Malika Jeffries-EL facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malika Jeffries-EL
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| Alma mater | Wellesley College George Washington University |
| Awards | Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2018) National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2009) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic electronics |
| Institutions | Boston University Iowa State University Carnegie Mellon University |
| Thesis | Synthesis and characterization of π-conjugated polymers utilizing A -B monomers (2002) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard M. Tarkka |
| Other academic advisors | Richard D. McCullough |
Malika Jeffries-EL is an amazing American chemist and a professor at Boston University. She studies special materials called organic semiconductors. These materials are like tiny building blocks that can conduct electricity. Her work helps create new and exciting electronic devices, like those found in your phones or computers. In 2018, she was recognized as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society for her important contributions to chemistry.
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Early Life and Education
Malika Jeffries-EL grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She was the first person in her close family to go to college. She was inspired to become a scientist by Mae Jemison. Mae Jemison is a famous American engineer, physicist, and astronaut. She was the first Black woman to travel into space!
Malika Jeffries-EL earned two bachelor's degrees from Wellesley College in 1996. She studied Chemistry and Africana Studies. Later, in 1999, she earned her master's degree in chemistry from George Washington University (GWU). She continued her studies at GWU and completed her PhD in Synthetic Chemistry in 2002. Her supervisor for her PhD was Richard Tarkka.
Her Work as a Scientist
After finishing her PhD, Dr. Jeffries-EL worked as a special researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. She worked there from 2002 to 2005 with Professor Richard D. McCullough. During this time, she focused on making and studying a material called polythiophene.
In 2005, she joined the team at Iowa State University as a professor. She became a tenured professor in 2012, which means she earned a permanent position. Her main research area is organic semiconductors. These are materials that can conduct electricity, but they are made from carbon-based compounds, like plastics.
From 2014 to 2015, Dr. Jeffries-EL was a visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, her group worked on creating new parts for polymers. Polymers are long chains of molecules. She uses these special materials to make things like organic solar cells, transistors (which control electric signals), and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
In 2015, she was chosen to give a special lecture at Cal Poly Pomona College of Engineering. She was also the main speaker at a big meeting for the American Chemical Society in 2016. In 2016, she joined Boston University as a tenured associate professor.
Helping Science and Others
Dr. Jeffries-EL does a lot to help the world of science and encourage other scientists. Here are some of the ways she helps:
- She is a member of Sigma Xi, a science honor society.
- She is part of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.
- She helps guide the editorial board for Chemical and Engineering News, a major science magazine.
- She advises the Society Committee on Education (SocEd).
- She is on the advisory board for the Women Chemists of Colour program.
- In 2011, she helped organize a workshop at MIT called 'Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow'.
- She led workshops for new researchers funded by the National Science Foundation in 2016.
- She was part of a video campaign by the Science Coalition during the 2016 presidential elections.
- She is an associate editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C.
- She is a member of the Boston Women of Color Advisory Committee.
- She advises the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE).
Awards and Special Recognitions
Dr. Jeffries-EL has received many awards for her important work and contributions:
- 2008 – 3M, Nontenured Faculty Award
- 2008 – Science Spectrum Magazine, Emerald Honors for most promising minority scientist
- 2009 – NSF CAREER Award
- 2010 – National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Lloyd Ferguson Award
- 2012 – American Chemical Society, Women Chemists Committee Rising Star Award
- 2014 – Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award, from Iota Sigma Pi
- 2015 – American Chemical Society, Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences
- 2018 – Elected a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS). This is a very special honor given to only about 2% of their members.
- 2021 – National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Percy L. Julian Award.
- 2023 – Research Corporation for Science Advancement's Robert Holland Jr. Award for Research Excellence and Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Important Publications
Dr. Jeffries-EL has written almost 100 scientific papers. These papers share her research findings with other scientists around the world.
