My name is Dr Osita Williams Nwokeocha (He/Him), and I am a black African from the South-eastern part of Nigeria. I was a lecturer in Nigeria from 2013 – 2018, before coming to the UK in 2018 for my PhD at Newcastle University. I recently finished my PhD, and I am currently looking for roles in both academia as both a lecturer and researcher and in the industry as I wish to broaden my scope of knowledge and gain valuable experience in both sectors. Working as a lecturer in plant sciences really challenged my appreciation for nature, especially how plants function as living organisms. To further explore my fascination with plants and how they cope with changing environments, I opted to do a research degree (PhD). During my PhD, my research focused on using genetic approaches to understand what facilitates the optimised CO2 supply mechanism of CAM plants to enhance their photosynthetic function in arid conditions and how this can be translated to C3 plants.
My journey towards obtaining my PhD was quite eventful. It involved overcoming challenges, such as dealing with numerous prospective supervisors who did not respond to my inquiries, searching for scholarships to finance my PhD, and facing disruptions due to COVID-19 that significantly delayed my progress. Interestingly, upon securing the PhD position, I quickly realised that achieving success would require more than just a 100% work rate and 24-hour dedication. To ensure a successful completion, I had to give my utmost effort. I still remember those weeks when I slept in the laboratory because I had to do a series of 24-hour experiments and, surprisingly, I found those days enjoyable!
Mentorship played a key role in helping me get to the level where I find myself today. My key mentors have been my academic supervisors as working with them on various projects allowed me to learn from them and further shape my general approach to being a scientist.
As a Black plant scientist, I have experienced first-hand how tricky it is to navigate the current limited opportunities available. My earnest wish for us black plant scientists is a future where we will bond together, make a solid impact in the scientific world, and trailblaze a path for the next generation of Black plant scientists to carry on the work we have started.