Theda Daniels-Race
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Louisiana State University
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
My mom was an elementary schoolteacher and gave me my first science book. I loved it!
At age 5, I asked my dad to explain "PhD". I figured to "do science," I'd need a "doctor title."
As a high school teacher / guidance counselor, my dad gave me a "women in engineering" brochure.
I joined my high school's speech and debate team to be "well-rounded" as my mom always taught.
I found that I liked to know "why"; why things worked in the ways that they did.
My grandmother let me tear apart her old radios; an uncle gave me his Army electronics books.
For college I looked for a school with strong science and engineering programs.
From there, I just kept going. I briefly considered an MBA, but the desire for a PhD stuck with me.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
I conduct research, teach, and mentor students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Science
Education
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
When most people think of a professor they think "teacher," and that is true. However, my work entails the two other "pillars of professorship"--research and service. On any given day, my research involves everything from grant writing, to presenting experimental results at conferences, to guiding students through their own masters and PhD programs. My service consists of working with an array of university committees that make decisions affecting both faculty and students.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for middle school students
I think it's important to get started as soon as you can. In one sense, I decided I wanted to get a doctorate when I was 5 years old, but I didn't know that I wanted to be a professor until many years later. These fine-tuned decisions can come as "late" as undergraduate or graduate school. So I think what you need to do early on is identify whether or not you have the patience for this field—it takes a lot of education, a lot of research into which direction to go...it can be a slow process!
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
""Going to college? I bet you're looking for an "Mrs. degree!""
Challenges I Overcame
Being an African-American female in STEM,
