James Breton, a 4th-year Ph.D. candidate from the Hammes-Schiffer Group and Johnson Lab, has been named the National Student Representative for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).
Breton is president of and helped establish the Yale Student Chapter of NOBCChE in 2021. He and chapter members have organized numerous opportunities to enhance experiences for black chemistry and chemical engineering students at Yale and for future STEM students in the community. Some activities include professional portrait photos, networking events, and lab tours and chemistry workshops for local school children.
“I am excited to help NOBCChE with its mission, and I especially want to help student chapters around the country participate in more K-12 outreach activities,” said Breton. “Specifically, I want to do this by connecting with NOBCChE E-Board leadership from across the country, familiarizing myself with how they run their chapter and what K-12 outreach activities they’ve done in the past, and finally brainstorming with them on how to best create future outreach activities.”
NOBCChE aims to build an eminent cadre of successful, diverse global leaders in STEM and enhance their academic, development, leadership, and philanthropic pursuits throughout their careers. They partner with universities and other organizations to support programs for people of color to realize their full potential in chemistry, chemical engineering, and allied fields.