202 FRIB Graduate Brochure

Njema Frazier, PhD in Theoretical Nuclear Physics, 1997
Njema Frazier earned her PhD in theoretical nuclear physics from MSU in 1997 under the mentorship of Alex Brown.
She focused on theoretical nuclear structure, using the Shell Model to calculate transitions from excited states of
sd-shell nuclei. Beyond research, she was active in multiple civic and outreach organizations—at one point serving
as the Afterschool Coordinator at the Black Child & Family Institute in Lansing, Michigan. Her interests in physics,
policy, and education led her to pursue a career in science policy, and she has worked in the federal government
for twenty-one years. In the legislative branch Njema served as a professional staff member for the U.S. House
of Representatives Committee on Science. Following that, she joined the Department of Energy (DOE), National
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) where she served as physicist, acting deputy, and acting director for a
number of NNSA’s flagship scientific and technical programs established to ensure the United States maintains a
safe, secure, and effective nuclear weapons stockpile without explosive nuclear testing. Njema is now a member
of the Senior Executive Service and the director of the Office of Experimental Sciences at NNSA. As director, she
serves as a senior expert in the field of experimental sciences and related research and development, as applied to
the behavior and reliability of nuclear weapons. Njema is a strong STEM promoter and has been featured regularly
online, in print, and on TV, including: Diverse Faces of Science, the Grio’s List of 100 History Makers in the Making,
the Black Enterprise Hot List, the Essence Power List, the EBONY Power 100 List, and most recently, the Black Girls
Rock! Awards, where she was honored as the STEM Tech Recipient for 2017.
“Take the time to get to know people as individuals, build relationships,
and find common ground. Don’t be afraid of failure: if you haven’t
failed, you aren’t trying hard enough to succeed. Nurture your interests
inside and outside of science. You never know when your unique blend
of knowledge, skills, and interests will make the difference.”
- Words of wisdom from Njema Frazier
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