Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) Health Physicist Karen Ely is being honored by the College of William & Mary during their year-long celebration of the University’s 50th Anniversary of the first African American Students in residence, August 2017 to May 2018.
A part of William & Mary’s graduating class of 1971, Karen Ely, along with Lynn Briley and Janet Brown, were the first African American students to take full advantage of the University’s facilities as full-time, undergraduate students.
“We didn’t realize that we were making history, but other people realized it,” said Ely.
Ely recalled that growing up as an African American woman in the 1950s and 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement, when schools just began integrating students, came with its own challenges, some of which she didn’t directly experience until she arrived on campus.
“Seeing it now is different from then. We didn’t expect to be the only ones, there was no psychological preparation for that,” said Ely. “At the time that I entered, I knew it was going to be a predominantly White university, but not overwhelmingly – meaning the three of us were going to be the only students of color in our class.”
Nevertheless, she was determined to make the most of her opportunity.
“Believe it or not, even with the difficulties [being the first African American students on campus] at William & Mary, it allowed me to navigate the employment field. It taught me a little bit about rejection so that I didn’t take it personally and to navigate the world outside of my own culture,” said Ely.
Graduating with a degree in Biology, a subject in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field, has allowed her to explore many employment opportunities.
After serving as a Biology teacher in Harlem, New York for eight years, Ely transitioned to the radiation health and protection field where she currently works as a health physicist at NMCPHC, Portsmouth, Va. At NMCPHC, she is responsible for regulating the use of radioactive materials for naval medical and research facilities through the Navy's Master Materials License issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“When people hear [the word] ‘Radiation’, they think [it’s scary], but it’s not so scary,” said Ely. “You need radiation protection because…we need to protect workers and come up with limits on how much they can be exposed to it. That’s the good part about what we do. For Navy Medicine, it’s been exciting. To go around to different hospitals and look at their programs and see the impact it has on not just the active duty military members but their families as well.”
Ely attributes her success to her education and experiences at William & Mary, which is why she is thrilled with the level of involvement from the school during the year-long, 50th Anniversary celebration.
“What has been phenomenal about it are the events and the fact that the backing is coming from the administration,” said Ely. “This event this year has been sanctioned by the University, and the President, Taylor Reveley, has been to every event.”
The theme of the celebration is “Building on the Legacy,” a slogan that emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to improve the future. So, what advice would Karen Ely give to the future generation?
“Look at the progress that has been made, but realize [your] impact on what’s going on now and the future.”
“Participate as much as possible in all aspects of University life,” Ely continues. “If you’re not doing well in a course or if you fail a course, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Just keep it moving, take another course. If that’s your passion and what you’re interested in, don’t let anybody dissuade you from majoring in what you want to major in.”
To learn more about the College of William & Mary’s 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence celebration, visit http://www.wm.edu/sites/50/index.php
To learn more about NMCPHC, visit http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/Pages/Home.aspx
Connect with NMCPHC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NavyAndMarineCorpsPublicHealthCenter
| Date Taken: | 10.25.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 10.25.2017 09:39 |
| Story ID: | 252914 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Hometown: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
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