Nuclear Engineering and Motherhood: Resilience and Reclaiming MOXY
Nuclear Engineer Sabrina Ireland joins Natasha Ozybko to discuss navigating corporate growth during personal loss, normalizing motherhood in STEM, and "embracing the hot mess."
In this twenty-sixth episode of Conversations with MOXY, host Natasha Ozybko talks with Sabrina Ireland, a nuclear engineer and Director of Supply Chain for a major nuclear organization. This episode dives into the realities of being a "working mother" in a high-stakes, male-populated industry, navigating professional growth through personal heartache, and the importance of "normalizing the hot mess" to build more inclusive workplaces.
The Nuclear Path and Professional Growth
Sabrina's career is built on a foundation of rigorous technical expertise. Drawn to the field by the visual phenomenon of Čerenkov radiation (the blue glow of spent nuclear fuel), Sabrina earned her degree in nuclear engineering. Over a 12-year career in the Southwest, Sabrina has ascended to the role of Director of Supply Chain, leading an organization of 80 to 100 people. While working and raising children, Sabrina completed an Executive MBA at Arizona State University, finishing at the top of her class.
Motherhood, Heartache, and Resilience
A central theme of the conversation is Sabrina’s journey through a complex and bittersweet pregnancy during her MBA program.
Multitasking through Trials Sabrina navigated an Executive MBA while working, parenting two small children, and carrying twins—only one of whom survived the pregnancy.
Multitasking as Survival Sabrina famously "listened to lectures on headphones" while putting her children to bed, and participated in class discussions via Zoom while using breast pumps in the hallway.
Accepting the Imbalance Sabrina challenges the myth that women can "have it all" without sacrifice, arguing that daily life involves constant trade-offs between mental health, sleep, and professional deadlines.
Normalizing the "Hot Mess"
Sabrina advocates for radical transparency in the workplace to create a more supportive environment for everyone. To maintain sanity, she practices intentional "segregation"—being fully present at work when at work, and fully present at home when at home. She intentionally discusses "uncomfortable things" with her male peers—like missing meetings for a school play—to normalize caregiving responsibilities in corporate life. And her mantra for managing the 24-hour day is to "embrace the hot mess," accepting that chaos is a standard part of a high-functioning life.
Conclusion: Authentic Leadership
Sabrina concludes by reminding women to give themselves grace and to be willing to "try," even when success isn't guaranteed. She urges industry leaders to foster environments where women don't feel they have to hide their roles as mothers. Ultimately, her journey proves that high-level technical leadership and authentic motherhood are not mutually exclusive, provided we stop "shrinking" ourselves to fit outdated corporate norms.