Dorothy J. Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorothy Jean Phillips
Dorothy J. Phillips, 2018
Born	July 27, 1945 Nashville
Alma mater	Tennessee State University University of Cincinnati Vanderbilt University
Known for	Industrial chemistry Bioseparation
Scientific career
Institutions	Dow Chemical Company Waters Corporation

Dorothy Jean Phillips, born on July 27, 1945, is an American chemist. She is known for her important work in industrial chemistry and for developing ways to separate biological substances. She was even chosen to be the president of the American Chemical Society, a big group for chemists! In 1967, she made history as the first African-American woman to earn a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University.

Growing Up and School

Dorothy Phillips grew up in the southern United States during a time when people of different races were kept separate. She was one of eight children. Her father worked hard and later became a Baptist minister. Her mother also worked to help the family. Dorothy's parents strongly supported her education.

Her family became more involved in the civil rights movement after the Rosa Parks bus boycott in 1956. Her brother took part in the Nashville sit-ins, which were protests against segregation. Her family was also one of the first to help integrate, or mix, different races in Nashville.

Discovering Chemistry

As a young girl, Dorothy attended a special summer school for African-American students. This school was supported by the National Science Foundation and helped her discover her love for chemistry. She even competed in a statewide math competition!

She started studying chemistry at Tennessee State University. Later, in 1966, she transferred to Vanderbilt University. At first, she thought about studying medicine, but her advisor suggested she might find it hard to have a family and go to medical school at the same time. So, she stuck with chemistry.

In 1967, Dorothy Phillips became the first African-American woman to earn a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University. This was also the first time she had white classmates and professors. After graduating, she worked in research that looked at how medicines affect the mind. She then went on to earn her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati. Again, she was the first African-American woman in Cincinnati to achieve this.

In 1973, she joined the American Chemical Society. She studied a virus called R17, using special techniques to understand its proteins. This research led her to learn about the work being done at Dow Chemical Company, where she decided to apply for a job.

Her Chemistry Career

After finishing her studies, Dorothy Phillips started working as a scientist at the Dow Chemical Company. She helped develop new ways to study chemicals and worked on antibiotics and herbicides. She helped students from Michigan State University analyze antibiotics in animal feed to see how they affected animal growth. She even holds patents for inventions that help improve milk production in animals and how well animals use their food.

Working at Waters Corporation

In 1984, Phillips joined the Waters Corporation, where she worked in research and development until 1996. Her team developed special materials for chromatography, which is a method used to separate different parts of a mixture. They created "AccellPlus" packings, which were very good at separating proteins.

She also became a consultant for a biotechnology company, traveling around the world to share the work of Waters Corporation. Her work expanded to include high-performance liquid chromatography, another way to separate and analyze chemicals. She also studied small molecules, including the drug sildenafil. Dorothy Phillips moved from doing research to managing business at both Dow Chemical Company and Waters Corporation. She retired from Waters Corporation in 2013 as the Director of Strategic Marketing.

Helping the Chemistry Community

Dorothy Phillips has been very active in the American Chemical Society. In 1990, she became involved with the Northeastern Section of the society. She also helped with Project SEED, a program that gives high school students from less fortunate backgrounds the chance to work in research labs during the summer.

In 2013, she was elected as a director-at-large for the American Chemical Society. She wanted to focus on making chemistry more global and ensuring chemical safety. Since 2014, she has also helped with the society's Science and Human Rights program, which keeps an eye on scientists around the world whose rights might be in danger. She was re-elected in 2016 and again in 2019 to continue her work on making the society more global and diverse. In 2017, Vanderbilt University even created two special fellowships in her honor.

Awards and Recognitions

Dorothy Phillips has received many awards and honors for her amazing work:

• 1994 University of Cincinnati Distinguished Alumni
• 2004 American Chemical Society Nashville Section Salute to Excellence Award
• 2006 Vanderbilt University Unsung Heroine Award
• 2006 American Chemical Society Northeastern Section Henry A. Hill Award
• 2008 American Chemical Society Santa Clara Valley Section Shirley B. Radding Award
• 2008 Waters Corporation Leadership Award for Outstanding Contributions
• 2008 Vanderbilt University Dr. Dorothy Wingfield Phillips Award for Leadership
• 2010 Fellow of the American Chemical Society
• 2011 New England Institute of Chemists Distinguished Chemist Award
• 2015 Vanderbilt University Dr. Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Endowed Chair
• 2019 Vanderbilt University Member of the inaugural class of Vanderbilt Trailblazers
• 2020 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award

Personal Life

Dorothy Phillips got married two weeks after graduating from Vanderbilt University. Her brother, Robert C. Wingfield, works to help communities learn about environmental issues. She has two children, Anthony and Crystal, and a step-daughter named Vickie.

See also

In Spanish: Dorothy J. Phillips para niños