Bridgette Shannon facts for kids

Bridgette Renee Shannon is an amazing African-American chemist. She works as a research scientist at 3M, a big company known for making many different products. Bridgette Shannon made history by being the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in chemistry from the University of Arkansas. She is also the current president of an important group called the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

Early Life and Education

Bridgette Shannon grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her neighborhood was close to the famous Central High School. She first became interested in chemistry while attending J.A. Fair High School. Even though some friends tried to tell her not to study chemistry, she was very curious. She really wanted to understand how things work.

Bridgette was especially interested in medical science and research. During her summer breaks, she went to science camps and training programs at UAMS. These experiences helped her decide to study science in college. In 2002, she earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Henderson State University.

In 2003, Bridgette went to the University of Arkansas for her advanced studies. She earned her PhD in inorganic chemistry in 2007. Her research focused on creating tiny particles called quantum dots for use in medicine. She was the first African American woman to achieve this PhD in chemistry from the University of Arkansas.

Research and Career Journey

Before starting her advanced studies, Bridgette worked at a L’Oreal cosmetic factory in Arkansas in 2002. She was a chemist who checked the quality of lipsticks.

In 2008, she moved to New York to work for Corning Incorporated. There, she was a senior research scientist. She helped develop special materials that look like honeycombs. These materials help clean up harmful gases from car exhausts. In 2012, she moved to a different part of Corning. She worked on developing special types of glass before leaving the company a year later.

In 2014, Bridgette Shannon joined 3M in Minnesota. She started as a product developer in the Abrasives Systems Division. She worked with teams around the world. Her job was to design and create unique abrasive products. These products help businesses in different industries reach their goals.

In 2017, Bridgette became an Application Engineer for the Abrasives System Division at 3M. In this role, she worked directly with customers. She helped them understand their needs and turned that information into plans for new products. This helped guide the development and success of new products.

In early 2022, Bridgette joined the Transportation and Electronics Business group at 3M. She is now in charge of finding new business opportunities and marketing advanced materials. She creates plans for growth and works with different teams to meet customer needs.

Awards and Recognition

Bridgette Shannon has received many awards and honors for her work. In 2011, she was named a Modern Day Technology Leader. This was part of a program that promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She has also been featured in popular magazines like Fast Company and Essence.

She appeared on PBS in a video series called “SciGirls”. This series highlights "Real Women. Real Jobs. Making a real difference." Her episode won an Emmy Award. In it, she shared how she overcame challenges and found joy in a job where not many women work. She also appeared in another PBS series, “Hands on Science.” As a "3M Visiting Wizard," she helped kids learn about air in the atmosphere.

Bridgette also took part in a 3M video series called "Beyond the Beaker." In this series, she shared her life as a working mom and scientist. She wanted to show that scientists are not just "elitist" or hard to approach. She has also been featured on digital media sites like FairyGodboss and Refinery 29. She shared ideas and insights to support working mothers. She also discussed the need for more diverse people in STEM fields on Minnesota Public Radio.

In 2021, she was chosen as the president-elect of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. She is now serving as president for the 2023–2025 term.

• Modern Day Technology Leader (BEYA) - Black Engineer of the Year Awards
• Feature - “Power Players” - Essence Magazine
• Feature - “Most Creative People” - Fast Company Magazine
• Young Alumni Award - University of Arkansas (BAS)
• Little Rock Mayor and Board of Director’s Award
• Distinguished Alumni Award - Henderson State University
• TPT Originals - “SciGirls Role Models” – video series
• Elected “Midwest Regional Chair” - NOBCChE
• Digital Media Feature - Fairygodboss
• 3M State of Science Index - “Beyond the Beaker” – video series
• Digital Media Feature - Refinery 29
• PBS - “Hands- on Science”, The Atmosphere is Here – video series
• Elected President - NOBCChE

Select Publications

Bridgette Shannon has also written several important scientific papers. These papers share her research findings with other scientists.

• Blackman, Bridgette; Battaglia, D.; Peng, X. “Bright and Water-Soluble Near IR-Emitting CdSe/CdTe/ZnSe Type-II/Type-I Nanocrystals, Tuning the Efficiency and Stability by Growth”. Chemistry of Materials. 2008.
• Blackman, Bridgette. Efficient and stable near infrared emitters using band gap engineered quantum dots for biomedical applications. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. 2007.
• Blackman, Bridgette; Battaglia, D.; Peng, X. “Control of the Morphology of Complex Semiconductor Nanocrystals with a Type-II Hetero-junction, Dots vs. Peanuts, by Thermal Cycling”. Chemistry of Materials. 2007.
• Battaglia, D.; Blackman, Bridgette; Peng, X. “Coupled and Decoupled Dual Quantum Systems in One Semiconductor Nanocrystal”. Journal of American Chemical Society. 2005.