Upward Bound to a PhD in Chemistry

Abstract

“Mom! I am the only kid in high school who knows what an NMR is!” My career path to a PhD in chemistry included raising a son—as a single parent. Once I made the decision to go back to college and to earn a degree, I realized that a career and a family life were hard to balance, but it could be done. I wanted a better life for my family and realized that this included getting a college education. This path to a PhD in chemistry started in a small way in high school though I must admit that I did not like high school chemistry. I can say that I embraced a career in chemistry after working with some amazing mentors who helped me navigate undergraduate and graduate school as a student and as a single mom (Fig. 1).

About the Author

Education and Professional Career

1981:

BS Chemistry, University of Maryland College Park MD

1984:

MS Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park MD

1990:

PhD Inorganic Chemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC

1990:

Postdoctoral Research Associate, Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX

1991:

Analytical Chemist, Food and Drug Administration Laboratory, Dallas TX

1992:

Polymer Chemist and Lab Manager, Fresnel Technologies, Inc., Fort Worth TX

1994:

Chemistry Instructor, Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth TX

1996:

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

2000:

Associate Professor of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

2001:

Tenured, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

2003:

HERS Leadership Development for Women in Higher Education, Bryn Mawr, PA

2007–present:

Professor of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

2009–present:

Director, Women In STEM (WISTEM) Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN

Honors and Awards (Selected)

2017:

ACS National Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences

2016:

William E. Bennett Award for Extraordinary Contributions to Citizen Science, NCSCE

2016:

Fellow, American Chemical Society

2016:

Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

2015:

Woman of Influence, Nashville Business Journal

2015:

E. Ann Nalley Southeast Region Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society

2015:

Science Educator of the Year for Higher Education, Tennessee Science Teachers Association

2014:

First Athena International Leadership Award, Rutherford CABLE

2010:

TRIO (Upward Bound) Achiever for Washington DC

2009:

Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Fellow

2008:

Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibilities (SENCER) Leadership Fellow

2008:

Southeast Regional Stan Israel Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences

Dr. Iriarte-Gross is nationally known for her advocacy for encouraging girls and women in the sciences. She introduced Tennessee to the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Network and is the EYH Regional Consortium Chair for the southeast. She established the Women In STEM (WISTEM) Center on her campus. She is active in many organizations including American Chemical Society (ACS), Iota Sigma Pi, Association for Women in Science (AWIS), American Association of University Women (AAUW), and Sigma Xi. She is chair of the Women Chemists Committee for the Nashville Local Section.