Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: A Workshop of the Chemical Sciences Roundtable

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A diverse workforce and inclusive workspaces are important components of future chemical and chemical engineering research. The workshop Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, held virtually on May 25-26, 2021, by the Chemical Sciences Roundtable, provided a venue for the chemical sciences community to discuss ideas and best practices for creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. Specifically, the workshop (1) explored barriers to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that are specific to chemistry and chemical engineering, (2) examined successful programs and best practices for increasing DEI in these fields, and (3) explored innovative approaches to create a culture in which all have equal opportunities to participate and advance. Ultimately, the workshop provided a forum for academic, government, and industrial participants to increase awareness of potential barriers to DEI and gain information needed to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments in their workplaces. This document summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop.

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9 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-26336-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26334

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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez has been the Chief of the Chemical Sciences Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2012. Dr. Gonzalez joined NIST in 1997 as a member of the Computational Chemistry Group within the Physical and Chemical Properties Division. He was appointed to the position of Chief, Chemical and Biochemical Reference Data Division in 2008. Previously, Dr. Gonzalez was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Carnegie Melon University under the mentorship of Prof. John A. Pople, a 1998 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. He is an ex-officio member of the National Academies’ Chemical Sciences Roundtable. Dr. Gonzalez received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Wayne State University.

Ian Henry

Ian Henry is a Director in research and development (R&D) at Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest consumer products company. Currently, he leads Analytical for P&G’s global Feminine Care business. Prior to Feminine Care, Dr. Henry led the Qualitative Mass Spectrometry group in the Trace Analysis Capability and the Analytical Digital Platforms group in corporate R&D. An analytical chemist with a background in bioanalytical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy, Dr. Henry started his P&G journey in the Beauty business, supporting innovation programs for brands such as Olay, Safeguard, Pantene, and Head and Shoulders. During his tenure in Beauty, he was an original member of the Centric Team, a grassroots-led group of black PhD scientists who led fundamental hair studies and value proposition creation that resulted in the startup of focused product initiatives for Consumers of African-Ancestry, most notably Pantene Gold Series, Head and Shoulders Royal Oils and, more recently, the My Black Is Beautiful brand. The team’s work garnered P&G’s CRDIO Pathfinder and Diversity and Inclusion Award honors. Dr. Henry is also the Vice President of the Cincinnati Chapter of National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers and active in the local Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society, where he is involved in STEM outreach throughout the greater Cincinnati region. Since 2012, Dr. Henry has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Earlham College, where he leads the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He is also a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, serving since 2010. In 2016, he was selected as a Great Leader Under 40 by LEAD Cincinnati and, recently, he was appointed to the Academies’ Roundtable for Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Dr. Henry earned his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University in 2008, where he studied under Dr. M. Daniel Raftery.

Rigoberto Hernandez

Rigoberto Hernandez is the Gompf Family Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University as of July 1, 2016, and remains as the Director of the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE) since 2011. OXIDE is a 5-year initiative to change the academic chemistry infrastructure from the top down by working with the chairs of leading research-active chemistry departments to reduce inequitable policies and practices that have historically led to disproportionate representation on academic faculties with respect to gender, race-ethnicity, disabilities, and sexual orientation. Before Hopkins, Dr. Hernandez was a Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech, and Co-Director of the Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology he co-founded. Dr. Hernandez is the recipient of a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, Research Corporation Cottrell Scholar Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellow Award, a Humboldt Research Fellowship, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences, the Council for Chemical Research Diversity Award, the Research Corporation or Science Advancement (RCSA) Transformative Research and Exceptional Education Award, Herty Medal, the ACS Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences, and the RCSA IMPACT Award. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the ACS, the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. He holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics from Princeton University, and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Malika Jeffries-EL

Malika Jeffries-EL is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences at Boston University. She joined the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science at Boston University in 2016. Previously, she was a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor in the chemistry department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was an associate professor in the Chemistry Department at Iowa State University. After spending one year at Smith College as a Mendenhall Fellow she worked as a post-doctoral researcher under the direction of Professor Richard D. McCullough at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Jeffries-EL's research focuses on the development of organic semiconductors–materials that combine the processing properties of polymers with the electronic properties of semiconductors. She has authored over 40 publications, received over 3700 citations and given over 100 lectures domestically and abroad. She has won numerous awards including the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the Lloyd Ferguson Award from the National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers, National Science Foundation CAREER award, the American Chemical Society (ACS)-Women Chemist Committee Rising Star award, the Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay Morgan Award, and ACS Fellow. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. She has also served on the editorial advisory boards for Macromolecules and Chemical and Engineering News. Dr. Jeffries-EL is also a staunch advocate for diversity and dedicated volunteer that has served in several activities within the ACS including the advisory board for the Women Chemist of Color Initiative and the Women Chemist Committee. She also serves the community through her work with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Jeffries-EL received bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Africana Studies at Wellesley College and a PhD degree in chemistry from The George Washington University.

Mary Kirchhoff

Mary Kirchhoff is the Executive Vice President for Scientific Advancement and the Director of the Green Chemistry Institute at the American Chemical Society (ACS). Prior to her current role, Dr. Kirchhoff served as the Director of the ACS Education Division for 11 years. Dr. Kirchhoff taught at Trinity College in Washington, D.C. for nine years, serving as Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. She began working in green chemistry as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Environmental Fellow and Visiting Scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Kirchhoff is a member of the National Academies’ Chemical Sciences Roundtable and was elected an AAAS Fellow in 2006. Mary holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire.

Cheryl B. Leggon

Cheryl Leggon is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Before coming to Georgia Tech, she was Director of Women’s Studies and Associate Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University; before that, she was a Staff Officer in the Office of Scientific and Engineering Personnel at the National Academies. Her research and evaluation work focuses on policies, programs and practices to increase and enhance participation of race/ethnic groups and women of color in the science and engineering workforces. Her most recent work includes: STEM and Social Justice: Teaching and Learning in Diverse Settings (Springer 2017); and “African American Engineering Deans of Majority-Serving Institutions in the United States,” in Changing the Face of Engineering: The African American Experience (edited by John Slaughter, Yu Tao, and Willie Pearson, Jr., Springer 2017). She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Sigma Xi. Dr. Leggon received her PhD from the University of Chicago in sociology.

Leyte L. Winfield

Leyte L. Winfield is the Division Chair for Natural Science and Mathematics at Spelman College. Since joining Spelman in 2003, she has established a research program that investigates the relationship between the structure of a molecule, particularly benzimidazoles, and its utility as a therapeutic agent against breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Her research has been recognized by the American Association of Cancer Research and the Council for Undergraduate Research, and has resulted in publications in leading industry journals and six patents. Additionally, Dr. Winfield is dedicated to nurturing potential and agency in Women of African descent pursuing careers in STEM. Previously as Department Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Winfield helped establish new strategies for structured curricular reform. She led the department’s efforts to broaden the curriculum to meet the ideals of a liberal arts education while simultaneously providing students with resources that promote improved engagement and performance in the majors. A hallmark of the effort is its rigor, which challenges exceptional students while providing mechanisms that nurture the success of underperforming students. In addition to her role as department chair, her record of leadership has included service as Interim Associate Provost of Research as well as directorships of the National Science Foundation-funded Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Undergraduate Program Advancing Spelman’s Participation in Informatics Research and Education, the ExxonMobil WISE Scholars, the National Institute of Health-funded Women of Color Legacy, and the endowed Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Scholars programs. Additionally, in collaboration with the Spelman College Chemistry Club and the Atlanta Area Professional Chapter of the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, she is involved in a number of outreach activities including Super Science Saturday and the Girl Scouts STEM Expo, which engages more than 20,000 youths in the metro Atlanta area in STEM activities. Dr. Winfield earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of New Orleans.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: A Workshop of the Chemical Sciences Roundtable

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief

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Chemical Sciences Roundtable

Social and Economic Systems Program Area

Modernizing Mathematics Education for Grades 9-14

Enhancing the Reach and Contributions of Informal STEM Learning

Physical Sciences, Systems, and Infrastructure Program Area

Modernizing Mathematics Education for Grades 9-14

Improving Command Climate, Unit Cohesion, and Warfighter Readiness