MIT — Left Brain — Mareena Robinson Snowden

For many Black scientists and researchers, working in academia means weathering systemic bias, micro-aggressions, and isolation. Dr. Shardé M. Davis, a communications researcher at the University of Connecticut, created #BlackInTheIvory as a platform for discussing the experiences of Black academics.

On December 3, 2020, Dr. Davis joined Dr. Mareena Robinson Snowden, a nuclear engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and Dr. James Mickens, a computer scientist at Harvard University, to examine academia's role in perpetuating institutional racism and efforts to change those systems. Tanya Ballard Brown, an editor at National Public Radio (NPR), moderated.

PanelMareena RobinsonDecember 11, 2020Academia, DEI, STEM, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, MIT, Panel, Webinar, Advocacy

Plotting new paths to a nuclear “yes”

Nuclear science and engineering alumna Mareena Robinson Snowden PhD '17 devises new solutions for problems of arms control and proliferation.

The Highest Honor on the Highest of Seven Hills

I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to thank the university that has given me so much. On August 3rd, I returned to the highest of seven hills to acknowledge the role FAMU played in my own journey and let the graduates know how uniquely prepared they are to excel in this new stage. As the keynote speaker for the 2018 Florida A&M University Commencement, I came to affirm the best that FAMU has given them - a strong identity based in the facts of black excellence, training that qualifies them to solve the world’s biggest problems, and critical thinking skills that will allow them to prioritize the future in a culture that increasingly is preoccupied with the now.

SpeechMareena RobinsonAugust 28, 2018FAMU, Commencement, MIT, STEM, Nuclear Engineering, HBCU, Graduation

Congrats to all the MIT Graduates - especially the Graduates of Color!

One of the things I cherish most about my time at MIT is the relationships I was fortunate enough to develop, with some of the most brilliant technical minds. Together we not only grew into skilled researchers, but built bonds based on mutual accountability and support. We studied together, partied together, provided listening ears after frustrating days in the lab, advice after unsure interactions with advisors, and showed up whenever and where ever needed - for presentation practice session, start-up launches, and post victory celebrations. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and this is true for scientists and engineers as well. I grateful to my friends for the example they set for me, for their motivation and for their love.

AwardMareena RobinsonJune 9, 2018MIT, Graduation, PhD, STEM

A Year of Completion: Introducing Dr. Robinson Snowden!

At the beginning of 2017, my dear friend Joy Johnson gave me a daily planner. In the introduction pages of this planner, it said 2017 would be a year of completion. In the middle of a uniquely challenging time for me in my PhD career, I didn't know how true those words would ring, only five months later.

PresentationMareena RobinsonMay 31, 2017Nuclear Engineering, PhD, MIT, PhD Defense

MIT Nuclear Engineering Graduate Research Expo

My poster, entitled Nuclear Warhead Monitoring: A Study into Passive Detectability, explained my work to understand the accessibility and usefulness of high energy gamma emissions that are generated naturally inside plutonium based warheads.

2015 MIT Graduate Women of Excellence Celebration

The honorees were nominated and selected based on their leadership and service contributions at the Institute, their dedication to mentoring and their drive to make changes to improve the student experience at MIT.

AwardMareena RobinsonMay 27, 2015MIT, Graduate Women of Excellence, STEM, Black in STEM

2015 Rising Stars in Nuclear Science and Engineering

On April 15, 2015, the 2nd biennial Rising Stars in Nuclear Science and Engineering Symposium continued a conversation about two important topics: the multidisciplinary nature of the field, and the work that still needs to be done to increase the representation of women in the discipline.

PublicationMareena RobinsonApril 15, 2015MIT, Women in STEM, STEM

MIT community engages in dialogue on race

Reif said the ongoing pursuit of racial equality and social justice “is one of the world’s great challenges. … Recent events have shown us, again, that terrible fault lines of race are still a major issue in our society. It would be naïve to think that we at MIT are somehow immune to these problems: MIT is a microcosm of our broader society. It shares many of its flaws, as well as its virtues.”

Reif noted that the protesters “are asking us to listen, to collaborate, and to act.”

PanelMareena RobinsonDecember 11, 2014Black Lives Matter, STEM, MIT, Panel, Protest, Nuclear Engineering, Black in STEM

An unexpected path to nuclear engineering

With ample family support, PhD student Mareena Robinson focuses on research in nuclear security.

MediaMareena RobinsonJune 18, 2014MIT, STEM, Nuclear Engineering, Black in STEM

Speakers at MIT’s 40th annual MLK Breakfast honor King’s legacy

“I would like to speak to you today about the necessities of greatness. In writing this speech and examining the life of Dr. King, one fact resonated loudly with me, that greatness and fallibility are not mutually exclusive aspects of the human experience. They exist together, reinforcing one another and working to constantly correct one’s perspective on life.”

SpeechMareena RobinsonFebruary 7, 2014MIT, Speech, MLK, Advocacy