Overview
Sheryl Tucker is currently Program Director for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program in the Division of Graduate Education at the National Science Foundation. She is on leave from the University of Missouri (MU) in Columbia, MO, where she is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School and a Professor of Chemistry. As a molecular spectroscopist with interest in chemical separations, she has published over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts in journals, such as Science, Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. She has garnered over $4.6 million in funding from agencies, such as NSF, NIH and NASA.
Her research program has been noted for involving an inordinate number of women and minorities, and in 2005, she received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the White House.
In addition, to being a well-respected research mentor, this award also recognized for her efforts to ignite and retain girls’ interest in science through her Magic of Chemistry outreach program that targets junior (10-12 year olds) Girl Scouts throughout the state of Missouri and beyond. To date, over 3,000 girls and 1,500 volunteers have participated in the MU program, and it has been recognized by the Science Teachers of Missouri, American Chemical Society and Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. As reported in Science magazine, over 81% of the girls participating in the Program express in an interest in learning more about science and science careers.
Through implementation of creative and original activities, Professor Tucker has worked to effectively broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). It is for these reasons that she was a 2006 recipient of the American Chemical Society Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences.
Professor Tucker’s advocacy also extends to the faculty level. She is a PI of the NSF-funded Mizzou ADVANCE grant, serving faculty in 17 STEM departments across three colleges on campus. Beyond serving on the Steering Board, she chairs the Mentoring Program. Recognized by the Chancellor and Provost for its inclusive excellence, this successful initiative is being replicated for humanities faculty.
With her long-held beliefs about the pivotal role of graduate education plays in society and her passionate commitment to mentoring as a means to improve research and education in the Nation, Professor Tucker accepted an administrative position in 2007. In her current position, she continues to improve access to and participation in higher education across all program levels.
For a complete Curriculum Vitae contact Sheryl Tucker