department highlights
C hemi st ry and Bioche m is try
Vincent Ortiz, Department Chairman
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
host NOBCChE conference
PaviElle Lockhart joined the Auburn University chapter of the
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black
Chemists and Chemical Engineers, or NOBCChE, during her first
semester at Auburn. She started out as the chapter’s treasurer but
now serves as president. A fourth-year graduate student in physical
chemistry, Lockhart said she was drawn to NOBCChE because it is a
professional organization that helps its members build their careers.
“The organization itself brings with it a sense of family, and those
in higher positions encourage the members and will mentor you,”
Lockhart said. “The organization offers professional workshops at
the regional meetings, and networking at the meetings will benefit
you in your career path. I personally have built a lot of professional
relationships with members in the organization at both the regional
and at the national meetings.”
Recently, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
hosted the combined Southeast and Southwest regional meetings
of NOBCChE. The goals of the meeting included fostering
communication and scientific interaction between people of diverse
backgrounds and building a community of professional support. A
variety of age groups and experience levels were present at the meeting,
and participants had an opportunity to interact with representatives
of industrial and governmental institutions, as well as explore further
educational opportunities. A record-setting group of 142 participants
registered, including many from historically black colleges and
universities in the region.
“The meeting at Auburn University offered many opportunities to
participants, including an open house, to which the public was invited.”
Among those in attendance from the NOBCChE community was
Victor R. McCrary, PhD, the national president of the organization.
McCrary is the business executive for Science and Technology at
the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he
manages the long-term research and development investments for the
18
Journey/2012
lab’s Science and Technology Business Area.
“I have been national president since 2007, and we have made great
strides towards fulfilling our mission of building an eminent cadre of
people of color in science and technology,” said McCrary.
The meeting at Auburn University offered many opportunities
to participants, including an open house the public was invited.
Sponsored by Auburn’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
and NOBCChE, the open house was held in the Chemistry Building
and the Sciences Center Laboratories building on campus and featured
tours of the chemistry labs and hands-on demonstrations.
Other events during the weekend included professional workshops,
a teacher workshop, oral technical sessions, and student presentation
awards. At the professional workshops, participants explored topics
such as money management and mentoring, and took part in a
discussion panel about careers in both industry and academia. Also
included during the conference were a record number of technical
poster sessions and a luncheon featuring guest speaker Darrell Davis
from the U.S. Department of Justice. Davis is the former director of
the Drug Enforcement Administration’s South Central Laboratory in
Dallas, Texas.
“I was just blown away by the number of students, and particularly
high school students, who attended this event, and the energy,
enthusiasm, and hunger they have for science and technology,” said
McCrary. “The quality of the technical presentations was outstanding
and gives me hope that these U.S. students will become the future
technology leaders to put the U.S. back in the lead when it comes to
new ideas and innovations in the physical sciences.”
Anyone can join NOBCChE as long as the candidate has an
interest in science, from business majors to those studying the
environmental sciences. The Auburn University chapter meets once a
month and regional and national meetings are held once per year. For
more information on NOBCChE, visit www.nobcche.org.