The Cohort Sistas Podcast
The Cohort Sistas Podcast is an empowering and enlightening podcast that holds space for Black women and nonbinary doctoral degree holders to share their stories, experiences, and expertise. Each episode features an engaging interview on a wide range of topics, including academic trajectory, application process, mentorship, funding, career development, mental health, and social issues. Hosted by Cohort Sistas Founder and Executive Director Dr. Ijeoma Kola, The Cohort Sistas Podcast is known for its authentic and relatable approach, providing listeners with valuable insights, practical advice, and a sense of community. Whether you're looking for inspiration, encouragement, or simply a thought-provoking conversation, this podcast is a must-listen for aspiring doctors seeking to connect, learn, and thrive.
Cohort Sistas provides digital resources, mentorship, and community to improve equity in doctoral education. While our programs and platform are open to all doctoral students, applicants, and degree holders, we prioritize and center the needs and perspectives of Black women and nonbinary scholars.
Be sure to follow us on social at https://www.twitter.com/cohortsistas and https://www.instagram.com/cohortsistas, and visit our website at https://www.cohortsistas.org.
Episodes
96 episodes
Dr. Anna Hood on Finding Money for School and Doctoral Education in the US vs. the UK
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...
Dr. Carlotta Berry (@NoireSTEMinist) on Using Robotics to Diversify STEM
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. To...
Dr. Bianca Goodrum on the Courage to Cry and Having Favor on the Academic Job Market
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 ...
Dr. Jennifer Bloomquist on Learnings from 20 Years of Being a “First” At Gettysburg College
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 imme...
Dr. Monique Lane on #BlackGirlJoy and Slowing Down The Doctoral Journey to Focus on Fertility
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 conv...
Dr. Tonia Burgess on Getting a Doctorate to Leave a Legacy for Her Granddaughter
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 ...
Dr. Malena Agyemang on Transferring from One PhD Program to Another & Finding Peace in Yoga
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 impro...
Dr. Ayeesha Hankins on Self-Trust and Finding Your Best Fit
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...
Dr. Beatrice Ncho on Using the Long Game to your Advantage
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 Technolo...
Dr. Niambi Brewer on Self-Discovery after Going Straight from Undergrad to a PhD
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...
Dr. Wenimo Okoya on Immersing Yourself in the Communities You Study and Healing Teachers to Help Students
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 d...
Dr. Isha Metzger on Establishing Expectations and Boundaries in Mentoring and Balancing Academic & Community Work
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...
Dr. McKenzie Stokes on Dealing with Rejection and the Financial Benefits of Going Straight from Undergrad to a PhD
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...
Dr. Daphney Chery on How Curiosity and Confidence Helped Her Network Her Way into a Doctoral Program, Post-Doc, and Policy Position
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 i...
Dr. Ijeoma Kola on the Importance of Having Mentors Who Look Like You and Where to Find Them
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 ...
Dr. Chrystelle Vilfranc on Bouncing Back After Not Getting Into a Program and Finishing a Doctoral Degree During a Pandemic
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...
Dr. Dominiqua Griffin of Black Women PhDs on Fostering School, Family, and Community Partnerships in Research, Policy, and Practice
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 wome...
Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop on Crafting a Career Identity that Aligns With Your Personal Values
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 biomedic...
Dr. Morine Cebert-Gaitors on Leveraging Institutional Resources and a Support System to Overcome Personal & Mental Health Challenges
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 ...
Dr. Linda Baffo on the Benefits & Challenges of Pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Your 30s
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 ex...
Dr. Tega Edwin on R1 vs R2 Institutions, Balancing Academic & Non-Academic Work and The Pros & Cons of a Long-Distance Marriage
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 of...
Dr. Latoya Watson on Motherhood, Health Struggles, and Equity Mindedness
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 conse...
Dr. Monét Roberts on Impostor Syndrome, Celebrating All of Your Small Wins, and Life-Changing Mentors
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 ever...
Dr. Lauren Mims on Combining Research, Teaching, & Policy to Change How We Think About the Magic of Black Girlhood
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...
Dr. Ijeoma Kola on the Financial, Professional, and Personal Implications of Relocating a Young Family for a Postdoc
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, d...