In an era of firsts for women and minorities in the U.S., the realm of academia is no exception.
Dr. Ciara Sivels recently made history when she became the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences (NERS) from the University of Michigan (UM).
The historic designation for Sivels isn’t much of a surprise, since she was used to the idea that she would likely be the only Black person or woman in a classroom as early as middle school.
“I for the most part, kind of just put my head down and got the work done,” Sivels says. “So for me, I just wanted to make sure that my work spoke for itself and I kind of led with that.”
When Sivels — a 27-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia — learned that no other African-American woman had been granted a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at the beginning of her doctoral program, she tried not to let that fact add any “stress to the program as it stood already.”
But today, she is elated that she has achieved this historic milestone, adding that “if someone has to do it, at least I was able to do it, open the door and kind of go through this process so that I can make it easier for the next person coming along.”
Since receiving her Ph.D., Sivels has made national news and has emerged as a role model for other young women of color who are contemplating pursuing advanced degrees in the hard sciences.
