Leveling the Field

“I'm not really a normal PhD candidate.”

As a teenager, Emily Kight, TFM ’11; ENG,’19, never imagined she would dedicate her life to academic research. “I didn't run out of high school and say, I'm becoming an engineer, and then everything worked out,” she says, recalling her time working at a gas station after high school. “I didn't want to go to college. It seemed expensive—I didn't know what to do. At the age of eighteen, I thought I could work in media because I like cameras and using equipment, but I didn't really find that work rewarding at all.” So Kight saved up and took a chance on an engineering degree at Temple.

Motivated by a dual passion for scientific research and helping others, Kight is currently a PhD student at Vanderbilt University, working on a dipstick urinalysis device to detect early ovarian cancer. This work is years in the making. In 2017, she founded Ovariup, a company dedicated to the detection and treatment of Ovarian cancer, which runs in her family. “I've made some devices to detect a biomarker in urine,” she explains. “And I'm adding on to that to make a urine panel by including different biomarkers in a clinically relevant cohort.”

As an undergraduate at Temple’s College of Engineering, she discovered the healing power of science when she created a treatment for a disorder she silently suffered with since childhood: Trichotillomania, or hair pulling disorder. At 26, she was used to hiding her auburn locks, struggling to resist the urge to pull. Prohibere, the leave-in conditioner she invented, diffuses a relaxing hot-cold sensation on the scalp that helps relieve patients of the compulsive disorder.     

Kight credits her now-full immersion in the world of engineering to her thirst for knowledge and solutions that benefit women. “I wanted a deeper understanding of the different aspects of science and engineering...to dedicate my life to something that would be helpful to the world,” she says. “It’s important to learn how to design experiments, write a publication, and work with clinicians. The goal is to bridge the gap between unmet needs and new technology, adding value to women’s health.”

In addition to her research, Kight seeks to inspire and mentor women who might be intimidated by the field. “I want to try to reach younger women who don't see themselves doing this kind of work because that's been my path,” she says. Teaching high school students has provided Kight an avenue to share her successes, failures, and lessons with a new generation. Defying set standards of success in the field is important, especially for women.

“Policies in our country are unintentionally punitive for women,” she explains. “When you look at women’s career outcomes, who takes care of aging parents - that's time away from their careers. Taking care of children, taking them to doctor's appointments, taking time off work, all these things add up. And women's finances are [also] different than men’s, when you look at the averages.”

Kight cites several mentors in the field who have motivated her to continue her work. “My mentor Dr. Jacqueline Tanaka, a biology professor at Temple, had a baby in her mid-twenties and she still decided to go to grad school. If you talk to her, she'll have a lot to say about her experience. But I do see women who get PhDs and then seem to take a hit on their career to have kids when men don't seem to be facing that consequence.”  

All said, Kight recommends that women entering engineering should trust the process, experiment with various disciplines, and avoid getting bogged down by false impediments to success. “Keep an open mind,” she advises. “I hear women say the clock is ticking, worried about when things are supposed to happen. I met one woman who became an attorney at 42.  People do things at all ages.”