Vanderbilt University’s Renã Robinson Is Leading a National Organization of Black Chemists

Renã A.S. Robinson, associate professor of chemistry and Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chancellor Faculty Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, has been named president of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).

Founded in 1972, NOBCChE is a nonprofit professional organization that assists Black and other minority students and professional chemists to realize their full career potential. Dr. Robinson will also be working with the executive board of NOBCChE to fund a $1 million endowment to sustain the organization for years to come.

“Following the footsteps of former NOBCChE presidents, I will focus on ensuring the legacy of NOBCChE through strengthening organizational infrastructure, enhancing student and professional membership value, expanding organizational partnerships, and growing NOBCChE’s footprint nationally and internationally,” Dr. Robinson said. “I am excited to serve the organization and continue the efforts to build upon an eminent cadre of successful, diverse global leaders in STEM.”

Professor Robinson joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University in 2017 after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh. A graduate of the University of Louisville, Dr. Robinson holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Indiana University.

Related Articles

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

Online Articles That May Be of Interest to JBHE Readers

Each week, JBHE will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.

AAUP Urges Institutions to Fund, Protect, and Publicize DEI Initiatives in Academia

The AAUP urges academic institutions to recruit and retain diverse faculty and student bodies and to "fund, protect, and publicize research in all fields that contributes to the common good and responds more widely to the needs of a diverse public."

In Memoriam: Ralphenia D. Pace

A scholar of food and nutritional sciences, Dr. Pace taught at Tuskegee University in Alabama for more than 40 years.

Black Matriculants Are Down at U.S. Medical Schools

In 2024, the share of Black applicants to U.S. medical schools increased by 2.8 percent from 2023. However, the share of Black medical school matriculants decreased by 11.6 percent. Notably, there has been year-over-year progress in overall Black medical school representation, which has risen to from 7.9 percent in 2017 to 10.3 percent in 2024.

Featured Jobs