Daring to Be Determined: Laiba Bilal Earns PhD after 20 Years

Laiba Bilal (Zenvee Pillay) graduated from Stony Brook University in May with a PhD in electrical engineering. Though that impressive milestone is not unique, Bilal’s journey was. 

While the road for most of her peers began in 2021, Bilal’s began in 2005 when she completed her MS from GIK Institute in Pakistan and was accepted into the university’s PhD program. However, the Karachi, Pakistan, native’s life would take a different direction when she got married during the last year of the master’s program.

“I came home to Karachi for three weeks during winter break for the ceremony and then went back to complete my MS, as I still had one semester to go,” she said.

As a newlywed, the location of the institute far from where her new life was beginning made her pause her pursuit of a PhD. 

“I made the difficult decision to step back,” she said. “Letting go of something I had worked so hard for wasn’t easy, but at the time it felt like the right choice.”

In 2007 she enrolled in a local PhD program only to later learn it wasn’t accredited, and tried again in 2011 at Pakistan’s National University of Sciences and Technology in Karachi. 

“I completed all the coursework, but those two years were among the most emotionally difficult of my life,” she said. “I was constantly reminded, sometimes directly and sometimes through subtle comments, that a PhD wasn’t meant for women. And especially not for mothers with young children and a home to manage.” 

The unspoken pressure to choose between family and her academic aspirations grew heavier with each day. But her family mattered the most, and once again she stepped away from her elusive goal. 

She raised her three daughters and nurtured their dreams while quietly keeping her own alive. Now living in New York, and her daughters old enough, Bilal returned to the path she had set aside, and in 2021 was accepted into the PhD program at Stony Brook.

Immediately, she experienced the support that would highlight her entire Stony Brook career.

“I still remember how Thomas Robertazzi (professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) and the late Matthew Eisaman (assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy) offered their encouragement,” she said. “They reminded me that sometimes you don’t just return, you come back stronger.”

A turning point came in 2022 when she joined Anibal Boscoboinik’s group at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Boscoboinik is an adjunct professor in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook, and under his mentorship, said Bilal, everything changed.

“He offered steady encouragement, quiet confidence, and support that helped me find myself again,” said Bilal. “While working with him, I came to understand what a true advisor can do; not just guide research, but lift you up, nurture your growth, and help you reconnect with your purpose and passion.”

“From the time Laiba joined my research group, she demonstrated not only strong technical capabilities but also a determination to tackle complex scientific challenges,” said Boscoboinik. “Her PhD work focused on the development of noble gas trapping materials, rooted in fundamental surface science. What made her contributions particularly noteworthy was her ability to successfully translate this foundational research into engineered materials that are now a step closer to real-world applications that can directly benefit society.”

Bilal also credits her department advisor and Mónica Bugallo, vice provost for faculty and academic staff development, for working with Boscoboinik to ensure a smooth path between Stony Brook and BNL. 

“Laiba’s journey is truly inspiring,” said Bugallo. “After a 20-year break, she returned to academia with remarkable resilience and made important contributions to nanomaterials research. Beyond her technical achievements, she has shared her work with broader communities and is a passionate advocate for STEM education and women in science. It has been a pleasure to support her and watch her grow as a scholar and role model.”

“Her behind-the-scenes coordination and consistent support helped make this journey not only possible, but sustainable,” said Bilal.

Bilal built an accomplished resume that included the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Career Re-entry Scholarship Award (2022), a Clean Energy Technology Transfer (CETX) Fellowship (2023), the People’s Choice Award at the Three-Minute Thesis Competition (2024), a Center for Inclusive Education Scholar (2024) and the Armstrong Award for Excellence in Research and Highest GPA (2025).

“These were more than awards to me,” said Bilal, who graduated with a GPA of 4.0. “They were a reflection of healing, purpose, and the strength it takes to return after being away.”

“Laiba’s leadership extended well beyond the lab bench,” added Boscoboinik. “She served as chair of our facility’s Users Executive Committee, helped organize workshops for undergraduates, and has remained deeply committed to mentorship. She is currently mentoring a team of students who are working to commercialize the noble gas trapping technology she helped develop. It has been a privilege to work with her and her return to academia after a long break and the excellence she has achieved in such a short time are truly inspiring.”

Bilal attributes her love for knowledge to her parents, especially her father, who would read bedtime stories that sparked her curiosity. 

“Pursuing engineering as a woman in Pakistan wasn’t common at the time, but my father supported me wholeheartedly until his passing,” she said. “My mother then became my greatest cheerleader, always encouraging me to follow my dream of earning a PhD.”

After she moved to the U.S., her father-in-law recognized the spark and encouraged her to keep going, even when others said it wasn’t the right time to start a PhD. 

“By this time I had also lost my mother, but my father-in-law always knew this was my goal since the day I got married,” she said. “He encouraged me to keep trying and was overjoyed when I was accepted to Stony Brook, though I lost him during the journey as well.” 

Bilal cites the support and guidance of professors Emre Salman and Leon Shterengas, and associate professors Sergey Suchalkin and Vera Gorfinkel, all of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and part of her PhD committee, as key to her success. She also credits her husband, three daughters and her siblings for cheering her on.

In addition to having a support network, Bilal said believing in yourself makes your dreams possible.

“It’s never too late to begin again,” she said. “Even the eagle retreats to shed its feathers and regrow its beak, only to soar higher when it returns. Sometimes stepping back is just nature’s way of preparing you to rise even stronger. Where there’s a will, there’s always a way.”

Bilal is currently a fellow at the Center for Functional Nanomaterials at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where she leads a team focused on the commercialization of nanocage-based materials developed during her PhD research. 

While Bilal is actively exploring postdoc opportunities, she remains focused on opportunities at Stony Brook University — with good reason.

“My eldest daughter is joining SBU this fall as an Honors Scholar,” she said, “and I am aiming to get into the IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship in Fall 2025, as it aligns perfectly with my passion for research, inclusive STEM education, and mentoring underrepresented students.”

— Robert Emproto