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. Kristen Voorhies on Overcoming Tragedy, Healing from Trauma, and Prioritizing Mental Health During Her Doctoral Degree
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 F...
Dr. Morgan Jerald on Self-Esteem in Graduate School and Being Black at a Liberal Arts College vs. an R1 Institution
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. Torie Weiston-Serdan on K-12 Teaching, Youth Mentoring, and Running a Non-Profit
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 schol...
Dr. Veronica Eyo on Having Three Children While Getting a Doctoral Degree & Working Full-Time
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 f...
Dr. Ujunwa Okoye-Okafor on Making the Hard Choice to Stop Pursuing Her Childhood Dream
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 ...
Dr. Ijeoma Opara on the Protective Effects of Resiliency in Her Personal Life and Research
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 Fami...
Dr. Norrell Edwards on Thinking About Your PhD as Just One Part of Your Career Journey
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 complete...
Dr. Noelle Chaddock on Starting College at 32, Soul Healing, and Performative Allyship
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 serve...
Dr. Margaret A. Brunson on How She Turned Her Dissertation Research into a Coaching Business
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 ...
Dr. Ijeoma Kola on the Three Pillars of Cohort Sistas: Resources, Mentorship, and Community
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,...
Dr. Chantal Hailey on The Importance of Peer Mentorship in Doctoral Studies & Post-Academic Success
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 s...
Dr. Lamia Harper on Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Science & The Power of External Funding
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...
Dr. Claudia Okonkwo on Adjusting to Life in the US & Not Quitting After Failing Her Qualifying Exams Twice
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 ...
Dr. Arielle Brown on Having the Courage to Pivot from an Academic to a Clinical Career
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 Urb...
Dr. Amber Spry on Consulting in Graduate School & the Importance of Informal Networks
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 n...
Dr. Mercy Agyepong on Bouncing Back from a 2.16 GPA to Becoming a Tenure Track Professor
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 s...
Dr. Vivian Rodriguez on Balancing Her Career, Family, and Blog While Getting Her Doctorate
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...
Dr. Sharese King on Starting a Fully-Funded Ph.D. Immediately After College
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 un...
Dr. Renee Ragin Randall on How Work Experience Prepared Her For a Doctorate
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 serv...
Welcome to The Cohort Sistas Podcast
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 Coho...