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 American chemist and professor. She teaches chemistry at Boston University. Her work focuses on creating special materials called organic semiconductors. These materials are used to make new electronic devices. She was chosen as a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2018. This is a big honor in the world of chemistry.
Early Life and School
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 an engineer, physicist, and astronaut. She was also the first black woman to travel into space.
Malika Jeffries-EL went to Wellesley College. She earned two degrees there in 1996. One was in Chemistry and the other in Africana Studies. In 1999, she earned her master's degree in chemistry. She got this degree from George Washington University (GWU). She then completed her PhD in Synthetic Chemistry at GWU in 2002. Her supervisor for her PhD was Richard Tarkka.
Research and Career
After finishing her PhD, Dr. Jeffries-EL worked at Carnegie Mellon University. She was a postdoctoral fellow there from 2002 to 2005. During this time, she studied how to make and use polythiophene.
In 2005, she became a professor at Iowa State University. She earned tenure there in 2012. This means she got a permanent teaching position. Her main research area is organic semiconductors. These are materials that can conduct electricity.
From 2014 to 2015, Dr. Jeffries-EL was a visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her team worked on making special building blocks for polymers. These blocks are used to create new materials. She develops materials like benzobisazoles. She also works with cross-conjugated organic semiconductors. These include benzodifurans and special Polythiophenes. She uses these materials to make things like organic solar cells. They are also used in transistors and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
In 2015, Dr. Jeffries-EL gave 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. She is now a tenured associate professor there.
Helping Science and Others
Dr. Jeffries-EL does a lot to help the world of science. She is a member of many important groups. These include Sigma Xi and the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.
She also helps guide important science publications. She is on the editorial board for Chemical and Engineering News. She also advises the Society Committee on Education. She is on the advisory board for the Women Chemists of Colour program.
In 2011, she helped organize a workshop at MIT. It was called 'Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow'. In 2016, she led workshops for new researchers. She also took part in a video campaign for science during the 2016 presidential elections. She is an associate editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C. She is also on the Boston Women of Color Advisory Committee. She advises the Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OXIDE).
Awards and Honors
Dr. Jeffries-EL has received many awards for her work:
- 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). Only about 2% of their members achieve this status.
- 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. This award recognizes research excellence and efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
