The first black woman in the world to receive a doctorate in cybernetics (Ph.D.) is Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua, a Nigerian researcher.
Pioneering in the fields of education, administration, and engineering, Keng-Itua is paving the way for African children, particularly females, by advocating for leadership positions in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) difficulties in Africa.
Under the guidance of Prof. Kevin Warwick, her first Ph.D. supervisor, she received the premiering degree from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. She is the first human cyborg in history.
With over 20 years of experience in STEM education and engineering across the USA, Europe, and Africa, Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua is a multi-award-winning professor of engineering whose fascination with technology began during her childhood in Nigeria. She has led the creation of innovative STEM programs.
Living in a society that sometimes dissuaded women from pursuing scientific careers, she discovered her enthusiasm for learning how things functioned and the possibility of invention. She pursued a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and a master's degree in Mobile and Satellite Communications Engineering in the United Kingdom due to her insatiable curiosity. Motivated by aspiration and an unwavering will to surpass limitations, she proceeded to create history by obtaining her PhD in Cybernetics. She defied gender preconceptions, a lack of easily available role models, and additional layers of barriers that come with being a woman of color in a male-dominated sector.
"Being a Dreamer-Doer-Thinker, I have always had dreams. However, they weren't so much about being 'great,' but rather about how I might be a good change agent and develop projects, programs, and technologies that will benefit the world. Since I approach positive change from a human-centric perspective, the area of cybernetics provided me with that possibility, since its focus is on the deliberate design of technologies for society and human needs.
This has always been my passion, and I became the first black woman to obtain a PhD in cybernetics by following it and my desire to dispel certain cultural myths. For me, the primary goal is always to have a positive transformational influence; being the first in something is always retroactive. The female researcher went on to say that her early love of physics and mathematics influenced her career decision.
She went on, "I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to collaborate with others, be creative and innovative, and have a positive impact on communities."
