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

n n

Sankoh Photo: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center/Patrick Bowey

n

Amie Fornah Sankoh, a Sierra Leone-born scientist who lost her hearing at about three years old, has become the first deaf Black woman to earn a doctorate in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field in the United States, and possibly worldwide.

n

Fornah received her PhD in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on May 20, 2023.

n

Her achievement marks a remarkable turnaround from a childhood in Sierra Leone, where she struggled in school because of her hearing loss. She was later sent to the United States, where she was adopted by a family friend and learned American Sign Language, according to Chemistry World.

n

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

n

Fornah said mathematics became her strongest subject because of its visual nature.

n

“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.”

n

After learning ASL and receiving interpreter support in high school, she developed a passion for chemistry.

n

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

n

She later earned an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf, worked as a lab technician, and then entered the PhD programme at the University of Tennessee.

n

Her doctoral research examined the effects of hormones on plant-pathogen interactions, and she has co-authored four scientific publications.

n

Fornah said communication has been one of her greatest challenges in science, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

n

“When Covid came, I remember my first thought was, ‘Oh, well, that’s it for graduate school for me’ – communication was challenging enough, and then we had masks and Zoom was not friendly,” she said.

n

She credited supportive mentors and colleagues for helping her overcome those barriers through transparent masks and written communication.

n

Reflecting on her journey, Fornah said she hopes her success will encourage other deaf scientists.

n

“I feel very, very proud for persisting,” she said. “But I’m very happy that I am able to inspire the next generation of deaf scientists, so they can see their potential.”

n

Following graduation, Fornah took up a postdoctoral position at the Danforth Plant Science Center in Missouri, where she plans to continue her research and advocacy work with the deaf community.

n n