Ciara Sivels
Ciara Sivels (born 1990) is an American nuclear engineer at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. She was the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan. She was named an IF/THEN Ambassador in 2019 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ciara Sivels | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan |
| Awards | American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassador |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nuclear engineering, nuclear physics |
| Institutions | Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Thesis | Development of an Advanced Radioxenon Detector for Nuclear Explosion Monitoring (2018) |
Early life and education
[edit]Sivels is from Chesapeake, Virginia.[1] She attended Hickory High School.[2][3] Sivels was originally interested in culinary arts, but took an Advanced Placement class in chemistry and became interested in science.[4][5] She completed her undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology,[6] During her time at MIT, Sivels interned for Teach For America before considering a career in academic research.[2] She also served in various leadership roles at the MIT chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.[7]
Sivels joined the University of Michigan (UoM) in 2013 for her graduate studies, working on Beta-Gamma coincidence-detectors and nuclear forensics with Sara Pozzi.[2][8] Her thesis considered nuclear nonproliferation using radioxenon for nuclear explosion monitoring in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.[9][10] She developed a new "plug and play" radioxenon detector device to improve monitoring at.[11][12] She received the first Place Poster Award US Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration University and Industry Technical Interchange in 2016.[13]
During her graduate studies, Sivels was one of three black women completing their PhD. She engaged with the Detroit Pre-College Engineering Program, supporting high school students from minority backgrounds.[14] She also founded the Women in Nuclear Engineering in Radiological Sciences group at UoM.[15][16] In 2018, Sivels was the first black woman to earn a PhD in nuclear engineering at the University of Michigan, considered the top nuclear engineering program in the United States.[17][6]
Research
[edit]Sivels currently works at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory[2][18] and her work, funded through the Department of Defense, is highly classified.[19] Sivels is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers.[20]
Awards and honors
[edit]In 2019, Sivels was chosen to be one of the 125 national American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassadors.[21][22][23] The award recognizes the work of women in science, technology, engineer and mathematics fields as part of an outreach initiative to encourage the representation of women in STEM fields. Subsequently, a 3D printed statue of Sivels was displayed on the Smithsonian National Mall in March 2022 as part of Women's History Month. [24] She was named a "Millennial to Watch" by the US Office of Nuclear Energy in 2019.[25]
Sivels was featured on a GoldieBlox episode "Draw Her Life" empowering girls in STEM fields.[26]
References
[edit]- ^ Team, The Black Detour (2018-11-04). "Ciara Sivels becomes the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan". The Black Detour. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ a b c d Reporter, Sam Small Daily News (29 October 2018). "Ciara Sivels becomes the first Black woman to get her doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from University". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Hickory High School Chesapeake, Virginia news". hickoryhighschool.net. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Meet The First Black Woman To Earn A Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. From Nation's Top Program". HuffPost UK. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "MIT NSE: Spotlight: 2020: Ciara Sivels '13: From culinary arts to nuclear engineering". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ a b "Paving the Way". www.jhuapl.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Sivels is Gold". STEM Is The New Black. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Ciara Sivels – Consortium for Verification Technology". cvt.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "PhD Defense: Ciara Sivels | Happening @ Michigan". events.umich.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Ciara Sivels; First-Ever Black Woman To Earn A Ph.D. In Nuclear Engineering From Michigan". Women Africa. 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ Gorey, Colm (2020-07-03). "Trailblazer in nuclear engineering reveals her unusual career path". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "From culinary arts to nuclear engineering". MIT News. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Consortium for Verification Technology – Home for the Consortium for Verification Technology". cvt.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ^ "The First Black Woman to Earn a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Michigan". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 2018-11-20. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ Lewis, Philip (2018-11-02). "Meet The First Black Woman To Earn A Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. From Nation's Top Program". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ Griffin, Charmaine. "Blavity News & Politics". Blavity News & Politics. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ Ciara Sivels becomes the first black woman to earn a PHD in nuclear engineering from University of Michigan, archived from the original on January 22, 2019, retrieved 2019-01-21
- ^ "Ciara Sivels Becomes First Black Woman To Earn Nuclear Engineering Ph.D. From University Of Michigan". NewsOne. 2018-11-04. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Millennial to Watch: Ciara Sivels". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ^ "Clara Sivels - NSBE". NSBE. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors" (PDF). American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Sivels of Hopkins APL named as National STEM ambassador". The Johns Hopkins News-Letter. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "If/Then Digital Exhibit Companion". ifthenexhibit.org. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "A Striking Pose: Sivels Statue Graces National Mall". Johns Hopkins APL. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ "Millennial to Watch: Ciara Sivels". Energy.gov. Retrieved 2020-07-03.
- ^ "Meet Dr. Ciara Sivels, the First Black Woman to get a PHD in Nuclear Engineering from University of Michigan". GoldieBlox. Retrieved 2022-03-31.