Celebrating diversity in chemistry | Poster Board #407

The University of Detroit Mercy Chemistry Club organizes two annual lecture series: the John A. McLean Lecture in the fall semester and the Shulamith Schlick Memorial Lecture in the winter semester. The two events are entirely run by a group of student volunteers in the Club. The fall lecture was developed in 2016 to honor the work of Dr. John A. McLean, a retired chemistry professor and the first African American to serve as the head of the Department. The mission of the McLean lecture series is to honor bring attention to the work of chemists of color. Additionally, Dr. Shulamith Schlick was a respected faculty member of the Department for many years. The lecture series in her name was established in 2021 to recognize the work of women in the chemistry field. Detroit Mercy’s student demographic is exceptionally diverse, and the university strives to support their students’ ambitions in fields where they are underrepresented. These events aim to acknowledge the challenges and lack of opportunities often faced by marginalized communities and provide personal and professional development. These lectures inspire students because they supplement their in-classroom education with the opportunity to learn from and interact with leaders in the field of chemistry who share similar backgrounds. Over the multiple iterations of each event, hundreds of students in our department have felt empowered to pursue an education and have a successful career in chemistry.