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.

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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.

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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.

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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.

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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.

Thank you for listening!

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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.

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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.

Thank you for listening!

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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. 

Thank you for listening!

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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. 

Thank you for listening!

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Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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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. 

Thank you for listening!

Leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Join the Cohort Sistas community at community.cohortsistas.org

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