Jeannette Brown Lectureship brings science and story together

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (04/03/2026) – The University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry recently hosted the sixth annual Jeannette Brown Lectureship. The two-day lecture series featured Professor Nicholas Ball of Pomona College.

Ball – an Associate Professor of Chemistry with a research focus on developing new methods to make and use sulfur-based molecules for drug targets, biological chemical probes, and materials science – gave two talks during the lectureship. His presentations explored innovations in drug discovery and stories from Ball’s lived experience as a Black and queer person in STEM. 

The lectureship also featured presentations from three Sherwin-Williams chemists, flash talks from UMN Chemistry graduate students, and a career panel with Sherwin-Williams scientists. Against the backdrop of the newly-reopened Fraser Hall, the event celebrated inclusive excellence and advancement in chemistry with the help of more than 40 chemists from the University, Sherwin-Williams, and beyond.

The Department of Chemistry established the Jeannette Brown Lectureship in 2021 to honor the career and legacy of one of its outstanding alumna. The lectureship program brings 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.

The Jeannette Brown Lectureship is generously sponsored by the Killilea family and by our corporate partner, Sherwin-Williams. Additional support is provided by contributions to the Jeannette Brown Lectureship Fund.