at a high school and later at
Education Linkages Project,
on campus as well as in a
North-West University as a junior
supported by the U.S. Agency
foreign country.” In 2007, Mkhosi
lecturer. In 1998, she began a
for International Development
became the third woman to
Master’s programme in physics
and United Negro College
earn a PhD in nuclear engineer-
at the university’s urging. They
Fund.
ing at Ohio State. One of the
wanted to add the first female
Due to administrative delays,
first women to do so, Professor
physics lecturer to their ranks
Mkhosi arrived in Ohio three
Audeen Fentiman, was one of
and Mkhosi was the most quali-
months after the academic
Mkhosi’s mentors.
fied.
year began. She faced many
During the Physics Society’s educational tour in Cape Town,
obstacles at first – she was behind, she had no prior experi-
Applying her skills at home After completing one year
Mkhosi made two life-changing visits to a nuclear power plant
“For the first time in my life, I realised that I can use what I’m learning in the world.”
and a research laboratory focused on nuclear science and radiation medicine for cancer treatment. “It was fascinating to me because, for the first time in my life, I realised that I can use what I’m learning in the world and it can be of benefit to people,” she said. Although there weren’t any nuclear engineering pro-
of postdoctoral research at Purdue University with Fentiman, Mkhosi returned home and worked for the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, as a senior nuclear engineering analyst. She also worked at the Technology Innovation Agency where managed programmes that help researchers and innovators develop their ideas into products that could eventually be commercialised. Mkhosi
grammes offered in South Africa at that time, Mkhosi vowed that
ence in nuclear engineering
established the Youth Technol-
if she ever got the opportunity,
and she had left her five-month-
ogy Innovation Fund, which
she would do whatever was
old daughter, young son and
is geared towards innovators
necessary to enter that field.
husband to pursue her studies.
aged 30 or younger.
Pursuing opportunities abroad
But the encouraging environ-
Now, as the inaugural director
ment she found at Ohio State
of the Centre for Nuclear Safety
helped her find her way.
and Security, Mkhosi leads
“The support was just awe-
efforts to create a pipeline of
Her opportunity came in 2000
some. The whole faculty, gradu-
trained talent who can support
when she applied and was se-
ate students, everybody wanted
the National Nuclear Regula-
lected to pursue doctoral stud-
to be part of my success,”
tor and the nuclear sector.
ies in nuclear engineering at
Mkhosi said. “They wanted you
The centre also leads nuclear
Ohio State through the Tertiary
to succeed and be welcome
safety education and training,
Public Sector Manager • November 2019
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