Stephanie Louise Kwolek was a Polish-American chemist who is known for inventing Kevlar. Her career at the DuPont company spanned more than 40 years. She discovered the first of a family of synthetic fibers of exceptional strength and stiffness: poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide.
Craig Jon Hawker is an Australian-born chemist. His research has focused on the interface between organic and polymer chemistry, with emphasis on the design, synthesis, and application of well-defined macromolecular structures in biotechnology, microelectronics, and surface science. Hawker holds more than 45 U.S. patents, and he has co-authored over 300 papers in the areas of nanotechnology, materials science, and chemistry. He was listed as one of the top 100 most cited chemists worldwide over the decade 1992–2002, and again in 2000–2010.
Soni Olufemi Olubunmi Oyekan is a Nigerian-American chemical engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, author, mentor and educator. Oyekan is the President and CEO of Prafis Energy Solutions, an oil refining and energy consulting company. During his career he has been involved in both research and development and management at a number of major oil companies. He holds patents and has made other contributions in the areas of chemical engineering, oil refining, and catalytic systems, including the publication of Catalytic Naphtha Reforming Process (2018).
1,3-Propanediol is the organic compound with the formula CH2(CH2OH)2. This 3-carbon diol is a colorless viscous liquid that is miscible with water.
The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers or NOBCChE is a nonprofit, professional organization. NOBCChE's goal is to increase the number of minorities in science, technology, and engineering fields. The organization accomplishes this by creating bonds with professionals working at science-related companies and faculty at local school districts in order to get more minorities to pursue a career in science and engineering fields. NOBCChE focuses on establishing diversity programs for the professional development of young kids and to spread knowledge in science and engineering. NOBCChE chapters can be found nationwide.
Cynthia "Cyndie" Anne Maryanoff is an American organic and materials chemist. Among other awards, she received the 2015 Perkin Medal for outstanding work in applied chemistry in the U.S.A.
Betty Wright Harris is an American chemist. She is known for her work on the chemistry of explosives completed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She patented a spot test for detecting 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) in the field, which is used by the Federal Department of Homeland Security to screen for nitroaromatic explosives.
Geraldine Lee Richmond is an American chemist and physical chemist who is serving as the Under Secretary of Energy for Science in the US Department of Energy. Richmond was confirmed to her DOE role by the United States Senate on November 5, 2021. Richmond is the Presidential Chair in Science and professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon (UO). She conducts fundamental research to understand the chemistry and physics of complex surfaces and interfaces. These understandings are most relevant to energy production, atmospheric chemistry and remediation of the environment. Throughout her career she has worked to increase the number and success of women scientists in the U.S. and in many developing countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Richmond has served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and she received the 2013 National Medal of Science.
Jeannette Elizabeth Brown is a retired American organic medicinal chemist, historian, and author.
eDiane Grob Schmidt is an American chemist, who was the executive at Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1981 to 2014. In 2015, she served as president of the American Chemical Society (ACS). As of 2022, she was serving as the chair of the board of visitors for the department of chemistry at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Paula J. Olsiewski is an American biochemist who is a Contributing Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She was a Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, where she created and directed the Foundation's programs in the Microbiology of the Built Environment, the Chemistry of Indoor Environments and Civic Initiatives. She directed the Biosecurity program until its conclusion in 2011 and the Synthetic Biology program until its conclusion in 2014.
Saundra Yancy McGuire is the Director Emerita of the Center for Academic Success and a retired professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University. She is best known for her work on science education, having written several papers and books on the subject. Her interests focus on improving student learning by involving faculty in metacognitive learning strategies.
Elizabeth Marie Nolan is an American chemist and associate professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dorothy Jean Phillips is an American chemist and director-at-large of the American Chemical Society. She worked on circular dichroism and bioseparation. In 1967 Phillips was the first African-American woman to complete a bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University.
Shelley D. Minteer is an American academic and chemistry professor at the University of Utah. Minteer field of study focuses on the interface between biocatalysts and enzyme-based electrodes for biofuel cells and sensors.
Theresa M. Reineke is an American chemist and Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. She designs sustainable, environmentally friendly polymer-based delivery systems for targeted therapeutics. She is the associate editor of ACS Macro Letters.
The Percy L. Julian Award was first given in 1975 by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). The award is given every one to two years. It honors black scientists who have made significant contributions to the areas of pure or applied research in science or engineering.
William Morgan Jackson is a Distinguished Research and Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at University of California, Davis and pioneer in the field of astrochemistry. His work considers cometary astrochemistry and the development of laser photochemistry to understand planetary atmospheres. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the American Chemical Society. In addition to contributing research work, he is notable as a mentor and advocate for increasing minority participation in science where he was a founders of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).
LaShanda Teresa James Korley is a Distinguished Professor of Materials Science at the University of Delaware and an expert in soft matter, polymers, and nature-inspired materials. On a larger scale, Korley is also working on developing strategies and technologies to prevent plastic waste in landfills and oceans by upcycling plastic waste to more valuable products. She leads such efforts through the Center for Plastics Innovation, the Center for Research in Soft Matter and Polymers, and also the Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials (CHARM). Korley was awarded the 2019 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Research.
Winifred Burks-Houck was an environmental organic chemist and the first female president of National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), serving from 1993 – 2001.
