About

Who is

Dr.Arielle Miller?

Born and raised in New York, I am a dedicated, accomplished, forward-thinking, and goal-oriented professional and former Navy Nuclear Power Officer with an extensive background in Nuclear Engineering Program Management and oversight within the government segment.

In 2020 I co-founded a non-profit and scholarship for young BAAW starting out in college, MGAM Foundation.  I am an active member of the American Nuclear Society and serve on several committees related to professional development and technical consensus standards.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, my Master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University.  I received my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Radiation Effects from Howard University in Washington, D.C, a historically black college or university (HBCU), while working a full-time job as a professional engineer. I am the 3rd woman to earn a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University. 

In 2021, I began researching Black Women's representation in engineering.  I have been a Black Woman in engineering for almost 20 years and a woman in STEM for even longer (my undergraduate degree is in Physics), so I knew anecdotally that there weren’t many of us.  But during my research, I started to digest the statistics, and it, coupled with my own experiences in industry and academia, really made me angry.  Over 18 years, the average number of Black or African American women (BAAW) earning an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering was just 6% nationwide and remained relatively constant.  When we start digging into the numbers for BAAW earning graduate degrees (master’s and PhD), that number drops to less than 1% nationally.  My time in engineering academia earning my Ph.D. gave me a glimpse into a complicated, disorganized, and just downright sexist environment where few women enter and even fewer graduate with graduate degrees.  The more I researched the issues surrounding academia, particularly engineering, and STEM academia, the more I realized what a profoundly wide and

depressingly similar problem exists.  No wonder there are so few of us!  As I learned more, I started to discover the burgeoning industry of dissertation coaching and consulting, and while the concept intrigued me, the prices offered were so discouraging.  The people who really need this type of service, BAAW and other women of color (WOC), are statistically less likely to be able to afford it.  I don’t think I met one graduate student in my career who could afford a coaching session.  I was determined to change that.  What started as mentoring, coaching, and supporting my fellow graduate students grew into an idea for a business.  A coaching and consulting business specifically for engineering graduate students and early career engineers, catering to the needs and unique challenges of BAAW and WOC, with prices designed to meet their budget while never compromising on quality of service.

I started my Dr. Arielle Miller Coaching and Consulting in 2021 to address the profound need for quality, affordable graduate school and early career coaching and technical support for Black Women, particularly Black Women in engineering disciplines, as they navigate the complexity, chaos, and toxic environment known as engineering academia and the engineering industry.  As Black Women in engineering, it is so easy for us not to have access to the help and resources we need to be successful in such male-dominated fields.  It is so easy for us to fall into the mindsets of stereotype threat and imposter syndrome.  I offer various services to help Black Women engineering graduate students navigate the thesis/dissertation process to help them achieve a PhinisheD dissertation or thesis.  For those Black Women just starting in their engineering careers, I bring my almost 20 years of military, industry, and government experience in engineering to bear, offering coaching services and resume reviews to help them achieve their professional goals. 

I do not believe that dissertation and PhD coaching or career coaching services should only be available to those with the money (or family with money) that can afford it.