Matty Sey

Tiny for her age, Matty Sey convinced herself as a youngster that big things come in small packages. That attitude not only helped her build confidence, but also spearheaded her interest in engineering and, eventually, in other “small packages” ― such as the development of nanotechnology in medicine to deliver medications through the bloodstream to target and eliminate cancer cells.

Matty is a first-generation college student and the only child of parents who came to the U.S. from Gambia, in West Africa. Born in Miami, she was in middle school when she became part of FIU’s TRIO program, designed to support under-represented students on the road to matriculation.

After high school, Matty entered FIU’s Golden Scholars program, which helps students make the transition to college with a six-week on-campus summer experience prior to the start of their first semester. With a love of math and materials, she quickly found herself at home in the research labs of professors Arvind Agarwal, Deidra Hodges and Andrea Raymond. Those experiences improved her critical thinking, teamwork, lab, and time management skills. They eventually led her to internships with the Idaho National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

A Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Matty has been active in the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers and FIU’s Student Support Services Program. After graduation, Matty will remain at FIU to pursue her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering and continue her research.

When she’s not in the classroom or in the lab, Matty enjoys watching anime, and ice skating with her friends.

By Adrienne Sylver
Contributing Writer
College of Engineering and Computing