Donna Nelson
Encyclopedia
Dr. Donna J. Nelson is a professor of chemistry
at the University of Oklahoma
. Nelson performs research into and teaches organic chemistry
and has also conducted research into ethnic and gender diversity among highly-ranked science departments of research universities.
and earned her BS in chemistry at the University of Oklahoma in 1974. She obtained her PhD in chemistry at the University of Texas
with Michael J. S. Dewar in 1980, did her postdoctorate at Purdue University
with Herbert C. Brown
from 1980 to 1983, and joined the University of Oklahoma as a faculty member in 1983. She was a Faculty Fellow in the OU Provost’s Office from 1989 to 1990. Nelson was a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 2003 and in 2010. She was an assistant to American Chemical Society
President Ann Nalley from Nalley's election in 2004 through 2007.
d and tenure track university faculty members of the "top 50" departments in each of 14 science and engineering disciplines (chemistry, physics
, mathematics
, chemical engineering
, civil engineering
, electrical engineering
mechanical engineering
, computer science
, political science
, sociology
, economics
, biological sciences
, and psychology
). Data was collected about race/ethnicity, gender, and rank, and are complete populations, rather than samples, so they accurately reveal the small number or absence of underrepresented groups. They were obtained simultaneously and by a consistent protocol and are therefore comparable across a large number of disciplines.
The study revealed that generally, women and minorities are significantly underrepresented on these faculties. For example, there are no black, Hispanic, or Native American tenured or tenure track women faculty in the top 50 computer science departments. For chemistry and chemical engineering faculties, her additional national origin data revealed that, recently, more immigrants have been hired as faculty than American females and American minorities combined.
Nelson's diversity research has been cited by dozens of newspapers, magazines, and journals, including The New York Times
The Christian Science Monitor
, and CNN
. The Government Accountability Office
used Nelson's data for its July 2004 report to Congress
on Title IX
, specifically women's access to opportunities in the sciences.
, Nelson developed a new synthetically useful technique for gathering mechanistic information on addition reaction
s of alkene
s. The investigations often permit selection of one mechanism from several which are proposed. The technique has helped determine mechanisms of important addition reactions of alkenes, such as hydroboration, oxymercuration, bromination, the Wacker process
, and the Wilkinson reaction. She now applies her earlier research to Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) reactions.
Nelson utilized her teaching assignment of large sections of organic chemistry to develop and evaluate learning devices for her students. The devices use a visual, rather than oral or written, presentation; two were adopted by publishers to accompany their major organic chemistry textbooks. She also surveys students in order to determine factors which influence students to select or remain in science majors. Nelson's research results and materials from an education project, designed by Oklahoma high school
students and involving precipitate-forming reactions conducted in microgravity on board the STS-40, are the subject of a permanent educational exhibit demonstrating the scientific method, at the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum
. She has collaborated with Native American tribes
to determine incidences in, effects of, and attitudes toward diabetes
in Oklahoma Native Americans.
AAAS Fellow
, a Guggenheim Fellowship
, a National Organization for Women
“Woman of Courage” Award, a Ford Foundation
Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholar
, and a SACNAS Distinguished Scientist.
Nelson has written more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and has spoken at over 100 national meetings of professional societies and organizations, universities, and radio and TV programs such as The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
and Marketplace Morning Report
. The Journal of Organic Chemistry
cover of February 4, 2005 featured her research.
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. Nelson performs research into and teaches organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
and has also conducted research into ethnic and gender diversity among highly-ranked science departments of research universities.
Education
Nelson was born in Eufaula, OklahomaEufaula, Oklahoma
Eufaula is a city in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,639 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of McIntosh County.-Geography:Eufaula is located at ....
and earned her BS in chemistry at the University of Oklahoma in 1974. She obtained her PhD in chemistry at the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
with Michael J. S. Dewar in 1980, did her postdoctorate at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
with Herbert C. Brown
Herbert C. Brown
Herbert Charles Brown was a chemist and Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate for his work with organoboranes....
from 1980 to 1983, and joined the University of Oklahoma as a faculty member in 1983. She was a Faculty Fellow in the OU Provost’s Office from 1989 to 1990. Nelson was a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 2003 and in 2010. She was an assistant to American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
President Ann Nalley from Nalley's election in 2004 through 2007.
Diversity research
From 2001 to 2004, Nelson surveyed tenureTenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
d and tenure track university faculty members of the "top 50" departments in each of 14 science and engineering disciplines (chemistry, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, biological sciences
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
). Data was collected about race/ethnicity, gender, and rank, and are complete populations, rather than samples, so they accurately reveal the small number or absence of underrepresented groups. They were obtained simultaneously and by a consistent protocol and are therefore comparable across a large number of disciplines.
The study revealed that generally, women and minorities are significantly underrepresented on these faculties. For example, there are no black, Hispanic, or Native American tenured or tenure track women faculty in the top 50 computer science departments. For chemistry and chemical engineering faculties, her additional national origin data revealed that, recently, more immigrants have been hired as faculty than American females and American minorities combined.
Nelson's diversity research has been cited by dozens of newspapers, magazines, and journals, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. The Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
used Nelson's data for its July 2004 report to Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
on Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
, specifically women's access to opportunities in the sciences.
Chemistry and chemistry education research
In physical organic chemistryPhysical organic chemistry
Physical organic chemistry is the study of the interrelationships between structure and reactivity in organic molecules. It can be seen as the study of organic chemistry using tools of physical chemistry such as chemical equilibrium, chemical kinetics, thermochemistry, and quantum chemistry...
, Nelson developed a new synthetically useful technique for gathering mechanistic information on addition reaction
Addition reaction
An addition reaction, in organic chemistry, is in its simplest terms an organic reaction where two or more molecules combine to form a larger one....
s of alkene
Alkene
In organic chemistry, an alkene, olefin, or olefine is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond...
s. The investigations often permit selection of one mechanism from several which are proposed. The technique has helped determine mechanisms of important addition reactions of alkenes, such as hydroboration, oxymercuration, bromination, the Wacker process
Wacker process
The Wacker process or the Hoechst-Wacker process originally referred to the oxidation of ethylene to acetaldehyde by oxygen in water in the presence of a tetrachloropalladate catalyst...
, and the Wilkinson reaction. She now applies her earlier research to Single Walled Carbon Nanotube (SWCNT) reactions.
Nelson utilized her teaching assignment of large sections of organic chemistry to develop and evaluate learning devices for her students. The devices use a visual, rather than oral or written, presentation; two were adopted by publishers to accompany their major organic chemistry textbooks. She also surveys students in order to determine factors which influence students to select or remain in science majors. Nelson's research results and materials from an education project, designed by Oklahoma high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
students and involving precipitate-forming reactions conducted in microgravity on board the STS-40, are the subject of a permanent educational exhibit demonstrating the scientific method, at the Oklahoma Air and Space Museum
Omniplex Science Museum
The Science Museum Oklahoma is a science museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The museum is home to the Kirkpatrick Planetarium and a dome theater, as well as a number of specialized galleries.-History:...
. She has collaborated with Native American tribes
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to determine incidences in, effects of, and attitudes toward diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
in Oklahoma Native Americans.
Awards and honors
Nelson has received several honors, including being named ACS Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
AAAS Fellow
Fellow of the AAAS
Fellow of the AAAS is an honor accorded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to distinguished persons who are members of the Association. Fellows are elected annually by the AAAS Council for "efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications [which] are...
, a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
, a National Organization for Women
National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women is the largest feminist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1966 and has a membership of 500,000 contributing members. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S...
“Woman of Courage” Award, a Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholar
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
, and a SACNAS Distinguished Scientist.
Nelson has written more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and has spoken at over 100 national meetings of professional societies and organizations, universities, and radio and TV programs such as The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
and Marketplace Morning Report
Marketplace (radio program)
Marketplace is a radio program that focuses on business, the economy, and events that influence them. Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, the show is produced and distributed by American Public Media, in association with the University of Southern California...
. The Journal of Organic Chemistry
Journal of Organic Chemistry
The Journal of Organic Chemistry is a peer-reviewed scientific journal for original contributions of fundamental research in organic and bioorganic chemistry. It is published by the American Chemical Society. Its 2010 impact factor is 4.002....
cover of February 4, 2005 featured her research.