Nuclear Passion

By Zac Howard (B.A. ’14)

Some epiphanies are prompted by time spent on the water, but for J’Tia Hart (B.S. ’02), one of her life changing realizations came during time spent under the water, from the inside of a nuclear submarine.

In 1999, Hart toured the submarine as a 15-year-old freshman at FSU through her involvement in the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. An overachiever at a young age, she skipped a grade in elementary school and graduated from high school in three years. “I knew she was going to be successful,” said Lisa Mendelson (B.S. ’99, M.B.A. ’04), an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister who was a junior when she met the precocious teenager. “She’s a driven person; that, off the bat, is obvious.”

Hart, top row second from right, with her Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority sisters at the President’s Picnic in 1999.

Although she considered other schools, Hart had strong ties to Tallahassee with several relatives who were FSU alumni, including her mother. Like many undergrads, her initial inklings for an ideal major were inspired by pop culture, leading her to think business might be a good fit. “At that time, Melrose Place was on and the leading lady wore a suit and worked in the business field. I was like, ‘I think I could be good at that.’”

It never occurred to her to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “Even though I was taking math and science classes and really loving and excelling in them, I never made that connection because I didn’t see engineers and I definitely didn’t see women as engineers,” she said. But her mother did, so she promised Hart a car if she majored in engineering. That did the trick. Additionally, the joint FSU and Florida A&M University engineering school added an extra level of comfort by helping her gain a sense of belonging. “To have people there that look like you helps you feel like you’re supposed to be there,” Hart said.

The intensive environment within the engineering field suited her well. “I started applying myself because the material was a bit more challenging,” she said. “It was like a competition and that sparked something in me, sitting in Chemistry 1045 with 300 other students. They would post the test scores on the wall and I always wanted to be number one.”

“You can't tell a story about J'Tia and not include the word competitive.” - Lisa Mendelson (B.S. ’99, M.B.A. ’04)

Of course, topping the bulletin board rankings was a temporary goal and though Hart had discovered her major, she needed a career. She remembered what is was like to be enclosed within the thick plates of steel on the submarine hundreds of feet below the surface, awestruck by the sheer power around her. “I just thought that was the coolest thing I’d ever done in my life,” she said. And she understood the submarine’s potential for both good and evil.

“The thing that I found amazing about submarines was that on this unique vessel, you have a source of looming energy, propulsion and power. Who is going to tread that line?” she said. “Who is the person who makes sure it’s used for a good thing? That’s a nuclear engineer and I was like, ‘Okay. I can do that. I can help keep us safe and make sure we use this wisely.’”

Hart’s academic mentor Patricia Stith, former director of retention studies at FSU, helped her chart the path to becoming a nuclear engineer. Impressed by Hart’s grades, Stith encouraged Hart to pursue a Ph.D., which would open doors of leadership that would allow Hart to run her own projects. “I just thought about being able to solve these big, unwieldy problems, when you have to put all these things together — I really enjoyed that,” Hart said.

MODERN MARVEL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

After graduating from FSU, Hart earned master's and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She held high-level internships while in school and ultimately landed a job working for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) — which Hart calls the “brass ring” for engineers.

Left: On February 27, 2019, the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity hosted a celebration for National African American History Month held at DOE headquarters. Hart, executive briefer at the DOE Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence at the time, participated in a panel discussion alongside Johnathan Holifield, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs), and Njema Frazier, director of the Office of Experimental Science at the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Moderated by Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity James E. Campos, the panel discussed the critical role of HBCUs and how access to education for African Americans has benefited the country as a whole.

Photo by Donica Payne, DOE

Currently, Hart oversees new technology and governmental partnerships as a program lead at Argonne National Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory located just outside of Chicago. Prior to that, she was the executive briefer for Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, as well as other senior advisors in D.C. The journey to her current job included many stops along the way in national labs in the Southwest, Northwest and Midwest regions of the U.S., as well as shorter stays in the U.K. and Thailand for projects and fellowships.

Those who know Hart say working at the DOE is a perfect fit for her personality. “She has this natural curiosity of always wanting to try and learn new things,” said Tiana Carter, a business executive who met Hart at a networking conference eight years ago. “Because of the field she’s in, it’s ever-changing, so it allows her to maintain that curiosity. It’s almost like every project she’s on is a completely new adventure.”

Hart’s latest project? Using her science and technology expertise at Argonne National Laboratory to strengthen national security.

Hart participates in Argonne National Laboratory’s 2019 Earth Day celebration recognizing the lab's commitment to green technologies, conservation and recycling.

Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory

The project requires a nuanced understanding of the STEM fields and the intelligence community to identify U.S. national security threats and provide technical expertise to national security missions. “Argonne has the Advanced Photon Source, which is a synchrotron ring that shoots high energy light particles and bends them so precisely with magnets — that’s the holy grail,” Hart said. “First of all, who thought of this? And then, who are the people who actually put this into practice? It’s literally a modern marvel of science and engineering. That’s the kind of thing we do at the DOE and it’s pretty awesome.”

‘YOU CAN’T BE WHAT YOU DON’T SEE’

Carter said the resolve Hart developed during her formative years has played a big part in her career success. “This is the magnificent quality that comes from growing up without a silver spoon in your mouth,” said Carter. “When you grow up and you have to exert grit and determination and you’re faced with hardships and seeing other people in your community not reach their potential because of social constraints or access, when you are given that chance, you seize it and you maximize it.”

“I firmly believe you can’t be what you can’t see,” said Hart. Growing up in Miami Gardens, a working-class neighborhood, inspired Hart to encourage others in similar circumstances to overcome barriers to STEM careers. “We need to make sure we encourage ladies and Latinos, African Americans and other people from underrepresented groups and let them know it’s for everybody.”

And she means everybody. “People make it seem like being in a STEM field or even having a Ph.D. is this mystical thing when it’s not. It’s very attainable. It’s not like only superheroes or people who are insanely smart do this. No, you can learn how to do this. You’ve just got to build your skills and work toward it.”

“One thing that we really need in the STEM fields and in all fields is diversity of thought,” she continued. “It takes a lot of people to create things and think outside the box.”

While Hart hopes to see a stronger representation of women and minorities in her field, she is encouraged by the changes that have taken place since she graduated. “I think we’re getting there,” she said. “We’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

Hart credits her leadership skills to her undergraduate experiences at FSU. She was involved in numerous student activities including Greek life, student government, the Black Student Union and homecoming court. “All of those experiences helped me to be who I am today,” she said. “Whether that’s leading a team or working in government, those were all really microcosms of things we had at Florida State.”

Hart, top row second from right, poses with a group of her AKA sorority sisters on the steps of Moore Auditorium in the Ogelsby Union in 2001.

Carter said Hart knows how to work with people from all walks to life. “She knows how to meet people where they’re at. Her ability to move through different groups of people is because she’s likable. She can have a normal conversation with you and distill down in laymen’s terms the complexity of all the science and technology she’s working on into a way that’s meaningful for folks who are not in that field.”

COMPETITIVE, FEARLESS, UNDAUNTED

Hart’s drive and competitive nature have led her into all kinds of environments, including television — she was a contestant on “Survivor: Cagayan,” which aired in 2014.

Hart was a contestant on “Survivor: Cagayan,” which aired on CBS in 2014.

“Anybody can tell you, I love a challenge,” Hart said. “I’ll jump in with both feet. I want to be in there, I want to figure it out. I might fail, but I don’t find a lot of things daunting.”

Despite an early departure from the reality series, Hart has no regrets. “Sometimes I lose, but I feel like I win even if I lose because I was in the fight,” she said. “I was trying to do my best and make things better. What more can you do in life than to try to do your best and make things better?”

Working in a demanding field, down time can run scarce, something Hart acknowledges can be draining. Still, Carter said Hart prioritizes her relationships with loved ones.

In addition to being a nuclear engineer and contestant on “Survivor,” Hart is a wife and mother. Pictured from left are her husband Graeme, one-year-old son Harrington, and three-year-old daughter Aashna.

“At the end of the day we all just want to be good people and do a good job in our life,” said Carter. “Not only is she fantastic professionally, but she’s an extraordinary friend and she’s an excellent mom. There are not many folks who’ve figured out the recipe to balance all those things.”