Janerra Allen, Ph.D. ’25, electrical engineering, studies electrical signals in the brain, looking for patterns that might help doctors diagnose or treat mental disorders such as schizophrenia. As a first-generation college student she forged her own path, mastering complex subjects so that she could reach the pinnacle of higher education—producing new knowledge.
Although she encountered challenges along the way, she never gave up, and she always found time to support her fellow students facing their own challenges. During her time at UMBC, she served as a graduate senator for the College of Engineering and Information Technology, secretary of the Graduate Student Association, and president of the Black Graduate Student Organization. “Janerra works tirelessly to create inclusive, supportive spaces for students,” says Jennifer Artis, the senior director of student belonging at UMBC. “Her ability to balance these leadership roles with her demanding Ph.D. research speaks volumes about her dedication, time management, and unwavering passion for service.”
Q: How did you get interested in science and technology?
A: When I was a child, I was interested in putting things together—“engineer” wasn’t in my vocabulary yet, so I think the word I used then was inventor. I wanted to be an inventor. I remember once trying to make a telescope out of a magnifying glass and an old paper towel roll.
When I was in middle school, I read a magazine article about Denis Mukwege, a doctor from the Democractic Republic of Congo who helped treat victims of sexual violence. Reading about the impact of his work made me realize I wanted to do healthcare related work too.
Q: How did you find your way to UMBC?
Allen poses on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where she completed a 3-month internship at Genentech, Inc. in 2023. (Image courtesy of Allen)
A: I went to the Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development in Brooklyn, New York, for high school, and then to the University of Wisconsin Madison for undergrad. I got my degree in material science engineering. It was at Wisconsin that I decided to focus on studying the brain, and I worked in a neuroimaging lab, imaging the brains of people who had suffered a stroke. The idea was to improve rehabilitation by stimulating the correct parts of the brain.
After graduating, and working in a lab for a year, I moved back to the East Coast and worked for a telehealth company, troubleshooting medical devices. But I knew I wanted to pursue graduate school. Someone I knew from Wisconsin actually suggested UMBC as a place to apply. She said it was a small, supportive school. UMBC is the only graduate school I applied to. I thought, “If it’s meant to be, I’m gonna end up here.”
Q: Who at UMBC has had the biggest impact on your time here?
A: So many people have profoundly influenced my time at UMBC. If I had to pick just one, I’d have to say Ms. Justine Johnson, mainly because she’s known me from the very beginning. She’s the associate director of the Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement, and before I even arrived, she worked tirelessly with me for months to resolve funding concerns. We had so many phone calls and emails back and forth before I even came. And she really advocated for me in ways that reassured me I was worthy of continuing my graduate pursuits.
Q: What motivates you to get involved with student organizations?
A: When I was in Wisconsin I joined the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Society of Women Engineers. At NSBE, I went from being a member to eventually being the president for two years, which I was very, very proud of.
When I first arrived at UMBC, I focused first on my school work and research. But then I started to get more involved. In 2022, I went to the Ebony Ball, which is a yearly celebration held by the Black Graduate Student Organization (BGSO), and the president at the time encouraged me to become part of the executive board.
I know it’s sometimes hard to get grad students to be truly involved because we have so much going on, and we’re at more of an adult stage where we have our separate lives. But in the end, I decided to step up.
BGSO holds a special place in my journey because it fosters community, provides academic and professional resources, and creates a supportive space for Black graduate students. As president for the past two years, I have learned valuable lessons about leadership, resilience, and the importance of appreciating the process.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: I’ll be working as a post-doc at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in their health and human machine systems group. I’ll have to propose my own project, and I’m thinking about how to analyze conditions that affect war veterans’ brains.
I love research, and I love that it can look very different depending on where you are. In the future, I can imagine working as a research director or as a professor. I love people and love mentoring them.
Q: How does your family feel about you graduating with a Ph.D?
A: Funny enough, some of them are just like “Wow, finally!” But they’re definitely proud. My grandma likes to brag, saying “My granddaughter is doing all these things; she’s going to be a doctor.” It’s been nice to have opportunities when my family visited and got to see what graduate student life is like, because that’s something they are not really familiar with.
Overall, they’re grateful that I got to see this process through. They had to live through my complaints and my worries and thinking that it was not meant to be. But with their support, they got to see me come through on the other side.
Allen (far left) celebrates with UMBC colleagues as President Valerie Sheares Ashby accepts her 2022 Technologist of the Year award at the Women of Color STEM DTX Conference. (Image courtesy of Allen)
Q: How are you going to celebrate?
A: I’ll graduate this summer and my start date for my post-doc is July 14. My birthday is also coming up, so whatever I do, it’ll probably be a combination of relaxation and something else. I want to do something big to celebrate, maybe travel, but I don’t know yet. Right now I’m focused on crossing the finish line.
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