Alum is working to foster diversity in STEM workplaces
Rhonda Harrison’s graduation from Boston University in 2004 marked two major milestones: Harrison (ENG’98,’04, GRS’04) was the first woman and first Black person to earn a PhD in bioinformatics in the United States.
Two decades later, Harrison, founder and CEO of Biopharmix Consulting, works as an independent diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker. And she’s a role model for others working to foster diversity in STEM workplaces and inspire students.
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines computer science with biology to analyze and interpret biological data. It was in its early stages when Harrison was working on her doctorate. She would go on to work on some of the field’s groundbreaking projects, including the world’s first fruit fly genetics database and the early stages of the ENCODE project, which mapped the human genome.
But long before she was a pioneer in both science and computing, Harrison, the daughter of a software engineer, was a kid from New Jersey who went to computer camp in the summer. Despite her interest in technology, she never considered pursuing a career in computer science—until a high school counselor sent her to a women in tech event.
Read the full story in Bostonia magazine.