Redefining the Face of Science

For more than 30 years, black scientists and engineers have gathered annually at a meeting that mixes technical sessions with career-building opportunities. This unique meeting--often called a best-kept secret--is that of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

Approximately 750 students and professionals participated in this year's 32nd annual meeting, which was held in Orlando, Fla., on March 20–26. The meeting's activities, including technical sessions, a career fair, and a science fair, were geared toward everyone, from K–12 students through retired professionals. The activities focused on the theme of "Redefining the Face of Science & Technology."

"The field of science and technology is undergoing a metamorphosis," according to NOBCChE President Marquita M. Qualls. "Our 'redefining' theme is reflective of not only the changing and increasingly multidisciplinary nature of the sciences, but also a redefined image of the scientist," she told C&EN.

Leading off the meeting's activities and sparking conversations that lasted throughout the week was a presentation by Shirley Weber, associate professor of Africana studies at San Diego State University. In her lecture, Weber pushed members of the audience to recommit themselves to ensuring that blacks are represented in the future face of science by keeping African-American issues from getting lost in today's diversity discussion.

Weber pointed out that the issue of diversity is on the table because of the efforts of African Americans. But the definition of diversity is shifting and no longer covers just blacks. In fact, she noted, "you can now be diverse without including African Americans." She added that this situation has made blacks "basically invisible" when it comes to planning for the future with respect to a professional workforce.

To avoid being forgotten and help change the face of the workforce, Weber advised audience members to be conscious of their identity and focus on improving the situation for the black community.

She also advocated for more involvement in K–12 education to ensure that science programs remain part of the curriculum and that black children have access to them. To further support tomorrow's scientists and engineers, she noted that parents must be educated about what is necessary to get their children on the right path.

And for those students who decide to study science and engineering in college, more support must be given to increase the number of students who make it through to graduation. Weber also called on the audience to take an active responsibility, throughout the education pipeline and beyond, as role models for students interested in professional careers.

Active participation was also the message of Pamela McCauley-Bell, associate professor of industrial engineering and management systems at the University of Central Florida, Orlando. "We must recognize the power we have individually and the strength of synergy," she said as she encouraged the crowd to convey the excitement of technology to young people.

But it was McCauley-Bell's message to students that she considered the most important. "A Ph.D. is a strong credential to have," and all young black science and technology students should be encouraged to get one. She acknowledged that it can be rough, but it can be done. She herself was a single mother when she entered community college, but through hard work, she went on to earn a Ph.D. in engineering.

LOOKING AHEAD to what the chemical enterprise might be like when these young students who decide to pursue a Ph.D. get into the workforce was American Chemical Society President William F. Carroll. He outlined one of his major presidential projects, Enterprise 2015, which is exploring how the chemical enterprise will evolve over the next decade (C&EN, Jan. 17, page 75). Carroll, who plans to put out a short paper on where the field of chemistry is going to be in 10 years, asked interested individuals to submit comments to help make his analysis as accurate as possible.

This year's NOBCChE meeting also offered a workshop on rsum writing and interviewing geared toward Ph.D.s and postdocs preparing to enter the job market. The idea for the workshop came from NOBCChE Vice President Rukeyser S. Thompson.

"The focus of graduate school is on research, publications, presentations, et cetera. The softer skills like rsum writing and interviewing are overlooked," she explained. "As a graduate student, I knew that my rsum was not indicative of the skills that I had acquired." Furthermore, "as a professional in NOBCChE, I have seen some student rsums that remind me of how mine once looked."

Thompson set up the workshop to remedy such weaknesses. She invited D. Ronald Webb, manager of doctoral recruiting and university relations for Procter & Gamble, and Craig Dryzga, senior research and development leader with Dow Chemical, to facilitate a discussion on rsums that "get you an interview and interviewing skills that get you the job you want," she noted.

Prospective job candidates had an opportunity to interact with representatives from a variety of chemical companies and other organizations at a two-day career fair that was open to the public. In addition to supplying job leads, the career fair also provided attendees with information about graduate programs, scholarships, and educational tools.

For the first time at a NOBCChE meeting, a group of 15 individuals were honored for going above and beyond the call of duty in support of the organization's mission. "The NOBCChE service awards were instituted to acknowledge the dedication and support that individuals have committed to NOBCChE in defining what we continually strive to achieve," Qualls said.

THE SERVICE AWARDS were given in three categories: interfacing with students, advocating for the organization, and providing administrative support. The service awards for interfacing with students went to Douglas M. Willis, Texas Southern University, in Houston; Saundra McGuire, Louisiana State University; Dwight Lewis, Purdue University; Nora Briant, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); and Webb.

The service awards for those who served as advocates for the organization included Yvonne D. Curry and Madeleine Jacobs, ACS; W. Christopher Hollinsed, DuPont; Ellen Hill, retired from LLNL; and Tyrone D. Mitchell, National Science Foundation.

Those individuals honored for providing administrative support were Sharon Barnes, NOBCChE secretary; Anthony L. Dent, retired from PQ Corp.; Sibrina Collins, Claflin University, Orangeburg, S.C.; Steven Thomas, Michigan State University; and Dale Mack, NOBCChE treasurer.

Several other awards were also given at the meeting. The Henry Hill Award, sponsored by the ACS Northeastern Section, was presented to Willie E. May, director of the Chemical Science & Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards & Technology. In his lecture, May discussed the breadth of work that goes on at NIST.

The Percy L. Julian Award, which is the most prestigious award given out by NOBCChE, was presented to James H. Wyche, professor of biology and pharmacology at the University of Miami. The award recognizes significant contributions to pure and/or applied research in science or engineering.

In Wyche's award lecture, he discussed his work on curcumin, a natural product that has shown promise as an anticancer drug. He presented this drug's development path as a model for how to approach scientific research.

NOBCChE also held a pair of contests for middle and high school students. The national science bowl and science fair gave students in grades seven through 12 a chance to show their scientific knowledge.

The science bowl--which is a double-elimination competition pitting teams of four students against two other teams--was divided into two divisions. The winner of the senior division (grades 10 to 12) was from La Jolla High School, San Diego, and the winner of the junior division (grades seven to nine) was from Timbuktu Junior High School, Baton Rouge.

In the science fair competition, contestants were again separated into two divisions. Sabrana Boyd from San Diego High Tech High took first place in the senior division, and Tariq Jiles of Chestnut Middle School, Springfield, Mass., took first place in the junior division.

"I think that all attendees left the meeting with a renewed commitment to NOBCChE's mission of creating an eminent community of scientists and engineers," Qualls said following the conclusion of the meeting. "This meeting clearly challenged us to critically think about the role that we--as individuals and an organization--must play in the shaping of science in the 21st century. It was evident from all of the keynote speakers that the way we address technical and scientific problems requires a more multidisciplinary and diverse approach."

The next meeting will be held in April 2006 in Los Angeles.