DistantNews
Support us
Meet Sankoh, first deaf Black woman to earn a STEM PhD
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Good News

Meet Sankoh, first deaf Black woman to earn a STEM PhD

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Amie Fornah Sankoh, a Sierra Leone-born scientist, is the first deaf Black woman to earn a PhD in a STEM field in the United States.
  • She received her doctorate in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in May 2023.
  • Sankoh hopes her achievement will inspire other deaf scientists and plans to continue her research and advocacy work.

Amie Fornah Sankoh, a scientist originally from Sierra Leone, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first deaf Black woman to earn a doctorate in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) field in the United States.

My father sent me to live with his best friend in America, who adopted me.

— Amie Fornah SankohSankoh explained how she came to live in the United States.

Sankoh, who lost her hearing around the age of three, received her PhD in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on May 20, 2023. Her journey represents a remarkable transformation from a childhood in Sierra Leone, where her hearing loss presented significant educational challenges.

Doctors in the US could not cure my deafness, but I was able to join the deaf community where I learned American Sign Language [ASL] over the next few years.

— Amie Fornah SankohShe described her experience upon arriving in the U.S. and learning ASL.

After moving to the U.S. and being adopted, Sankoh learned American Sign Language (ASL). She found mathematics particularly engaging due to its visual nature. "Mathematics is just very visual, and I was able to enjoy that," she said. "Anytime a person talked, I didn’t understand anything, but when they would write out the formulas then I could see it and I could see each step of how to solve that problem."

Mathematics is just very visual, and I was able to enjoy that. Anytime a person talked, I didn’t understand anything, but when they would write out the formulas then I could see it and I could see each step of how to solve that problem.

— Amie Fornah SankohSankoh explained why mathematics became her strongest subject.

With ASL and interpreter support in high school, Sankoh developed a passion for chemistry, leading her to pursue degrees in biochemistry. Her doctoral research focused on the effects of hormones on plant-pathogen interactions. She acknowledged communication as a major challenge, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with masks and virtual learning, but credited mentors and colleagues for their support. Sankoh expressed pride in her persistence and hopes her success will encourage future generations of deaf scientists.

In high school, I really fell in love with the more complex mathematics, which is why I got into chemistry.

— Amie Fornah SankohShe described the development of her interest in chemistry.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog