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| 2-Minute Drill winner chronicles her experience at #NOBCChE2016
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NOBCChE
The 2-minute Drill was designed to give conference attendees a chance to market their research to a panel of industry leaders. First place winner, Kelly Mouapi, Ph.D candidate at University of Louisville, details her conference experience. #MyNOBCChEStory
Kelly outside of the Percy Julian
Luncheon during the 43rd Annual
NOBCChE National Conference.
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How did you learn about the conference?
I heard about the organization NOBCChE as a graduate student through my mentor Dr. Aleeta Powe. She recommended and encouraged me to attend the conference, and also connected me with her mentors, colleagues, and friends who were attending the conference.
Did you receive a travel award?
Yes. The travel award greatly influenced my decision to attend this conference. With the cost of registration and housing covered, I could focus on traveling to the conference location and presenting my research. At first I was not sure about the volunteer component of the travel award. I later found this experience very rewarding as I volunteered during STEM weekend/ Science Bowl events. This was a great reminder to give back to the scientific community.
"By the end of the conference, it was difficult to say good-bye." – Kelly Mouapi
Kelly presenting research.
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Where you able to network at the conference?
About 99 percent of the people I met at the conference were new. However, these people were not new when I left the conference. They were more like family. I had connected with new colleagues, mentors, collaborators and friends. My roommate and I had a lot in common and we had a great time throughout the conference. By the end of the conference, it was difficult to say good-bye.
Tell us about your conference experience!
During the conference, I attended several events including networking events, a lot of professional developments events and several technical sessions. As a first time attendee, I really enjoyed the first event for new members the day before the official conference day. The professional development sessions, e.g CVs and cover letter, was very practical for me and I received one-on-one feedback to improve my CV and cover letter during the conference. Other events such as the chat and chew provided an atmosphere to network and connect with others, which was great!
What did you like most about the conference?
It's hard to say exactly what I liked the most about the conference since each aspect of the conference met a unique need for me. The Percy Julian Luncheon stood out for me especially as I wrap up my graduate studies. It was a good reminder that other Black Chemists and Chemical engineers have done great work, they continue to leave an impact in the sciences, and are always creating opportunities for us — the next generation of scientists. I also really liked the fact that there were very few overlapping sessions.
What could be improved for future NOBCChE conferences?
Next year, I would love to see more opportunities to chat and chew, a larger representation of universities and industry for the career fair, a few more panel sessions for undergraduate students. A similar set-up for the poster sessions where people could sit if needed, chat and chew while looking at posters worked out perfectly.
Do you have a conference experience or NOBCChE story you would like to share? Contact NOBCChE Communications at communications.nobcche@gmail.com to learn how your story can be featured.
Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for all of our blessings. It is a time to celebrate those who arrived on this land to seek their freedom. That remembrance gives us pause to reflect on our values and what is important to us and our mission.
On behalf of the NOBCChE board and extended leadership, I extend gratitude to you our members and supporters for all you do to advance the careers of minorities in STEM, your dedication to giving back, and your refusal to give up on our cause in the face of challenges. We value the diversity of our members and the passion that many of you bring to help drive innovation and change in this organization and throughout the world. It is our individual uniqueness and collective mission that we all add value and make an impact each day. Read more.
To subscribe to the President's Corner, click here.
If you missed #GivingTuesday, don't worry. It's not too late to donate. Click here to see how.
NOBCChE
Nominations are now being solicited for the 2017 national elections for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three At-Large members of the Executive Board. In addition, elections for Chairs of the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast Regions will take place. Upon election, all of these officers become members of the Executive Board. The two-year terms of President Talitha Hampton-Mayo, Vice President Kemal Catalan, Secretary Sharon Barnes and Interim Treasurer Kemal Catalan, the three-year terms of At-Large Executive Board members Isom Harrison, Melvin Poulson and Victor Atiemo-Obeng and the two-year terms of Regional Chairs Thomas Dill (West), Marsha Cole (Southwest), Michelle Williams-Harry (Midwest), Murrell Godfrey (Southeast) and Racquel Jemison (Northeast) expire on June 30, 2017. Nominations may be submitted here and require a recent curriculum vitae of the nominee.
The following is a checklist for a valid candidacy:
- A person is eligible to run for a National Office only if he or she is a Regular Member in good financial standing. National dues for candidates must be paid and received by the National Treasurer by 11:59 p.m. PST, Dec. 31, 2016.
- Each candidate is required to submit: a) a biographical sketch that describes his or her qualifications, b) a brief statement outlining his or her views on NOBCChE-related issues, and c) a recent, color, head-and-shoulder photograph in jpeg format. A candidate's biographical sketch and statement must not exceed 350 words in total. Please submit the latter documentation in an MS Word file (no PDF files, please) and a statement of consent agreeing to accept the position if elected via the NOBCChE website here.
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National Science Foundation
The NSF Division of Chemistry is seeking new program rotators. At this time, we are particularly interested in individuals with broad knowledge and demonstrated experience in inorganic and organic synthesis; catalysis (especially surface catalysis and/or heterogeneous catalysis); and nanochemistry with experience in surface analysis and reactivity. A starting date of fall 2017 is of interest, through earlier starts may be possible.
Applications by the end of November are encouraged, but later applications may be considered as well (until the positions are filled). Nominations are also welcomed.
More information about this opportunity can be found here.
We look forward to the addition of new, talented rotators to the division. More information and applications should be submitted to CHE-recruit@nsf.gov.
CEF
The Chemical Educational Foundation®, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing grade K-8 students' appreciation of the science and value of chemistry, is currently looking for science educators and professionals who are interested in volunteering as part of their Content Development Team. CDT reviews the scientific content for our You Be The Chemist Challenge® program. The Challenge is an academic competition for students in grades 5-8 that tests their knowledge of chemistry against the backdrop of a fun, quiz-bowl style competition. The CDT collaborates with CEF staff via email, which allows CDT members to shape their involvement to fit their own time constraints.
Last year the challenge reached over 50,000 students across 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. By collaborating with CEF as part of the Content Development Team, you can have a significant, far-reaching impact on students at a time that is crucial to developing an interest in the sciences and in STEM careers.
If interested, contact Katie Wetstone at kwetstone@chemed.org.
NOBCChE
On behalf of the National Planning Committee, National President and Board we would like to thank each of you for making the 2016 National Conference a success! In the coming weeks the e-brief will feature top stories from the conference. Photos from the 2016 conference can be found on our flickr page, here.
The Huffington Post
The leaders of 29 U.S. research and academic institutions have urged President-elect Donald Trump to name a senior science adviser during his ongoing appointment pageantry, stressing the need for "science and technology to address major national challenges."
The group ― whose signatories include the heads of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the American Geophysical Union and the Association of American Universities ― sent a letter to Trump on Nov. 23, which was made public on Monday evening.
READ MORE
Science
Amanda Zellmer writes: "A little more than a decade ago, as an aspiring scientist working toward my Ph.D., I spent an unfortunate number of hours debating with myself and discussing with my peers whether it was possible to have kids and be a successful scientist. As the media and, often, scientists themselves portrayed it, success in science meant spending all hours in the lab, neglecting family and skipping holiday dinners to attend to petri dishes. Despite my passion for nature, the prospect of those trade-offs made me question whether I was committed enough. This self-doubt only deepened when, near the completion of my graduate work, my announcement that I was pregnant prompted a warning to not let it affect my work."
READ MORE
NPR
When it comes to assessing the possible risks and benefits of science and technology, who is the relevant authority?
University scientists? Industry scientists? Religious organizations?
Different people offer different answers. An article forthcoming in the journal Public Understanding of Science finds that many people place greater trust in university and industry scientists than in religious organizations to tell the truth about the risks and benefits of technologies and their applications. But among Evangelicals, the pattern is reversed, with religious organizations trusted significantly more than scientific sources.
READ MORE
Business Insider
We already know that the 15 minutes before a job interview can be crucial, and there's a lot we should and shouldn't do during the interview to make the best impression.
But what exactly should you be doing during those moments after a job interview, after you've breathed your sigh of relief?
READ MORE
TechCrunch
Every scientist wants his or her paper to appear in Cell, Nature or Science. In today's scientific world, being associated with such publications is synonymous with prestige and excellence, opening doors to top positions and coveted awards.
Nonetheless, these journals are typically known to have an acceptance rate of 5-10 percent, meaning that the other 90-95 percent whose papers have been rejected are forced to find other publishing outlets that simply don't have the same alluring impact within the academic world.
READ MORE
Science
We know that postdoc career anxiety is very real. There are many more Ph.D. holders seeking tenure-track faculty jobs than available positions. Other trainees, realizing that academia isn't the right fit for them, are grappling with tough questions such as, "What do I do now?" and "How do I get there?" Making a big career shift can seem daunting, but it's possible — and it can lead to satisfaction and success. Here, five former postdocs now working in nonresearch careers describe how they used their postdoc time to figure out where they wanted to go, and to build the requisite skills and connections to make the move. Their accounts have been edited for brevity and clarity.
READ MORE
The Wall Street Journal
Job seekers who don't get a call back after an interview often wonder where they went wrong.
One factor, new research shows, has a larger-than-expected impact on the outcome — the job seeker's ability, within the first few minutes of a meeting, to spark an elusive form of interpersonal chemistry called rapport.
How do you forge a quick connection with a stranger? Bartenders, retail employees, stand-up comedians and police investigators do it routinely, and researchers have studied their techniques.
READ MORE
Forbes
You've heard this many times: Never disclose your salary history when a recruiter asks.
It's an easy way for recruiters to filter out candidates, says executive coach Jody Fosnough. If your salary isn't close to what they plan to offer, you probably won't get any further, she says. That's not only if your salary is too high, but also if your salary is too low — lowballing can raise red flags (a below-market number can indicate there was a performance problem or that you don't really have the experience you claim to), says Fosnough.
READ MORE
U.S. News & World Report
In order to tighten the gender gap in certain male-dominated science, technology, engineering and math fields, educators must develop a more inviting culture, according to a study published in the October issue of Psychological Bulletin.
The study, "Why Are Some STEM Fields More Gender Balanced Than Others?" draws on previous works on STEM gender gaps to account for the specific gap in computer science, engineering and physics fields.
READ MORE
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