIn and Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today’s guest, Dr. Ayeesha Hankins, obtained her PhD in educational psychology from the University of Carolina. Tune in to hear her thoughts on how to interpret and process a doctoral application rejection, what it was like to finish a doctoral degree in three years due to funding constraints, and navigating the challenge of not having clear research interests while you’re pursuing doctoral studies. You’ll also hear how Dr. Hankins used additional professional development resources during her degree to receive leadership and coaching certifications and how she uses them today to support Black women through the sensitive post-doctoral transition phase. Dr. Hankins speaks to the importance of finding the right fit between who you are and the environment where you will be pursuing your studies and shares how she was affected by not having a mentor to help her navigate her studies. Join us to hear about Dr. Hankins’ experience of navigating life whilst doing doctoral studies and how she has come to coach other women on the same journey! Connect with Dr. Ayeesha Hankinson LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
On today’s conversation, Dr. Beatrice Ncho tells the story of how she left Cameroon to start her studies at a community college in the United States, before eventually achieving a PhD in chemical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You’ll hear why she is passionate about helping Black women to excel in academia through mentorship, and what her current role entails, working as an R&D engineer at a medical device company, with a focus on changing the design of devices to prevent blood clots from forming in the heart. Dr. Ncho shares the roots of her interest in engineering, and tells us why she started her studies at a community college, and how this helped to set her up. You’ll also hear how she got accepted into a graduate program that paid her to learn, what led her to choose Georgia Tech, why the advisor you choose to work with has such a big influence on your PhD experience and what it was like for her to work with her advisor. People find community in all sorts of places, and Dr. Ncho shares how the Bible Study she started with a friend became an essential source of support, and how the students in her lab came to support and challenge one another. In closing, Dr. Ncho shares how her own experience of being mentored has led her to prioritize mentoring others, and shares some final words of advice with aspiring PhD candidates in Africa: you already have all the tools you need! We hope you join us to hear from this inspiring thought leader today.
Connect with Dr. Beatrice Nchoon LinkedIn and Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Knowing that you want to do your Ph.D. when you are in high school is pretty remarkable, and it requires focus and dedication from a young age. This is the position today’s guest, Dr. Niambi Brewer, was in. Niambi received her Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she is also doing her postdoc at the Genetic Diagnostic Laboratory. In today’s episode, Niambi talks about the journey of self-discovery she is on having recently completed her doctorate. When you are in graduate school, it is easy to be one-track-minded, so figuring out who you are again is a process. We hear what Niambi did in high school to explore her interests and set herself up for her Ph.D. Niambi decided to go straight into her doctoral studies from her undergrad rather than taking time off, and she provides insights into these decisions. Our wide-ranging conversation also touches on the importance of social capital as a Black doctoral student, how Niambi has managed to stay connected to people despite working in STEM research, and the importance of realizing your value. Tune in today.
Connect with Dr. Niambi Brewer on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and on her website. You can also learn more about the Meyerhoff Scholars Program here. If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Today’s guest, Dr. Wenimo Okoya, has a foot in both health and education, having worked as a classroom teacher in Harlem and the Bronx, received a Masters degree in public health and an EdD in health education. In this episode, she shares the details of her dissertation on why community schools hesitate to adopt trauma sensitive practices, and describes some of the elements that contribute to creating an unhealthy school environment, including labeling, racism, yelling, and repeated isolation without the appropriate support. We touch on mentorship and community and Dr. Okoya tells us about the network of people she developed during her time at Columbia University, before explaining why she chose to work and study at the same time, to make sure that her research was relevant. Next, Dr. Okoya tells us how her definition of community became broader than just the university, why her proposal defence was one of the biggest successes of her doctoral experience, and the problem of many highly ranked universities being located in urban neighborhoods. She lets us know what led her to work as an adjunct professor, and gives us the full scoop on the Healing Project, which she started with a view to heal teachers to empower their students. We hope you join us today to hear all this and more!
Connect with Dr. Wenimo Okoya on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and on her website, and learn more about The Healing Schools Project here.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Working at the intersection of clinical practice, consulting, and academia. Dr. Isha Metzger wears many hats. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, Assistant Professor at Georgia State University, and Director of The EMPOWER Lab, which looks to help communities heal from trauma and deal with anti-Black racism. In this episode, we hear about Dr. Metzger's journey and what sparked her interest in clinical psychology. She shares the role that mentors have played in her success and gives insights into how she has become a mentor herself. Although this is a coveted relationship, it requires work to set boundaries and talk through expectations to get the most out of it. Our conversation also touches on securing funding for your studies, why Dr. Metzger decided to work in such a transdisciplinary way as well as insights into the work EMPOWER Lab does. Dr. Metzger leaves us with some words of encouragement for Black women who are thinking about pursuing doctoral studies. Tune in to hear it all!
Connect with Dr. Isha Metzger on LinkedIn and her website. You can also find out more about The EMPOWER Lab and check out her podcast, Black and Empowered.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
On today’s episode, we speak to Dr. McKenzie Stokes, a community psychologist and first-generation college student whose work examines the protective effects of racial socialization on Black youth in mono- and multiracial Black families. You’ll hear about her own experience growing up in a biracial family, which has driven her research into the impact of parental communication within similar homes. Dr. Stokes reveals the statistics around suicidality and depression in biracial teenagers that further fueled her interest in the topic, and shares her academic journey from an uncertain undergraduate student going straight into her doctoral and post-doctoral studies. She unpacks her majors in community psychology, African American studies, and non profit management, and tells us about the scale she created to better measure how biracial individuals learn about race and the ways in which that shapes how they feel about their own identity and other Black people. We also discuss the doctoral application process and Dr. Stokes encourages future applicants to bear in mind that the application is holistic in nature; it doesn’t rest solely on your GRE scores. Dr. Stokes touches on the challenges she faced during her studies, including rejection and the emotional burden of teaching, before sharing some great victories, among which are persevering through rejection, three first-author publications, and receiving dissertation grants for data collection. We hope you join us to hear all this and more today!
Connect with Dr. McKenzie Stokes on LinkedIn and on Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Fearlessness and an inquiring mind are two ingredients with the power to carry students a long way. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Daphney Chery, a scientist and doctor who received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. In today’s episode, she tells the unique story of how she started her doctoral journey without applying, how she was introduced to biomedical engineering through a prosthetics expert, and how Drexel’s allowance for interdisciplinary studies enabled her to publish papers at U Penn and Einstein during her studies. She goes on to tell us how she found a sense of community among the staff at Drexel, the details of her funding journey, and her advice for people on a similar path: find an ally, and know your worth. Dr. Chery shares her experience of racism in academia and we explore why, despite their success and prestige, HBCUs are not considered R1 institutions. In closing, she offers some words of wisdom to listeners: prioritize networking, learn from other people’s mistakes, explore your options, and talk to people. Tune in for an episode packed with advice and inspiration today!
Connect with Dr. Daphney Chery on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and DrDaphneyChery.com.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
As we celebrate the 30th episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast we take a moment to examine one of the most common threads that come up in nearly every single episode: mentorship. Regardless of whether our guests have shared positive or negative mentorship experiences during their doctoral journey, it can't be denied that mentorship is one of the most important elements of success along this path. Today, we discuss the importance of having a mentor and particularly a Black woman to mentor you along your doctoral journey and beyond. Our host, Dr. Ijeoma Kola, shares some of her own firsthand experiences with different mentors. Dr. Kola breaks down the three categories of Black women mentors that she has encountered: the high-ranking Black woman mentor, the no-nonsense Black woman mentor, and the Auntie/Fairy Godmother Black woman mentor. She examines the pros and cons of each and gives some tips to make the most of any mentor-mentee relationship with one of these women. Lack of mentorship is the number one self-reported barrier to success in doctoral studies for Cohort Sistas members so tune in today to find out about the Cohort Sistas Sista Circle Mentorship Program and how you too can find a mentor that looks like you!
Mentioned in the show:
- Cohort Sistas Sista Circle Mentorship Program
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this week’s episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast, we get together with Dr. Chrystelle Vilfranc to discuss her Ph.D. journey and the difficulties of finishing a doctoral degree during a pandemic. Dr. Vilfranc is the most recent graduate we’ve interviewed, having received her Ph.D. in April of this year. She earned her Ph.D. in Cancer and Cell Biology from the University of Cincinnati. She is an American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media fellow, where she is currently interning and working as a science journalist. In our conversation with Dr. Vilfranc, we discuss how she first became interested in science and studying cancer. She shares how she struggled with her first application to graduate school and explains how a referral to a post-baccalaureate program helped her find success in her second application. Tuning in you’ll hear Dr. Vilfranc break down her dissertation and how an unexpected figure helped her realize she wanted to pursue a Ph.D. instead of going to medical school. She shares her experiences with imposter syndrome and how she found mentorship and support by connecting with black, female mentors online. Hear what it was like for Dr. Vilfranc to finish her degree during a pandemic and why her next career move is all about helping her community. Join us today for a fascinating look at the many aspects of pursuing a Ph.D. in science and how online mentorship can inspire and support you!
Connect with Dr. Chrystelle Vilfranc on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- On the Vanguard: Conversations with Women of Color in STEM
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
You may not have heard of today’s guest but, if you’re active on social media, you’re likely to encounter her work. Dr. Dominiqua Griffin is the Co-founder and CEO of Black Women PhDs, which bridges the formal and informal spaces for Black women along their doctoral journey. There’s plenty of focus on the challenges of pursuing doctoral and post-doctoral studies, but in today’s episode, we zoom in on how to maximize the joy of doing something you are passionate about. Dr. Griffin describes how her experience growing up in a dual culture household in the Bronx has shaped her identity and brought special insights that she brings to her research and work. Next, she tells us why she chose a doctoral program with both comparative and international education pieces, how she found support in an all-female cohort, and what she has come to define as community: being around people who have your best interests at heart. Dr. Griffin touches on her work doing an ethnographic study in Barbados, how she completed her studies in five years, and offers an imperative piece of advice to anyone approaching their studies: find joy! She reveals her biggest points of pride, from creating a powerful community at Black Women PhDs to practicing advocacy and connecting with others along the way. We talk about what motivated her to start her passion project and how she manages with a plate piled very high. In closing, Dr. Griffin tells us a bit about the Ambassadors Program and its international clusters, also offering some final words of wisdom: rely on your community, do what brings you joy, and just go for it! We hope you join us.
Connect with Dr. Dominiqua Griffin on LinkedIn, and at Black Women PhDs , Black Women PhDs on Facebook, Black Women PhDs on Twitter, and Black Women PhDs on Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Everyone wants to wake up in the morning with a strong sense of purpose, but carving out a career path that matches both your skillset and your area of interest can be incredibly challenging. Today’s guest, Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop, is a biomedical scientist who received her Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Miami. In this episode, we speak about the power of growing up with female family figures with doctoral degrees, and Dr. Bishop gives us an in-depth overview of her doctoral and post-doctoral research and the work she does at two non-profit organizations: STEMNoire and First Star Academies. We touch on the importance of family support, the power of purpose in creating intentionality, and why cancer research was well-suited to Dr. Bishop’s areas of interest, as well as how she came to realize this. We discuss the role of the academic institution you choose in developing your sense of self, Dr. Bishop reveals the details of her funding structure, and we explore the difference between being committed to understanding who you are working with and simply fulfilling your commitment to training underrepresented populations. Dr. Bishop gives us the details of her research into structural barriers to optimal health among communities of color and her work that uses science as a tool for social change in marginalized communities. Finally, she leaves women pursuing postgraduate studies with some beautiful advice: embrace all that you are, even when the institution seems to be requiring something different of you. We hope you join us for a glimpse into Dr. Bishop’s inspiring mind today!
Connect with Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop on Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop, Ph.D. , LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- STEMNoire
- First Star Academies
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
While pursuing a career as a medical doctor is a common and effective way to provide people with the care that they need, it is certainly not the only way to do so. In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Morine Cebert-Gaitors, who completed her Ph.D. in Nursing from Duke University School of Nursing and is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cebert-Gaitors, who is also a Certified Nurse Practitioner, shares her experience with an ovarian cyst inspired her to pursue a doctoral degree to study infertility in Black women, how she leveraged institutional resources and mentors to secure funding to finish her doctoral degree in just three and a half years, and the personal, family, and mental health challenges that she overcame during her doctorate. We hope you join us for a raw and real conversation about the personal challenges that can accompany an academic journey, and some powerful practical advice on how best to manage them!
Connect with Dr. Morine Cebert Gaitors on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- 'I’m a Black Woman with Adult ADHD: 3 Integral Aspects of My Treatment'
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
There are plenty of different approaches to building a career. What should come first, academic pursuits or real-world experience? Today, our guest is Dr. Linda Baffo, a health equity evaluator and public health analyst with over a decade of experience in the field. In this episode, Dr. Baffo talks about how her two years of teaching with Teach for America propelled her into the field of public health, the pros and cons of pursuing a doctoral degree in your 30s and how she used her experience in the field to supplement her in classroom learnings for a robust dissertation. Dr. Baffo shares some powerful tips on liking what you’re working on and scheduling time in, just for yourself, in order to achieve balance and overall wellness, and she tells us how her studies affirmed her existing approach to her work, helping her to gain confidence as a professional. We hope you join in for some powerful insights on how best to go about pursuing the work that you’re passionate about today.
Connect with Dr. Linda Baffo on LinkedIn.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Tega Edwin, who received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Penn State University. She first worked as a school counselor and initially pursued a Ph.D. to become a district supervisor. Dr. Edwin kicks off our episode by telling us how she assessed her varying degrees of love for research, teaching, and service to determine whether she should pursue an academic position at an R1 or R2 institution. Next, she shares the power of black female mentorship and the importance of showing up as your full self as a black woman in academia. She even gives us some really honest thoughts on the pros and cons of long-distance marriages before telling us how she carves out time for both academic and entrepreneurial endeavors during her week. Tune in for an episode packed with valuable career insights, practical tidbits, and grounding reality checks. We hope you join us!
Connect with Dr. Tega Edwin on Her Career Doctor, LinkedIn,Instagram, and Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
With the words “You can have it all, but not at the same time,” Shonda Rhimes gave thousands of women permission to reevaluate the unrealistic expectations they had been imposing on themselves. Our guest today is all too familiar with the consequences of this dilemma. In today’s episode of the Cohort Sistas podcast, we meet up with Dr. Latoya Watson. She is the mother of two young girls and currently works as the Assistant Dean of the Associate in Arts Program at the University of Delaware. Dr. Watson worked in higher education administration after finishing college at the University of Delaware and completed her EdD in Educational Leadership at the University of Delaware while working full-time at the same institution. Dr. Watson discusses the benefits of remaining at one institution for all three of her degrees, and how she was able to leverage her work in a university setting to apply to her master's and doctoral programs. We hear from Dr. Watson about the difficulty that comes with caring for a sick child while studying and how she managed to navigate motherhood, marriage, and her family’s health struggles while pursuing her doctoral degree. Later Dr. Watson unpacks her dissertation topic entitled Equity Mindedness and Equity Advising and how it forms the core of who she is. We loved having Dr. Watson on the show and we’re sure you will find the conversation every bit as stimulating as we did. Join us today as we discuss the challenges that come with ‘having it all’ and why there is no shame in taking longer than expected to complete your degree!
Connect with Dr. Latoya Watson on Dr. Latoya Watson, LinkedIn,Instagram, and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Black people have been marginalized and disadvantaged throughout history, but instead of allowing this to make you feel like you are not capable or worthy of greatness, let it instead fuel you and inspire you and motivate you to face up to every challenge that is thrown at you. That is the message that Dr. Monét Roberts has to share with us today. As a student who struggled with math, with a school supervisor who didn’t see the potential in her, Monet now holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering. In today’s episode, Dr. Roberts talks about the people who helped get her to this point, her passion for helping others excel on their own journeys, and the fascinating cancer research that she is involved with. Dr. Roberts knows all about impostor syndrome, and she opens up about the strategies that she utilizes to overcome that feeling that is all too common amongst people doing exceptional work. Don’t ever surrender your potential to the limited imaginations of others; believe in yourself, be audacious and lift others as you climb.
Connect with Dr. Monét Roberts on LinkedIn or on Twitter.Mentioned in the show:
- Platt Lab
- Munson Lab
- Georgia Tech
- Virginia Tech
- Cornell University
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
As a graduate student, it’s easy to become fixated on a rigid set of expectations, especially when it concerns what one’s academic trajectory should look like. In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Lauren Mims who has learned to accept that the academic path is often unpredictable, even in the face of the most dedicated planning. During her doctoral degree, she seized an unexpected opportunity, taking time off to work in the White House. During that time she served as the Assistant Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans for the Obama administration. Dr. Mims is currently an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State University in Indiana and received her doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia. Her research promotes the well-being and development of Black students, with a particular focus on Black girls and girlhood. In our discussion, we talked with Dr. Mims about her dissertation and how she came to choose her focus. She shares how surprised she was to find herself at a University in the Midwest and explains that she had based her decision on the fact that they actively celebrated Black scholars and their work, rather than simply tolerating them. We delve into her most recent endeavors which focus on Black families. Dr. Mims shares her exciting collaboration with Because Of Them We Can: the creation of a special box, the contents of which facilitate high-quality learning experiences for Black parents and their children. Tune in today for a fascinating and life-affirming discussion with Dr. Mims on all this and much more! We are sure you will find the conversation every bit as inspiring and thought-provoking as we did!
Connect with Dr. Lauren Mims on LaurenMims.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- Yara Shahidi’s Adidas Sneakers
- Beyonce’s Adidas Sneakers
- Woke Kindergarten
- Because Of Them We Can Box
- Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria?
- White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Dr. Ijeoma Kola goes solo in this episode and shares the different questions and considerations she is battling as she prepares for a postdoctoral research fellowship. Dr. Kola explains why she decided to pursue a post-doc in the first place, despite the low financial incentive. She also discusses how academia ignores the destabilizing nature of the culture of moving constantly for academic jobs, and how it jeopardizes personal goals and family responsibilities. Finally, she shares her worries about moving with a toddler to a new environment, and whether her new work environment will be one that honors the lives of professors outside of the classroom. Listen on to hear this and more!
Resources Mentioned:
Naturearticle about post-doc satisfaction
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Since May is Mental Health Month, it seems fitting to share this interview that we did a while back. Dr. Kristen Voorhies holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in evolutionary biology and currently works as a marine biologist at the US Fish and Wildlife Services. Not only was Kristen the only Black woman in her cohort, but she was also the first Black woman to graduate from her program. In this episode, Kristen talks about how she came to be a marine biologist, following her lifelong love and passion for the outdoors and the ocean. We hear about what she is currently working on and what her varied days look like. Kristen bravely opens up about the mental and physical health struggles she faced while enrolled as a doctoral student. She talks about her support systems and strategies, including seeing a therapist, finding a community, and taking a break from her program. As Black women in academia, there are numerous internal and external roadblocks on our paths, and Kristen’s candidness around these challenges gives a voice to something that many of us in these spaces have felt before. To hear all this and more, tune in today!
Connect with Dr. Kristen Voorhies on LinkedIn**.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255**
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
On today’s episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast we speak with Dr. Morgan Jerald about her experience studying an interdisciplinary doctorate at the University of Michigan. We start by acknowledging the challenges of the social climate in which Dr. Jerald commenced her studies. Next, Dr. Jerald gives listeners some tips on producing an academic application that will get noticed. She talks about how she knew that Michigan would be the best place to complete her studies, showing listeners what to look out for when choosing an institution. Dr. Jerald goes on to share her hypothesis that negative stereotypes around Black female sexuality have a converse effect, leading many Black women to more conservative views and behaviors. Next, she gives us the inside scoop on applying for jobs after completing a doctorate and provides listeners with some tips on how to speed up the process. We ask Dr. Jerald to share a bit of her social experience as a minority at the larger and smaller institutions she attended and she talks us through the highs and lows. We move on to a conversation about the work that Dr. Jerald does at the Intersectionality and Marginalization Lab, talk about the importance of self-care and get Dr. Jerald to outline her biggest points of pride around her accomplishments. Tune in to hear about Dr. Jerald’s epic journey as a Black academic in the Midwest.
Connect with Dr. Morgan Jerald on Twitter at @morgancjerald or on her website.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Whether you complete your studies first or break it up with experiences in the working world, you’re still going to gain the knowledge and you’re still going to do the work. In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan, a scholar and practitioner with over 15 years of teaching and youth programming experience. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University and has established herself as a thought leader in the field of critical and culturally sustainable youth mentorship. Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan is also the founder and executive director of the Youth Mentoring Action Network, a community-based nonprofit that mentors Californian, Inland Empire Youth through high school into college and careers. In today's conversation, she reflects on how her childhood and adolescent experiences in a suburban environment in the Inland Empire informed her research and resulted in the work she does today. She expands on her dedication to addressing the mentorship gap for Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ youth after seeing a lack of mentorship for that demographic during her research, how she benefited from working as a teacher while doing her Master’s degree, and why she teaches her graduate students that you can only really understand all the theory you’ve been immersed in once you start applying it in the working world. Listeners can also expect plenty of insights into how to choose an institution based on the faculty members, especially if you are a prospective Ph.D. candidate, so make sure to tune in today!
Connect with Dr. Torie Weiston-Serdan on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or on her website. You can learn more about the Youth Mentoring Action Network at YMAN.org.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
It’s normal for many of us to choose to essentially put our lives on hold when we pursue a doctoral degree. The same cannot be said for Dr. Veronica Eyo, who had not one but three children while earning her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California! In today’s episode, we speak with Dr. Eyo about deciding to continue pursuing her doctorate despite her first pregnancy, how things changed during COVID, and what helped her through it all. In our discussion, Dr. Eyo shares the challenges she faced and how her University lacked facilities, financial support, and adequate guidelines for student mothers and pregnant students. We dive into Dr. Eyo’s dissertation and discuss why she chose to focus on student mothers and why COVID made the process so much more challenging. She also shares a distressing anecdote about a committee member and offers some wise words of advice. Dr. Eyo shares how she had to advocate for herself and why she prioritized participating in the social life and campus community, even if it meant she had to use her breast pump while doing it! Later, we discuss why she chose to become a practicing therapist and social worker after her degree despite having intended to follow a more academic path. Tune in for an informative and honest discussion that will inspire anyone considering motherhood while pursuing their doctorate!
Connect with Dr. Veronica Eyo on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or on her website**.
Resources Mentioned:**
- Set Boundaries, Find Peace
- Get Good with Money
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today’s episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ujunwa Okoye-Okafor to talk about her time at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, imposter syndrome, and the power of self-knowledge. Dr. Okoye-Okafor received her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and, during that time, she was part of the team that patented a novel gene. She currently works in a lab that focuses on cell biology, hematopoiesis, and the potential oncological implications.
In this episode, Dr. Okoye-Okafor discusses the challenges that can come with the expectations that are implicit in many Nigerian families, where you are limited to three career options, and how she had to let go of the long-held expectations of not just by her family, but also herself. She credits her mentors, her family, and her faith with helping her through a very difficult time in her studies, and she shares how improving her physical fitness was essential for helping her feel empowered again and how she was able to employ that in conjunction with her faith to become a leader and mentor to other women struggling with their identity. Dr. Okoye-Okafor also opens up how she was able to heal from the trauma she suffered at school and return to work at the same institution with the support of a mentor as well as a more robust sense of identity. Join us today for a conversation full of insightful wisdom and encouragement!
Connect with Dr. Ujunwa Okoye-Okafor on LinkedIn.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast we speak with Dr. Ijeoma Opara all about her research, the importance of mentors and why there’s nothing wrong with taking a non-linear path to earning a doctorate. Dr. Opara received her PhD in Family Science and Human Development from Montclair State University. She is the founder of The SASH Lab, namely The Substance Abuse and Sexual Health Lab. She currently works as an assistant professor in the School of Social Welfare at SUNY Stony Brook. This summer she will be transitioning to Yale School of Public Health, where she will serve as an assistant professor of Racism and Health in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
In our conversation Dr. Opara openly reflects on how her Nigerian heritage, the death of her parents as well as her school and upbringing impacted her academic journey. She further expands on how research for her dissertation led her to revelations on the impact of positive self-identity and positive group identity, and how this can serve as a protective barrier to risky behavior. Listeners can expect tips and insights for black women who are interested in being successful in the academic job market. She also shares how she balances the many facets of her work and why having a reliable team is crucial. Tune in today for a deep dive into this extraordinary figure and plenty of practical advice!
Connect with Dr. Ijeoma Opara on Twitter or Instagram, and check out the SASH Lab to learn more about Dr. Opara's research.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast, you’ll hear from today’s guest, Dr. Norrell Edwards, who shares her perspective on thinking about your Ph.D. as just one part of your career journey, not the be-all and end-all! Dr. Edwards completed her doctorate in English literature from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a specialization in 20th and 21st century Black Diaspora Literature. Dr. Edwards recently joined Texas Christian University as Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow from her position at Georgetown University, where she served as Assistant Director of Education of their Prison and Justice Initiative. She currently serves as the volunteer director of communications for the Next Step Forward Initiative, a New York-based grassroots organization focused on making progress to eradicate systemic racism. Tuning in, you’ll hear how Dr. Edwards found her way into academia and why she says that landing on the doctoral path was somewhat accidental, and she shares the programs she enrolled in, the challenges she encountered and how she overcame them, as well as the successes she experienced along the way. Tune in today to find out more!
Connect with Dr. Norrell Edwards on LinkedIn, on Twitter, or on her website, NorellEdwards.com.
Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
- Next Step Forward Institute
- The Dew Breaker
- Georgetown University Prison and Justice Initiative
- ‘New Rochelle Police Department’s Complaint Suppression and the Need for Civilian Oversight’
- McNair Scholars
- The Leadership Alliance
- Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
- Columbia Undergraduate Scholars Program (CUSP)
- Drug Policy Alliance
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
The language we use matters, especially if we want to enact change upon systemically racist power structures. In today’s episode, we get together with Dr. Noelle Chaddock who received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Binghamton University and serves as the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at Bates College. She teaches and publishes critical race theory, Black feminism, and Black dramaturgy and theory. In our conversation, Dr. Chaddock dives straight into her experiences as a transracial adoptee and how those circumstances affected her. Dr. Chaddock shares her non-traditional route to earning her Ph.D. and recounts the story of how a Binghamton University professor encouraged her to pursue a degree, not because she was lacking in skills, but for her self-image and enrichment. Tuning in you’ll hear about Dr. Chaddock’s work in higher education administration and the circumstances that led her to it. Later, we discuss Dr. Chaddock’s book Antagonizing White Feminism: Intersectionality's Critique of Women's Studies and the Academy and its insights into instances of performative allyship. She explains why she no longer believes in white allyship and why co-conspiracy is a viable alternative. She also unpacks how she came to reject the concept of self-care and instead embraced the notion of healing, and explains how Soul Healing can be used to address collective racial trauma. It was an honor having Dr. Chaddock on our show and we loved talking with her! We are sure you will find the conversation every bit as stimulating and thought-provoking as we did!
Connect with Dr. Noelle Chaddock on LinkedIn,Instagram, and Twitter.
Mentioned in the show:
- Antagonizing White Feminism
- The Harambe Collective
- Dr. Noelle Chaddock: Bates University
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Pursuing a doctoral degree typically means pursuing a very unique specialization, often with a predetermined trajectory, and institutions aren’t always equipped to accommodate students who envision an alternate pathway. This insight comes from our guest today, Dr. Margaret A. Brunson, a multidisciplinary leader, writer, coach, and entrepreneur. Dr. Brunson received her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from North Carolina A&T State University and is the founder and CEO of Illumined Leadership Solutions. In our conversation, we discuss how Dr. Brunson chose her Ph.D. program and the reasons why she was so appreciative of its multidisciplinary structure. Her dissertation was occupied with studying the intersection between spirituality and leadership and the participant group consisted of women who were in senior positions in academic medical institutions or leaders in academic medicine. During her time there she conducted qualitative research that examined the connection between stressful life events and spirituality. Dr. Brunson shares her appreciation for qualitative research, crediting her love of stories and a deep interest in how we make meaning from traumatic life events. Later we discuss how Dr. Brunson’s dissertation informed her business and how the rigorous work of completing a Ph.D. prepared her for entrepreneurship. She also shares what she learned from her mentors, including an important piece of advice on the benefits of pursuing a Ph.D. at a Historically Black University. It was wonderful having Dr. Brunson on our show, we hope you’ll join us for an insightful and thought-provoking conversation!
Connect with Dr. Brunson on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. You can also visit her website: www.MBisFree.com
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
I'll be popping in for a solo episode every so often and today I wanted to take some time to share a bit about the story behind Cohort Sistas and explain our programming and impact. Our mission is guided by three pillars: resources, mentorship, and community, and in this episode, I briefly share how we provide those three pillars for the women who join the Cohort Sistas community.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
On today’s episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast, assistant professor at NYU, Dr. Chantal Hailey emphasizes the game-changing role of peer and senior support in doctoral studies. We dive into the role of racial preference, safety and perceived safety in New York. We begin our conversation by touching on the role of race, safety and racialized safety in school choices. Dr. Hailey tells the story of how attending a predominantly white private school piqued her interest in sociological dynamics at a young age. She goes on to tell us about her own journey with school selection and how she experienced NYU’s focus on sociology as a whole as opposed to sharing knowledge solely to recruit her into their program was a big selling point for them as an institution. Dr. Hailey shares with us that taking time off between undergraduate and doctoral studies enabled her to develop the confidence she needed to succeed. Next, she shares with us some of the benefits of building strong relationships with students further along in their academic journey than she was. She tells us about the element of competition and the importance of protecting your ideas and gets real about the rollercoaster of highs and lows involved in grad school. We talk about NYU’s funding structure, the funding process and the importance of asking questions and allowing people to challenge you. Tune in for some hard-won pearls of wisdom to guide and inspire your doctoral journey.
Connect with Dr. Chantal Hailey on Dr. Chantal Hailey, LinkedIn,Instagram, and Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
Completing a Ph.D. in the science field wasn’t enough to get Dr. Lamia Harper where she wanted to be, so she recently started pursuing an education of a very different type; bible studies. Lamia’s goal is to combine her passions for science and faith through educating youth about the intersection between the two. In today’s episode, Lamia explains how she ended up with a microbiology-focused Ph.D., after realizing that her original undergraduate path didn’t suit her, and after changing labs during her doctoral program. Lamia is one of the few people we have had on the show who was part of a doctoral program that was as diverse and inclusive as we wish they could all be, so it was inspiring to get a feel for what is possible. Lamia shares valuable insights about applying for funding, surrounding yourself with people who will build you up, and the importance of knowing when to stick to something and when to change your track.
Connect with Dr. Lamia on LinkedIn or on Twitter.Mentioned in the show:
- NYU Grossman School of Medicine
- Hillsong College
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Claudia Okonkwo, who received her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology last year and currently works for Boston Consulting Group. Dr. Okonkwo talks about adjusting to life in the US after moving from Nigeria to attend college, how she created time during her doctoral degree for extra-curricular activities (including a brief modeling career!), and how she remained resilient and determined after failing her qualifying exams twice.
Connect with Dr. Claudia on Instagram @Claudiah_1 or @luminaryadvantage and check out her website at www.theluminaryadvantage.com. She’s also on LinkedIn as Claudia Okonkwo.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In this week's episode, I chat with Dr. Arielle Brown, who is a licensed psychologist currently practicing at Louisiana State University's Mental Health Service. She earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and shares with us why she chose the PhD route over a PsyD or a master's degree, how she had the courage to pivot during her doctoral degree to focus more on clinical practice, and how she has redefined what teaching looks like in her professional career.
Connect with Dr. Arielle Brown on Instagram.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Amber Spry, who I've known since way back in college when we did a summer research program together called Leadership Academy. Dr. Spry received her PhD in Political Science from Columbia University and is now an assistant professor at Brandeis University. She shares really critical insight on how you can create your own professional narrative during graduate school, how to do independent research consulting while getting your doctorate, and how to navigate the informal relationships necessary for academic and professional success.
Connect with Dr. Amber Spry at amberspry.com, or on Instagram or Twitter.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Mercy Agyepong, who is an assistant professor in sociology of education at New York University. Dr. Agyepong received her PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she shares with us how she bounced back from a 2.16 undergraduate GPA, why she turned down a PhD acceptance from Howard, how she coped with going from a life in New York to a life in Wisconsin, and how she found mentorship outside of her PhD program.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas global membership community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Vivian Rodriguez, who has been a school psychologist for almost 20 years, and recently completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration. Dr. Rodriguez is also a fellow blogger at LivByViv.com and podcaster at the Don't Mix In Podcast, so we talk about how she strategically timed going back to school with her own kids' educational milestones, why she started a blog after her 40th birthday, and why she thinks pursuing a doctoral degree is a gift. Quick heads up, there are two or three times during this interview where my microphone has a bit of feedback, so I apologize! New mic is coming soon.
Connect with Dr. Vivian Rodriguez on Instagram, at LivbyViv.com or on her podcast, Don't Mix In.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Sharese King, a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago. Dr. King discusses her work on how Black speech is perceived and stigmatized, how she transitioned from her undergraduate program right into a Ph.D., and the benefits of doing a post-doc before accepting a teaching position.
Here are some of the programs Dr. King referenced:
- McNair Scholars Program
- SROP (Summer Research Opportunities Program)
- Stanford's DARE (Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence) Program
- University of Chicago Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowships
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Renee Ragin Randall, a postdoctoral fellow and incoming assistant professor in Comparative Literature and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Dr. Randall shares how a career in foreign service led her to pursue a PhD, what it was like growing up with a mother in academia, and why she thinks getting work experience before applying to doctoral programs makes you a stronger candidate.
If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community or you’re looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our site at www.cohortsistas.com.
Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow the Cohort Sistas podcast, rate, and leave us a quick review wherever you’re listening.
In the introductory episode of The Cohort Sistas Podcast, Dr. Ijeoma Kola shares a bit of background about why she started Cohort Sistas, an online community for Black women pursuing doctoral degrees; how the podcast is an extension of the Cohort Sistas; and what you can expect from the podcast.
Welcome to The Cohort Sistas Podcast, where each week, we bring to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women navigating doctoral degree programs and their lives beyond the degree.