On June 15, 2025, SIB’s own Assistant Professor of Entomology and African-American Studies, Dr. Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, authored a heartfelt opinion piece for NPR’s Goats & Soda, published on Father’s Day. Drawing on personal experience, she reflects on her Kenyan father’s decision to educate his four daughters—despite social pressure to prioritize boys—highlighting the sacrifices he made so his daughters could thrive academically.
Dr. Ngumbi, who grew up in rural Kenya and now leads research at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign in the Entomology Department, uses her platform to celebrate her father’s unwavering belief in girls’ education and its lifelong impact—a message that resonates deeply with SIB’s commitment to inclusivity, empowerment, and transformative education.
Read the full article, “People told my dad not to bother educating his four daughters. He didn’t listen,” on NPR’s Goats & Soda to learn how one father’s choice helped shape a scientist, advocate, and community leader.