Education
- BA, Math, Spelman College; BS, Electrical Engineering, Georgia Tech
- PhD, Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Carlotta Berry, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RHIT
July 13, 2023
How did you choose this path?
I chose this profession to show that being an engineer can be fun, diverse, approachable, enriching, exciting and to encourage more Women, Black and Hispanic people to pursue this career.
What are some challenges that you had to overcome?
Having the confidence to know that I could be successful in this field despite not having mentors and role models who looked like me or acted like me. It really helps to be aware of the obstacles and to identify resources to overcome them, e.g.,building community, having mentors and role models, study skills, tutors, going to office hours, learning to properly take notes, etc. See my engineering professor advice series at youtube.com/carlottaberry
Do you have any advice for other Black Women in STEM?
Absolutely research the field you want to pursue in advance and then identify a few mentors and role models who can serve as guides to help you be successful. Join communities like NSBE, SWE, SHPE, AISES, Black in Engineering.
Being a Black woman in STEM...
means bringing my unique experiences to the profession each day in order to ensure that my teams yield the best solutions and designs which may mitigate bias toward any marginalized and minoritized populations.
