2022 Jeannette Brown Lectureship
Department of Chemistry celebrates second annual Jeannette Brown Lectureship, co-sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Location: Graduate Minneapolis - Pinnacle Ballroom
Zoom Link: z.umn.edu/JeannetteBrownWebinar2022
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm
- Welcome from UMN and Merck
Christy Haynes & Michelle Machacek - Opening Remarks
Jeannette Brown - "Space Shuttles, Popcorn, and Mountains – A Road through Polymer Science"
Professor Thomas Epps, Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm
- Overview of Merck’s DEI values and strategy
Celeste Warren, Vice President Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence, Merck & Co, Inc. - "Personal Story: Experiences as an undocumented Immigrant pursuing a career in chemistry"
Jesus Estrada, Small Molecule Process Research & Development, Merck Research Laboratories
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - Morning
Location: Graduate Minneapolis - Pinnacle Ballroom
Zoom Link: z.umn.edu/JeannetteBrownWebinar2022
9:45 am - 10:45 am
- Keynote Lecture: "Advancing Sustainability: Small Molecules and Polymers from Biomass and Plastics Waste"
Professor Thomas Epps, Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Keynote Lecture: "Process R&D for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Manufacturing"
Cheol Chung, Principal Scientist, Process Research & Development, Merck Research Laboratories
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - Afternoon
Location: Graduate Minneapolis
Zoom Link: z.umn.edu/JeannetteBrownMtg2022
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
- Career panel with Merck scientists - Pinnacle Ballroom
2:00 pm - 4:15 pm
- Student Flash Talks: Schedule & Abstracts
Room 1 - Pathways Room
Room 2 - Think Room 1
Room 3 - Think Room 3
Room 4 - Think Room 4
Jeannette Brown Lectureship
The Department of Chemistry established the Jeannette Brown Lectureship to honor the career and legacy of one of its outstanding alumna. This lectureship will bring experts in all fields of chemistry from around the world to the University of Minnesota, with emphasis on highlighting the work and careers of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the chemical sciences. The lectureship reflects and celebrates the pioneering work of Jeannette Brown as a talented chemist in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years, author, historian, and tireless leader and advocate for the inclusion and advancement of African American women in chemistry-related professional pursuits and careers.
This lectureship is sponsored by Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and by donations to the Jeannette Brown Lectureship Fund. Supporters can go to the Department of Chemistry’s giving page to donate.
Alumna Jeannette Brown
Brown is the first African American to receive a degree from the Department of Chemistry's graduate program, earning her master's degree in 1958. She is a former faculty associate in the Department of Pre-College Programs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. For 25 years, she worked as a research chemist at Merck. She is the author of two books, "African American Women Chemists" and "African American Women Chemists in the Modern Era." She is a Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section) Fellow of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (2004), and is a member of the first class of American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellows (2009). For her distinguished service to professionalism, she received the Henry Hill Award from the ACS Division of Professional Relations in 2020. For her work as a mentor to minority students and science education advocacy, she was elected to the Hunter College Hall of Fame in 1991; was honored by the University of Minnesota with an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2005; and received the ACS national award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences in 2005.