Diverse Chemistry

NOBCCHE MEETING NEWS

Cloudy skies couldn’t dampen the spirits of hundreds of black chemical professionals and students who gathered on Monday in Orlando, Fla., to kick off the weeklong annual meeting of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

The overarching theme of this year’s meeting is “redefining the face of science and technology,” and, for the approximately 250 participants on hand for the opening day, the meeting offered professional and career activities across a broad spectrum.

In addition to several technical sessions and a workshop on résumé construction and interviewing skills, attendees had the opportunity to hear about the status of blacks in science and the state of the chemical enterprise itself.

In the meeting’s opening session, Shirley Weber, associate professor of Africana studies at San Diego State University, pushed audience members to recommit themselves to ensuring that African-American issues don’t get lost in today’s diversity discussion. She argued that black professionals must be vigilant about their identities, work to improve K–12 education, and be present as role models for young people.

ACS President William F. Carroll also addressed the meeting attendees. He outlined the goals of his presidential project, Enterprise 2015, which is exploring how the chemical enterprise will evolve over the next decade. Carroll encouraged interested participants to submit comments to help clearly define where the chemical field is and where it is going.