It's A Morgan Sweep At National Chemist Competition

Morgan students left their mark at this year’s annual meeting of the National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) by winning awards in all of the undergraduate research competitions held this year. The unprecedented victories began when Janine Nunes, a senior chemistry major, won first place in the prestigious Rohm and Haas Undergraduate Research competition. The national competition had nearly 400 contestants and required students to submit original research papers. Six finalists were selected to make oral presentations at the national meeting.

Morgan students dominated the undergraduate research poster session, a first in the history of the organization. Ashley Kennedy, a junior chemistry major, placed first; Melanie Wyche, a senior chemistry major, placed second; Colette Ntam, a junior biology major, placed third; and Christelle Gellineau, a junior chemistry major, received Honorable Mention. All students received cash awards.

“What our students have accomplished is simply phenomenal. The students and faculty are highly motivated and their performance is a testament to their hard work and dedication,” said Dr. Alvin Kennedy, chair of the Chemistry Department at Morgan.

“I am so proud of our students,” added Dr. Angela Winstead, faculty adviser for the newly formed NOBCChE chapter. “Their accomplishments have sparked an infectious excitement for undergraduate research that is felt throughout the department. That’s the real success.” Twice in the past four years Morgan students have won first place in both the Rohm and Haas and the undergraduate poster competitions. In addition, chemistry majors achieved a similar feat last year at the annual meeting of Beta Kappa Xi Honor society.

A total of 14 students and 4 faculty members attended and made presentations at the meeting. The research and travel was primarily funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation for Research Infrastructure in Science and Engineering and NOBCChE. The National Institutes of Health's MARC and MBRS programs provided additional funding.

Dr. Kennedy believes none of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement of the administration and staff at Morgan. “It's their continued commitment to excellence which fuels our students' success. It is extremely gratifying and humbling to hear our colleagues refer to our program as the new Mecca for chemistry at HBCU's.”