Wow, what an impressive achievement! Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua is truly breaking barriers and making history as the world's first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Cybernetics.
Her pioneering spirit and determination are truly inspiring, and her groundbreaking accomplishment highlights the importance of STEM education and gender representation.
It's incredible to see the impact she is making in her field!
In a groundbreaking accomplishment, Nigerian academic, Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, has become the first black woman globally to earn a Ph.D. in Cybernetics, a field focusing on the communication of information in machines and electronic devices, drawing parallels to the human brain and nervous system.
Ekeng-Itua is a trailblazer for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives throughout Africa, serving as an esteemed educator, administrator, and engineer.
She is opening doors for African youth, with a particular emphasis on empowering girls. She attained her degree from the University of Reading in the UK, guided by her first Ph.D. supervisor, Professor Kevin Warwick, known as the world's first human cyborg.
As a distinguished engineering professor, Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua boasts over two decades of experience in Engineering and STEM Education, gained from working across the USA, Europe, and Africa, where she has led trailblazing STEM projects, stemming from her initial encounter with technology in Nigeria.
While growing up in a society that traditionally discouraged girls from pursuing scientific disciplines, she discovered her passion for understanding how things worked and innovating new solutions.
Her relentless thirst for knowledge drove her to obtain a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a master's in Mobile and Satellite Communications Engineering from a UK university. Fueled by ambition and an unwavering determination to break barriers, she made history by completing her doctoral degree in Cybernetics.
Despite facing challenges as a woman of colour navigating a male-dominated field plagued by gender biases and scarce role models, Ekeng-Itua refused to let these limitations hold her back.
In a recent interview, Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua discussed the obstacles she faced on her path to success. She shared, “Each challenge I encountered fueled my determination even further.
I understood that my achievements would not only benefit me personally but also serve as a beacon of inspiration for other women and girls who might question their own abilities.” Describing herself as a “Dreamer-Doer-Thinker,” Ekeng-Itua acknowledged her tendency to dream, but with an emphasis on making a positive change in the world rather than simply being “great.” Her focus has always been on creating initiatives, programs, and technologies that could improve people's lives.
This human-centric approach to positive change naturally drew her to the field of Cybernetics, which focuses on purposeful technological design for the betterment of society and individuals. Ekeng-Itua emphasized, “My passion and desire to challenge societal misconceptions propelled me to become the first black woman to earn a doctorate in Cybernetics.
While being the first is always a retrospective honor, my primary motivation has always been to create a positively transformative impact.” Ekeng-Itua further explained that her early love for Mathematics and Physics played a pivotal role in shaping her career choice. She said, “I wanted a career that provided me with opportunities for creativity, innovation, collaboration, and positive community impact.”
Wow, what an impressive achievement! Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua is truly breaking barriers and making history as the world's first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Cybernetics.
Her pioneering spirit and determination are truly inspiring, and her groundbreaking accomplishment highlights the importance of STEM education and gender representation.
It's incredible to see the impact she is making in her field!
