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NOBCChE Strides Into The 21st Century Black chemists' and chemical engineers' annual conference highlights challenges, opportunities in an era of rapid change
low unemployment, and big opportunity. The rewards are high, but so are the risks in a workplace thaf s intensively competitive and fast-paced, he noted. "You can fail, and you'll have consequences. So we need to be very selective about the tools we're going to cultivate and sharpen. The good news is, NOBCChE is ready to help."
A number of sessions during the conference were aimed at helping both students and professionals already in the workforce. For example, a symposium on
Mairin B. Brennan C&EN Washington
Selecting and sharpening the tools for success in the new millennium was the theme of the 27th annual
meeting of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), held last month in Miami.
"Patience, discussion with other scientists, hard work, tenacity, and persistence are the tools that I have selected over the years to be successful," said NOBCChE President Winifred A Burks-Houck, a research chemist at Lawrence Iivermore National Laboratory, in addressing the conference's opening session. But even
Above, James W. Mitchell (left), vice president of the Materials Research Laboratory at Lucent
Technologies' Bell Labs, Murray Hill, N.J., received the Henry A.
Hill Award—sponsored by the American Chemical Society's
Northeastern Section—for technical contributions to science
by an outstanding minority selected by NOBCChE. James
Grainger, a research chemist at the Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention, Altanta, presented the award. At right, NSFs Brown
(left) and NOBCChE national treasurer Clarence Tucker.
seasoned professionals can use new tools, she added. "We are never too old to learn or to change."
Reflecting on challenges in store, Leonard E. Small, NOBCChE's executive committee chairman, warned, 'We've got to be prepared as we've never been prepared before." A degree in chemistry or chemical engineering is still necessary, but it may not be sufficient, said Small, a section head at Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati. "Molecular-based biological sciences
are now on the cutting edge. Materials sciences are now on the cutting edge. All of these have foundations in chemistry, but it's not just chemistry alone anymore." Chemists and chemical engineers will need a knowledge of biology, or the life sciences, or materials science, or other fields, he argued.
Revolutionary change is being driven by the Internet and advances in technology, Small observed. Escorting it, though, is a strong sense of optimism,
Burks-Houck (left) presented a Kente cloth to Merrell "for his continued commitment to the organization over the years."
nontraditional careers in the chemical sciences laid out a range of career options for either new graduates or experienced workers wanting to make a career change. And it suggested avenues for getting the experience needed to make the transition from the laboratory. The session was organized by Yvonne Curry, director of the American Chemical Society's Department of Minority Affairs, and moderated by Halley A. Merrell, ACS secretary and assistant executive director.
The speakers, Joe Stoner, a sales engineer with Shimadzu Scientific Instruments at Westfield, N.J.; Callista 0. Chukwune-
nye, manager, product registrations and regulatory affairs for FMC Corp., Philadelphia; C&EN Editor-in-Chief Madeleine Jacobs; and Jesse W. Jones, professor of chemistry at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, and a member of the Texas State House of Representatives, insisted that a solid degree in the sciences or engineering is the cornerstone on which all science-related careers are built
"Get the right education," advised Stoner, a chemical engineer with a master's degree
MAY 8, 2000 C&EN 77
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in business administration. "Get the right auxiliary experiences [which could be through additional course work or volunteer work], set goals, and network." Minorities are notoriously under-represented in sales, he noted, a situation he attributes to a lack of networking. He believes people in sales organizations hire people they know and are comfortable with. The flip side, he said, is that companies want to meet their diversity goals. "So make your relationships, make your presentations, and you can get a job."
Chukwunenye, a Ph.D. chemist with a law degree, walked the audience through the process of getting a new pesticide approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, giving examples of the demands entailed. She listed a number of nontraditional areas where chemists or chemical engineers are employed at FMC, including marketing, public affairs, the financial sector, and human resources.
The speakers at a symposium on nontraditional careers were (ciockwise from far left) Stoner, Chukwunenye, Jacobs, and Jones.
Drawing on personal experience, Jacobs described science writing positions she held at Chemical & Engineering News, where she started her career; the National Institutes of Health; the National Institute of Standards & Technology; and the Smithsonian Institution. Noting that there may be "only a couple of dozen job openings a year" for all science magazines combined, she pointed out that various science writing positions exist within government agencies, national laboratories, major corporations, and the news media.
Jones drove home the importance of getting involved in politics to have a voice in decisionmaking. The state of Texas allocates 45% of its $98 billion budget to education agencies, he said.
ICIF2000 September 19-22, 2000 CIEC, Beijing, China
rth 5 International Chemical Industry Fair
The largest, established and only chemical industry exhibition with full support from the government and related Chinese organizations
Sponsors: State Administration of Petroleum and Chemical Industries, PRC (SAPCI) (formerly the Ministry of Chemical Industry, PRC) China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)
Co-Sponsors: China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC) Department of Township Enterprises of Ministry of Agriculture of P. R. China China Chamber of Commerce of Metals, Minerals & Chemical Importers & Exporters China Haohua Chemical Industrial (Group) Corporation
Organizers: CCPIT Sub-Council of Chemical Industry China International Exhibition Corporation (CIEC) China National Chemical Information Center (CNCIC) E. J. Krause & Associates, Inc. (overseas)
BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ICIF 2000: CCPIT Sub-Council of Chemical Industry Linda Liu E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. - Beijing Carol Chen E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. - US Phyllis Rosenthal
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'Those of us in education ought to be there to help make decisions" on how funding is spent. Stoner offered suggestions for how to get one's feet wet in politics: 'The way I did it [in 1995] was to identify a candidate I was interested in and give money. It's amazing when you give people money how you get on lists," which leads to invitations to fund-raising parties for $50 or $100 a throw. 'That may seem like a lot of money to go to a party, but you're buying more than the party— you're buying an entrance into politics."
While acknowledging the opportunities in alternative careers, Jones emphasized the significance of teaching careers. "There are many satisfactions that one can acquire doing other things, and that's important," he said. "But it's [also] important that we keep a small cadre of dedicated individuals who are committed to the process of teaching and transmitting what we know."
The importance of teaching was underscored throughout the conference in both presentations and workshops. In his keynote address, Costello L. Brown, acting director of the National Science
Foundation's Division of Educational System Reform, submitted that high school graduates who want to become teachers should not have to pay college tuition "because there's a tremendous shortage" of science and mathematics teachers for kindergarten through 12th grade. "School districts are raiding" each other for science teachers, he said. "Some states are offering sign-up bonuses. . . . If we don't figure out a way to supply the nation with [enough] qualified science and math teachers, then society has lost."
On another note, students and young professionals were urged not to be motivated solely by monetary or professional gain. "Your quest for scientific exploration . . . should be because you believe your discoveries, your insights, can contribute to improving the quality of life and the quality of human understanding," said luncheon speaker David Hall, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Northeastern University, Boston.
The conference's technical sessions included presentations on polymer and
materials science, biochemistry and biotechnology, and physical and inorganic chemistry, among others, and an undergraduate poster session. A forum on prostate cancer this year complemented last year's session on breast cancer.
The traditional science bowl quiz show attracted 20 teams from high schools and middle schools nationwide. Students from East High School, West Chester, Pa., won the senior championship award, while the junior award went to Albermarle Road Middle School, Charlotte, N.C.
This year's exhibition was the largest ever. In attendance were 50 exhibitors, including chemical and pharmaceutical companies and government agencies. Representatives shared information about their organizations and employment opportunities. Some exhibitors were conducting interviews on-site, and some candidates received job offers.
Close to 900 people registered for the Miami conference. The organization currently has more than 4,000 members, and membership is open to anyone, regardless of race or profession.^
CPhI (Pharmaceutical Ingredients World
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