Presentation given by: Rukeyser S. Thompson, Ph.D. for Marquita M. Qualls, Ph.D. @ 2005 NOBCChE Awards Banquet March 24, 2005

I entered the chemistry department of Purdue University in August of 1995. At that time there were ~350 graduate students in the department and 6 of that 350 were AA. At the end of the week of new grad student orientation, I went down to open my department mailbox. When I turned around, there was a black woman smiling back at me. I was pleasantly surprised. It was our president Dr. Marquita Monique Qualls. She gave me information about classes, churches in the area, where I could go and get my hair done, and she told me about NOBCChE. The rest for me is history. I am amazed even at that time that Marquita’s thought process was presidential.

She has served NOBCChE as national student rep. Shortly after beginning work at GSK, she was elected national secretary. GSK had a presence at the NOBCChE meeting prior to Marquita joining the company. However, her boundless enthusiasm and advocacy of NOBCChE compelled them to deepen their commitment to NOBCChE. They were the first sponsors of the Technology Center, and three years ago, GSK established a graduate fellowship in honor of Dr. Lendon Pridgen, NOBCChE member and GSK scientist-which is the largest fellowship awarded to our graduate students. They have already indicated that funding is secured to sponsor this fellowship for next year.

Many of you know that I am from MS. My grandmother was a seamstress. She often sewed for people in the community. She would ask her clients if she could keep their scrapes. I thought that she was a “pack rat,” but instead she was a visionary. Marquita is as well. Those scrapes or patches of material were barely enough to wipe a pair of shoes, but they did not stay that way for long. With a steady hand and a strong cord a quilt of beauty, warmth, and power was produced.

Marquita has crafted a quilt for NOBCChE. I see her in the center. In the distance, I see NOBCChE with the mission of building an imminent community of scientists, but our patch is not big enough. Out a little farther, I see GEM who wants to provide funding opportunities for undergraduates of color to attend grad school, but their patch is not big enough. I also see ACS and NSF who want to reach out in a meaningful way to scientists of color, but their patch is not big enough. She used her steady hand and a strong chord to bring the patches together. Because of Marquita’s vision, she has crafted a quilt that extends beyond NOBCChE. She has covered our undergrads by exposing them to GEM through and MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between NOBCChE and GEM. She has covered our young faculty by increasing their awareness of professional development and funding opportunities for their research. She is a leader with a vision, and leaders with vision do not need wings. It is my pleasure to present this award to our president, Dr. Marquita M. Qualls 2003-2005 NOBCChE President