Monifa Louise Phillips is the first black woman to receive a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

(PhD) in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, which was founded in 1451. Phillips did her PhD within the Materials and Condensed Matter Physics group and defended her thesis entitled "Spectroscopic investigation of resistive switching mechanisms in pulsed laser deposited metal-oxide thin films". Her experimental research investigated the deposition and

spectroscopic Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...

analysis of metal-oxide

thin films A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer ( monolayer) to several micrometers in thickness. The controlled synthesis of materials as thin films (a process referred to as deposition) is a fundamental step in many ...

for applications in Resistive random-access memory (RRAM), an emerging

non-volatile memory Non-volatile memory (NVM) or non-volatile storage is a type of computer memory that can retain stored information even after power is removed. In contrast, volatile memory needs constant power in order to retain data. Non-volatile memory typi ...

storage technology. She was awarded her doctorate in 2019. Phillips, originally from

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, graduated with a

Master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

(MPhys) in Physics from the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

in 2014. Phillips has been outspoken about the lack of diversity in her field:

"This week I was the very first black woman to graduate from the Uni of Glasgow with a PhD in Physics," Phillips wrote. "I'm a proud Black British woman from LDN. I made space for myself in a predominantly white, male field. It was hard, but with the support of my family & my community, I did it.

A motion to congratulate Phillips for being the first black female PhD physics graduate from the University of Glasgow fell in the Scottish Parliament. Phillips is now training to be a patent attorney in electronics and engineering.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Monifa Living people 21st-century British physicists Alumni of the University of Glasgow British women physicists Year of birth missing (living people) Alumni of the University of Sheffield Black British women academics