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!

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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