Women's History Month Spotlight: Flora Lethbridge-Çejku, Nonproliferation

How do you support NNSA? 

I work in the Office of Nuclear Material Removal and Elimination supporting the Mobile Packaging program and leading our effort targeting sensitive nuclear infrastructure at research reactors’ end of life. I love my job because I get to both creatively plan for scenarios in which we would be required to deploy our mobile packaging capabilities – stabilizing and packaging of weapons-usable nuclear material – while also working with international partners to reduce proliferation risk of sensitive nuclear infrastructure components.

What is your personal background, and how has that shaped you and your approach to your career? 

I was born in Croatia while it was still part of Yugoslavia, to an Albanian father from Kosovo and an American mother. The subsequent dissolution of Yugoslavia and wars in the Balkans framed my early years as an international conflict was made deeply personal, impacting my family in the region and even my parents’ decision to move to the United States. Growing up in that environment highlighted for me the importance of international cooperation when it works, and also the tragedy and destruction that wars and conflicts can leave behind. 

That led me to study political science in my undergraduate studies, intern at non-profit organizations, and ultimately a take a position in public opinion research and polling. Working in polling was a great experience early on in my career because it not only taught me about policy and statistics, especially when it came to electoral politics and promoting democratic initiatives abroad, but one of the most vital lessons I learned early on is how to communicate with people. In trying to better understand an electorate, you have to understand people’s different opinions, how their respective experiences shape their perspectives on issues, and their priorities when it comes to not only voting – but day-to-day decision-making. These are lessons I take into every interaction I have – whether it be with international partners, or my colleagues – to better understand how people’s unique circumstances impact their perspectives. 

What is the best part about your job?

The people. I get to work with an incredible group of intelligent, hard-working, hilarious people both within the Office of Nuclear Material Removal and Elimination, and among our critical lab partners. Second to the people – who truly make me excited to come to work every day – is that I get to nerd out on how history pertains to a something in today’s national security environment. I can be creative in finding solutions while also delving into topics I am just scratching the surface of intellectually. 

Tell us something interesting about yourself. 

One thing people are quick to learn about me, especially if you meet me in the spring or summer, is that I love rowing. I learned to row when I was 13, heading into high school, and I’ve loved being on the water ever since. I currently row with an amazing group of people at Capital Rowing Club, here in D.C. It’s a wonderful sport that I am appreciate the wonderful community it provides, but also the values it’s taught me from an early age: that no individual is stronger than their team (or boat in this situation) working together. 

What advice would you have for anyone interested in a career in nuclear security? 

Since it is Women’s History Month, I think we still have an incredible deficit in how much we encourage young women and girls to pursue careers in STEM, particularly nuclear security. I am encouraged by the growing focus on getting women and girls interested in STEM fields at a younger age, but I think when it comes to nuclear matters, be it nuclear physics or nuclear security, we could do a better job in communicating the vast number of career paths that those fields offer. I would love to be able to convey to younger people the breadth of opportunities that exist in nuclear security for individuals who are inclined to a policy, international affairs, or engineering – recognizing that there are opportunities for many skillsets, and being a nuclear matters expert is not a prerequisite. 

Who is someone that inspires you and why?

I am fortunate to have many people in my life whom I admire but I’d say it starts with my two grandmothers. One was only able to complete an eighth grade education, while the other entered undergraduate studies at 16. They grew up a world apart, but both lived through many wars – some on their doorstep, displacing them – raised families, and were also fiercely independent and determined. My paternal grandmother cared for many beyond her own three children, and persevered through so much adversity, while my maternal grandmother was so committed to a career in public service that she bucked expectations of what a mother of four could do outside the home. I look at their long lives as a testament to how unexpected life can be, but also just how far determination and drive can take you.

I am also constantly inspired my core group of close friends from college while we have grown up next to one another, the ways in which they have each handled the hurdles life has thrown at them, while still continuing to achieve such admirable professional and personal successes inspires me every day.

How do you plan to celebrate/commemorate Women’s History Month? Does this celebration have special meaning to you?

Growing up, the Albanian community in my area would always have a celebratory lunch in honor of International Women’s Day, March 8th, and it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized this was not a common thing to do in the U.S. While we won’t have that lunch, I am taking this month (though I think it should be done year-round) to tell the women whom I admire in my life how much I value them. More tangibly, however, I try to volunteer with the League of Women’s Voters to help encourage voter registration and am working to volunteer with local organizations focusing on helping young women, like Girls, Inc. of D.C. I also think it’s important to remember that women’s contribution to history is still often overlooked and that it shouldn’t just be one month that a spotlight is shown on those contributions. As a woman, I’m very mindful of the advances that have been made in gender parity in our field, but also recognize that there’s still a long way to go. I really try to work with all my colleagues to be mindful in our work of encouraging a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, because we could always do better.