Dr. Jedidah Isler: The First Black Woman With an Astrophysics PhD from Yale Now Runs Science Policy

Let me tell you about Dr. Jedidah Isler.

There’s a woman who studies black holes — the most extreme, mysterious objects in the universe — and she’s one of the most senior science-policy voices in America right now. Her name is Dr. Jedidah Isler, and here’s the part you need to hear: she’s the first Black woman to earn a PhD in astrophysics from Yale.

And she’s not just in a lab. She’s now the Chief Science Officer at the Federation of American Scientists — a top think tank that advises on national science policy.

The Work

Dr. Isler studies blazars — hyperactive supermassive black holes and their massive jets of energy. Her TED talk, “The Secret Lives of Hyperactive Black Holes,” has been watched millions of times. She’s a Kavli Foundation Fellow and a Ford Foundation Fellow.

Since January 2025, she’s been the inaugural Chief Science Officer at the Federation of American Scientists, driving science policy and equity work — making sure the country’s scientific future includes everyone, not just the people who’ve always had a seat. Before that, she was Principal Assistant Director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and she co-chaired on the Biden-Harris presidential transition team for science policy.

And she still runs VanguardSTEM / the SeRCH Foundation — the community she founded to uplift women and girls of color in STEM. It’s thriving, and a whole new generation is coming up behind her.

The Roots

Dr. Isler’s path is a beautiful HBCU story. B.S. from Norfolk State University. M.A. from Fisk University. Then her M.S. and PhD in astrophysics from Yale — where she made history as the first Black woman to earn that doctorate. Before Dartmouth hired her as a professor of physics and astronomy, before the White House and FAS, she was building community for women who look like her in fields where they’re promised.

Hypereducated. Hypercommitted. And she never stopped opening the door behind her.

Why It Matters

Here’s what stops me: when the people deciding America’s science policy are people who’ve actually studied black holes and who come from HBCUs, the policies get better for all of us.

Little Black girls with telescopes deserve to see someone like Dr. Isler in the biggest rooms in the country — because she’s been there, built the community, and now she’s shaping the future of American science itself.

Quick facts:

• Chief Science Officer, Federation of American Scientists (since Jan 2025)
• First Black woman with an astrophysics PhD from Yale (2014)
• Former Principal Assistant Director, White House OSTP
• Runs VanguardSTEM / SeRCH Foundation for women of color in STEM
• HBCU-trained: Norfolk State (B.S.), Fisk (M.A.), Yale (M.S., PhD)