Nadya Mason spoke to Eastern students and faculty Tuesday night, sharing her experiences and giving advice about life, college and being a double minority in her field of study.

Mason is a professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Her research focuses on electron transport in low dimensional materials such as carbon nanotubes, semiconductor nanowires, graphene and fabricated nanostructures.

“I knew I liked science, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Mason said. “I took lots of different classes. You can be discouraged now, but don’t let that get in your way.”

She was the only black female in 2001 to receive a Ph.D. in physics.

“As a minority, I felt small and outnumbered, and now I feel like a role model who is really laughing in my field,” Mason said.

She said she hoped to address the worries of students about going into the math and sciences and their futures.

Derek Smith, a freshman radiation physics major, enjoyed Mason’s presentation.

“I thought it was a good experience because it gave students an opportunity to relate to the steps that (Mason) has taken to get where she is at,” Smith said.

Elizabeth Smith, a sophomore biological sciences major, also attended the presentation.

“I think it’s inspiring and impactful,” she said. “If she can, I can too.”

Sandy Durain, assistant to the dean for the College of Sciences, found the evening to be a success.

The night was a great opportunity for minorities in the College of Sciences to connect with staff and faculty, Durain said.

The program was conducted through the Minority Mentoring in Math and Sciences and sponsored by the College of Sciences.

Godson Obia, associate dean of the College of Sciences said, “(Minority Mentoring in Math and Sciences) is about empowering you to do better in your field, identifying faculty and peers who can interact with you, who can provide opportunity for you outside and inside of the classroom.”

Charles LeGrand can be reached at 581-7942 or at [email protected].