LSU’s Elaine Nkwocha Champions Science and Education Across Continents

Elaine Nkwocha is passionate about inspiring future generations of scientists. She initially came to the United States to pursue a PhD in Biological Sciences and is now also completing a Master’s in Science Education at LSU. Nkwocha grew up in Nigeria and was inspired by the women in her life to pursue a career in public health.

Her mother was a nurse who worked for the Ministry of Health to promote breastfeeding through various community health outreach programs in Abia State, a region of Nigeria. Her grandmother was a midwife who ran a maternity clinic in her home.    

“Grandma’s patients would always bring their young children, who played outside. I noticed the kids and started gathering them together to teach them mathematics and English. This experience made me fall in love with teaching,” Nkwocha told the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) in 2024. 

Nkwocha, who is in her 6th year, said her time is meaningfully spent on classes, teaching assistantship responsibilities, research, thesis, and doctoral work. But she’s also passionate about helping others, especially through mentorship, service, and advocacy. Her love for teaching and learning shines through her commitment to education and the formation of her initiative, the Elaine Education Foundation.  

“I am committed to ensuring that every child has access to quality education,” Nkwocha said.    

That work takes her to schools in Baton Rouge, including LaSalle Elementary School, where she provides essential school supplies and resources to students and extends their classroom learning through hands-on STEM activities. Over 100 children who would have been out of school are benefiting from the foundation’s scholarship program and attending school in Nigeria. 

In her own words, read about her path from Nigeria to Baton Rouge, and her commitment to building pathways for future scientists. 

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