Donna Nelson facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Donna J. Nelson

Born	1954 Eufaula, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Oklahoma University of Texas at Austin
Known for	2016 American Chemical Society President; Diversity in STEM work; Science advisor for Breaking Bad; Physical organic chemistry research; Applying NMR to SWCNT characterization; Mechanistic patterns in alkene addition reactions; Evaluating organic chemistry textbook accuracy
Awards	ACS Fellow (2010); Fulbright Scholar (2007); AAAS Fellow (2005); NOW Woman of Courage Award (2004); Guggenheim Fellowship (2003); Ford Fellow (2003); NSF Special Creativity Extension (1989)
Scientific career
Fields	Chemistry
Institutions	University of Oklahoma
Doctoral advisor	Michael J. S. Dewar
Other academic advisors	Herbert C. Brown

Donna J. Nelson (born 1954) is an American chemist and a professor at the University of Oklahoma. She is an expert in organic chemistry, which is the study of carbon-based compounds. Dr. Nelson teaches and researches this exciting field.

You might know her as the science advisor for the TV show Breaking Bad. She made sure the chemistry shown in the series was accurate! In 2016, she was also the President of the American Chemical Society (ACS), which is the world's largest group for chemists. During her time as president, she focused on bringing chemists together and building strong communities in science.

Dr. Nelson's work covers two main areas: her own scientific research and making sure America is ready for future science challenges. Her research includes studying how chemicals react and looking at tiny materials called carbon nanotubes. For America's scientific readiness, she works on improving science education, making textbooks better, and encouraging more different kinds of people to join science careers.

Education and Career Journey

Dr. Nelson grew up in Eufaula, Oklahoma, a small town. Her father was the only doctor there. She studied chemistry at the University of Oklahoma, earning her first degree. Later, she got her PhD in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. She also did special research at Purdue University with Herbert C. Brown, who won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

After her studies, Dr. Nelson became a professor at the University of Oklahoma. She was the first woman and the first assistant professor to be a faculty fellow in the Provost's Office there. She also visited and taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a visiting professor.

In 2016, she led the American Chemical Society as its president, helping to guide the future of chemistry.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Dr. Nelson has received many awards for her important work. Some of these include:

Being named President of the American Chemical Society (2016)
Becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2019)
Receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh (2021)
Being named a Guggenheim Fellowship winner (2003)
Getting the National Organization for Women “Woman of Courage” Award (2004)
Receiving a Fulbright Scholarship (2007)

She was also recognized as one of the "70 Most Inspirational Women Leaders Impacting the World" in 2018. Dr. Nelson has written over 200 scientific papers and given hundreds of talks. Her research has even been featured on the covers of science magazines!

Important Scientific Research

Understanding Fentanyl Poisonings

Dr. Nelson has done important work collecting and sharing information about fentanyl poisonings. She showed how the number of deaths from fentanyl increased a lot from 2013 to 2023. Her research helped people understand how serious this issue is in the U.S.

She looked at the data to see which groups of people were most affected. Her studies showed that Black males and Native American males had the highest rates of fentanyl-related deaths. Fentanyl has become a major cause of death for young adults aged 18 to 45. Dr. Nelson also helped create a community of scientists to study fentanyl more closely. She even warned her students about the dangers, and they thanked her for being the only one to do so at their university.

Studying Tiny Carbon Nanotubes

Since 2005, Dr. Nelson has been studying single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). These are incredibly tiny, tube-shaped materials. She uses a special technique called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to understand how these nanotubes react with other chemicals. She was one of the first to use NMR to study these tiny carbon structures.

How Chemicals React

As a physical organic chemist, Dr. Nelson developed new ways to understand how addition reactions happen with alkenes. Alkenes are a type of chemical compound. Her methods help scientists figure out the exact steps of these reactions. This has been useful for understanding many important chemical processes.

Making Science Better for Everyone

Improving Science Education

Better Organic Chemistry Textbooks

In 2011, Dr. Nelson looked at organic chemistry textbooks used by college students. She wanted to see if they were consistent and accurate with the latest research. She and her students continue to check textbooks to make sure they are correct and easy to learn from.

New Ways to Learn in Class

Dr. Nelson has also created new ways to help her students learn. She developed visual learning tools that were even adopted by textbook publishers. She also studies what makes students choose and stick with science majors. Her work on science education is even part of a permanent exhibit at the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum, showing how the scientific method works.

Research on Diversity in Science

From 2001 to 2004, Dr. Nelson conducted important surveys called the Nelson Diversity Surveys. She looked at professors in top science and engineering departments across many fields, like chemistry, physics, and biology. She collected information about their race, gender, and job level.

These surveys showed that there were not enough women and minority groups among these professors. For example, her first survey found no Black, Hispanic, or Native American women professors in the top 50 computer science departments. This research helps us understand where we need to improve to make science more welcoming to everyone. For her efforts, she received the 2004 National Organization for Women Woman of Courage Award.

Dr. Nelson's diversity research has been mentioned in many newspapers and journals, including Nature and The New York Times. Her data was even used by the U.S. Government to understand opportunities for women in science.

A Discussion on Diversity

In 2005, Dr. Nelson presented her diversity survey results at a conference. During this conference, a discussion about why there might be fewer women in top science jobs happened. Dr. Nelson played a key role in making sure that a recording of this discussion was made public. This helped everyone understand what was said and led to more open conversations about diversity in science.

Making Science Look Cool

Science Advisor for Breaking Bad

Dr. Nelson believes it's important for science to be shown accurately in TV shows and movies. She was the science advisor for the popular TV series Breaking Bad. She helped the show's creator, Vince Gilligan, make sure the chemistry was correct. Dr. Nelson checked scripts, suggested dialogue, and even drew chemical structures used as props on the show!

Vince Gilligan said that Dr. Nelson was "hugely helpful" and that they tried to get "everything correct" when it came to the science. She even had a small cameo appearance in one episode, though the scene was later cut from the final show.

"Hollywood Chemistry" Events

To connect the worlds of science and entertainment, Dr. Nelson organized special events called "Hollywood Chemistry" symposia. These events brought together scientists and people from the entertainment industry to talk about how science is shown in media. They were so popular that she organized several of them!

Other Hollywood and Science Contributions

Dr. Nelson has also advised on other productions, like the TV show The Big Bang Theory and the 2024 film Twisters. She even gave a special "24/7" presentation where she explained her research in just 24 seconds, followed by 7 simple words: "SWCNT analyses should be shaken, not stored." She also helped a musical production with scientific terms and concepts.

Helping Native American Communities

Dr. Nelson has worked with Native American tribes in Oklahoma. She helped them study how diabetes affects their communities and what their attitudes are toward the disease.

Leading the American Chemical Society

When Dr. Nelson was President of the American Chemical Society (ACS), she focused on building and strengthening communities in chemistry around the world. The ACS is the largest scientific society globally, with over 150,000 members!

During her time as president, many international science partnerships began:

An agreement for scientists to exchange ideas was started with the Chemical Society of France.
A new ACS Chapter was created in the United Arab Emirates.
She signed several agreements with other scientific groups during a big ACS meeting.
She helped sign an agreement with seven Pacific Rim countries to host a major international chemistry conference in 2020.

As ACS President, she traveled to many countries, talking about the importance of building a global scientific community.

Images for kids

Dr. Nelson speaking in Germany about her work as science advisor for Breaking Bad.
Graph showing the increase in fentanyl-related deaths in the U.S.
Graph showing the amount of fentanyl seized by U.S. Border Patrol.
Dr. Donna J. Nelson in Times Square, New York City.
Dr. Donna Nelson.
Dr. Nelson receiving the National Organization for Women "Woman of Courage" Award in 2004.
Dr. Donna J. Nelson with actors Bryan Cranston (left) and Aaron Paul (right) on the set of Breaking Bad.
Dr. Donna J. Nelson during her cameo appearance filming for Breaking Bad.