Guest Speaker: Dr. J’Tia Hart
As a 15-year-old freshman at Florida State University and a former contestant on CBS’ Survivor, J’Tia has always challenged herself. Now she’s turned her attention to increasing minority participation in STEM and national security and serving as a spark to ignite the future.
In her own philanthropic vision, J’Tia envisions her serving as the multidimensional woman she is, pushing a more inclusive and modern approach to STEM to young Black & Brown girls. She wants to show them you can be in STEM and still be cool and versatile.
Dr. J’Tia Hart is the director of Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Nuclear Nonproliferation Division. In this role, she leads a team of scientists, engineers, and researchers and oversees a $150 million program to advance nuclear material detection and forensics methods; perform arms treaty verification activities; grow nuclear cybersecurity expertise and adoption; and develop nuclear security and safeguards technology.
Prior to this role, Dr. Hart served as the chief scientist for INL’s National and Homeland Security directorate. Her efforts focused on enhancing the research environment, developing scientists and engineers, and aiding the application of scientific and engineering discoveries of critical importance.
A nuclear engineer, Dr. Hart has actively worked within the Department of Energy (DOE) complex beginning at INL and continuing at Argonne National Laboratory and DOE headquarters. At DOE, she led multi-laboratory teams providing analysis of high-priority foreign nuclear programs for the agency’s Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence. She later served as an executive intelligence briefer to the Secretary of Energy.
Dr. Hart holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Florida State University and advanced degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She has published academic articles and book chapters, and finished intelligence products on unconventional reactors, nuclear economics, the nuclear fuel cycle, and international energy development. She was named to the DOE’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee where she provides scientific, technical, and policy advise to the Secretary of Energy and the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy.
She is a strong advocate for women and underrepresented minorities and their participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr. Hart is the creator of the YouTube series, STEM Queens and partnered with the American Association for the Advancement of Science as Ambassador for STEM outreach to young women.
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