Life After Tenure Denial in Academia

The year 2014 was absolutely devastating for me professionally and personally; I was denied tenure and I lost both my maternal and paternal grandmothers. Reflecting back on that time in my life, I am certain that I would not have been able to survive the experience without the support of my close family and friends. I truly believe that the story of my journey will help others experiencing difficult challenges in their careers. After graduating from Henry Ford High School in Detroit, MI, in 1988, I enrolled at Highland Park Community College (HPCC) in nearby Highland Park. My mother was working as a secretary in the nursing department at the time, so I was able to take advantage of the tuition benefit offered to the college’s employees. I enrolled in a chemistry course for non-science majors, which I absolutely loved! Needless to say, after earning my associate’s degree in 1990, I decided to pursue chemistry as a major. I enrolled at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and attended two semesters before transferring to Wayne State University (WSU), in Detroit. My experiences as an undergraduate chemistry major at WSU led me on the path to pursue a doctorate in chemistry. In the fall of 1992, I was awarded an NIH-MARC (National Institutes of Health-Minority Access to Research Careers) Fellowship. This fellowship provided me not only funding support, but hands-on research training in the laboratory of Professor Regina Zibuck, a synthetic organic chemist. The environment in the Zibuck laboratory was very supportive and due to this mentoring experience, I wanted to earn a doctorate in chemistry. As a MARC Fellow, I was engaged in research and presented a poster on my research efforts at a national conference for the first time. Thus, I was developing fundamental laboratory and communication skills as an undergraduate researcher. Also during this time at WSU, I became involved in the WSU-NOBCChE chapter, where I found a supportive network of African American students pursuing undergraduate degrees in chemistry. The chapter adviser was Dr. Keith Williams, Director of Minority Student Initiatives in the chemistry department.