Opens New Doors in Science for Minority Students
Chemist Slayton Evans Jr. of Chapel Hill, N.C., will be honored on March 28 by the world's largest scientific society for opening new doors in science, especially chemistry, for minority high-school and college students. He will receive the American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences at the Society's national meeting in San Francisco.
"All of us bring to the table something different," said Evans, a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina. "I believe that one's approach to science is a function of culture -- you can't separate the two. Nor can you dismiss that, because you'll miss opportunities."
Evans conveys this message to his own students as well as those in other high schools and universities.
"I try to draw parallels and give examples," he said. "For instance, people used chewing sticks before western civilization invented the toothbrush and toothpaste. It turns out that chemicals in the cellulose fibers react with saliva to strengthen gums and control bacteria. That's a cultural thing. I try to get people thinking in those terms, with the marvels of chemistry."
In his 25 years at North Carolina, the organic chemist has introduced dozens of students to his laboratory to experience hands-on research. He has also fostered programs and scholarships to encourage minority scholarship.
"Perhaps Evans' most impressive role has been as a mentor," wrote North Carolina colleague Ernest Eliel in nominating the organic chemist for the award. "He nurtures students but does not coddle them, and always makes it clear that success is ultimately up to the student."
Evans said that even though his parents weren't scientists, they encouraged his curiosity. Then came Sputnik, and he wanted to build rockets. "I realized that I needed to know about things like rocket fuel, so I soon learned that chemistry was key," he remembered. "My mother allowed me to use the kitchen in the evening as a laboratory. I even wanted to become an astronaut, but I was too tall. So I became a chemist."
The ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences is sponsored by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Inc. of New York, N.Y.
A nonprofit organization with a membership of 161,000 chemists and chemical engineers, the American Chemical Society www.acs.org publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.