Gilda Barabino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gilda A. Barabino
Born	(1956-05-28) May 28, 1956 (age 69) Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alma mater	Xavier University of Louisiana Rice University
Scientific career
Fields	Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering
Institutions	Rohm and Haas Northeastern University Georgia Tech City College of New York Olin College
Thesis	Rheological Studies In Sickle Cell Disease (1986)
Doctoral advisor	Larry V. McIntire

Gilda A. Barabino is a very important scientist and engineer. She is currently the president of the Olin College of Engineering. There, she also teaches as a professor of biomedical and chemical engineering. Before this, she was the dean of The Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York. She also taught at the CUNY School of Medicine. In March 2021, she was chosen to be the President-Elect of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She became the president of this organization in February 2022.

Gilda Barabino's Early Life and School

Gilda Ann Barabino was born in Anchorage, Alaska, on May 28, 1956. Her parents, Margaret Agnes Barnes Barnum and Norman Edward Barnum III, were from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father was in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Alaska when she was born.

Her family moved often when she was a child. After her father retired, they moved back to New Orleans. Gilda's mother went back to school to become a nurse's aid. She worked at Charity Hospital. Her father worked for the Veteran's Administration. He also studied to get a business degree.

Gilda's College Journey

Gilda Barabino started attending Xavier University of Louisiana while still in high school. She continued her studies there after graduating from high school in 1974. A high school teacher once told her that girls could not become chemists. This made her decide to study chemistry in college to prove them wrong.

She really enjoyed her time at this historically black university. She was no longer the only Black student in her classes. She felt encouraged to do well in her studies. In 1978, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She also had minors in biology and math.

Studying Chemical Engineering

After her first degree, Gilda enrolled in the Louisiana State University (LSU) Dental School. She applied for an Army scholarship to help pay for it. However, she left LSU after one year. Her professors did not communicate with her and another Black student. She was also told she would have to repeat her first year.

Because of her scholarship, she had to serve in the army for three years. She served in a medical combat unit in Fort Lewis, Washington.

After her army service, Barabino applied to several PhD programs in Chemical Engineering. She received a special National Science Foundation graduate fellowship. She chose chemical engineering because she was interested in medicine but did not want to be a doctor.

She became the first African American person admitted to the chemical engineering program at Rice University. She was also only the fifth African American woman in the U.S. to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering. For her PhD, she studied how blood flows abnormally in people with sickle cell disease. This disease affects many African Americans. She wanted to understand why red blood cells stick together and to blood vessel walls. She earned her PhD in 1986.

Gilda Barabino's Career

Gilda Barabino (front center-right) is a member of the US Defense Innovation Board.

After finishing her PhD, Gilda Barabino worked for three years at the Rohm and Haas Company. She was a chemical engineer there. She managed the creation of certain chemicals called acrylics. But she missed doing basic research. She wanted to work on projects related to medicine.

In 1989, she became a professor at Northeastern University. She worked in the chemical engineering department. She also became a senior research fellow at the Center for Biotechnology Engineering. From 2000 to 2002, she was the vice provost for undergraduate education. She became a full professor in 2005.

In 1995, Gilda Barabino and Lance Collins started the Minority Faculty Forum. In 2006, they also helped organize the Minority Faculty Development Workshop. These groups help support professors from minority backgrounds.

Moving to Georgia Tech and City College

In 2007, she moved to Georgia Tech. This university was a major center for sickle cell research. She was a professor in the biomedical engineering department at Georgia Tech and Emory University. She also helped lead graduate studies and academic diversity.

In 2013, she became the Daniel and Frances Berg Professor and dean of the Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York. She continued her research there. Her work focused on sickle cell disease, cell and tissue engineering. She also studied how race, ethnicity, and gender affect science and engineering careers.

In 2019, Barabino was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her leadership in bioengineering research. It was also for her work in creating more inclusive ways to teach engineering and mentor professors.

On July 1, 2020, Gilda Barabino became the president of the Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts. Since February 2022, she has also served as the president of the AAAS.

Awards and Recognitions

Gilda Barabino has received many honors and awards for her important work:

• 2019: National Academy of Engineering Fellow
• 2019: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Award for Service to Society
• 2018: Dr. Joseph N. Cannon Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering
• 2017: American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Pierre Galletti Award
• 2016–18: President of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
• 2016: Honorary degree from Xavier University of Louisiana
• 2015: Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring
• 2012–2014: President of the Biomedical Engineering Society
• 2012–2014: Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer
• 2011: Georgia Tech Woman of Distinction Award
• 2011: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
• 2010: Biomedical Engineering Society Fellow
• 2010: Biomedical Engineering Society Diversity Award
• 2010: American Institute of Chemical Engineers MAC Eminent Engineers Award
• 2010: American Institute of Chemical Engineers MAC Distinguished Service Award
• 2009: Rice University Distinguished Bioengineering Alumna
• 1996–1998: National Science Foundation Visiting Professorship for Women
• 1994: American Society for Engineering Education Dow Outstanding Faculty Award