SYNERGY - Dr. Kyla McMullen

THERE’S NO PRIZE FOR BEING TIRED AND RUNNING YOURSELF INTO THE GROUND. BRING 100% OF YOURSELF EVERY TIME, BUT DON'T LOSE WHO YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS.

-Dr. Kyla McMullen

Is it possible to be a professor, a computer scientist, a mentor, and to still have time for fun and games? Dr. Kyla McMullen would say unequivocally, yes. Over her dynamic career and through many challenges, Dr. McMullen has been able to bring happiness and joy to her students, friends, and herself.

Her journey began as a young girl with a fascination with computers. Born and raised in the District of Columbia, McMullen attended a vocational high school and pursued the computer science track.

“When I was young, I loved computers… the novelty of it, the screen, the science fiction element of it all… I told myself, ‘I need to know what’s going on inside there.’”

After high school, McMullen attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) for Computer Science. This was made possible through a scholarship program that was offered specifically to Black high schoolers with the intention of extending opportunities for Black professionals to be represented in the STEM fields. “That program helped make me who I am today.”

The tenet of the scholarship became instilled within her as she built her career: that each person is their brother’s keeper, that everyone should understand the concepts and lift each other up. This program was built on Black excellence and she recalls that a professor was even jailed with Dr. King at 9 years old for protesting for social justice.

“[The professors] looked you in the eye and told you you were special. This had an impact on me. The people that were in my cohort [in this program] are still my friends, we travel and go to each other’s weddings, and I’m even publishing an article with friends from this cohort.”

McMullen took these lessons with her as she continued her academic career. From day one of her scholarship program, they were grooming the students to get their PhDs, and she noted that there weren’t that many Black computer science graduate students. Regardless, she received her Doctorate in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Maryland.

“I never saw myself as a professor. I thought I was going back to DC to work for the government, but academia was hiring more when I graduated.”

While earning her PhD, she was an adjunct at Wayne State University in Detroit. She was then hired at the University of Florida, where she has remained as a tenure-track faculty member for the past eight years.

“I thought school was boring, but I think boring is a choice. I make my classes engaging and I teach others the way I’d prefer to be taught. I like for people to engage with the material, I want us to work together as a class and have conversations.”

McMullen recently received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award for her research on 3D audio technologies. This was a tremendous accomplishment, because it comes with a research grant, but furthermore because of the professional validation associated with the award, it lets one know that what they’re studying is important.

“I had come to the University of Michigan to deliver a lecture when I got the news. I didn’t even eat at my dinner. I was so excited! I had so many challenges during my undergrad, then to be literally on the same streets when I won the NSF career award… it was wild.”

For someone with such a successful career, Dr. McMullen says she still struggles with imposter syndrome. This is a reason that receiving the NSF award was so meaningful to her. She recalls going to a professional development seminar on imposter syndrome with people she thought were smarter than her:

“The speaker asked the room to ‘raise your hand if you’re an imposter’, and everyone raised their hand. Nobody knows if they’re truly in the right place.”

She wants students and professionals that struggle with imposter syndrome to remember that lack of exposure is not lack of aptitude or lack of intelligence. Just because others were exposed to concepts before you, doesn’t mean they’re smarter than you.

Lastly, Dr. Kyla McMullen, university faculty member and acclaimed researcher, wants to remind others that they should find the time to have fun.

“I’m smart and focused, but I also love to have a good time. Don’t lose who you are or what makes you happy, your hobbies. After this interview, I’m about to go roller skating! There’s no prize for being tired and running yourself into the ground. Bring 100% of yourself every time, but don’t lose who you are in the process.”