Technician Award to Thelma Watterson

Thelma Watterson, senior laboratory technician at Eastman Chemical, is the recipient of the 2010 National Chemical Technician of the Year Award. Watterson is the 22nd recipient of the annual award, which is given for excellence in technical and communication skills, safety, reliability, leadership, teamwork, publications, and presentations.

During Watterson’s 33-year career at Eastman, she has become an expert technician and scientist in fibers, films, polymers, controlled release preparation, instrumentation, automation, analytical testing, laboratory synthesis, statistical designs, interpretation of data, and formulation. In 2000, she improved the quality of test samples for successful evaluations at a customer site, resulting in business opportunities that currently make up 75% of the estimated net value for the entire division. Watterson not only determined how to make appropriate samples but trained others to do it as well. During 2007–08, she made such significant progress in a new project initiative for the company that it resulted in more than doubling the size of a business opportunity for a major project.

“I have never in my entire career as a Ph.D. research chemist of 28 years worked with any scientist that has shown the dedication to excellence and desire to learn as strongly as Thelma. As a scientist, her work stands the test of time. In my opinion, that is the highest compliment a scientist can pay to another scientist,” says Eastman scientist Jessica Posey-Dowty.