Chidinma Lucy Odili

WORK HISTORY

ABOUT CHIDINMA LUCY ODILI

I am a Ph.D candidate in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University with research experience in molecular biology and biotechnology techniques, peptide and protein synthesis and purification methods. I\'m a very efficient communicator with a quick and analytical mind. I have a track record of leadership, tenacity, commitment to the task, team building, team playing and networking. My foray into academics stemmed from a deep love knowledge. My love for knowledge has metamorphosed into utilizing knowledge to solve immediate societal problems. To this end I have spent a considerable amount of time both within and outside the lab, gaining mastery of the right scientific tools of work and also learning to work with and manage people. My outside the lab experiences saw me serving as the President of the African Students Association, Vice-President of the Graduate Student Council and Vice-President of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. For my leadership roles and the impact of some of the initiatives I and my team made on campus, I was awarded the Student Leader of the Year Award (2022) by the Auburn University Student Involvement Office. Within my faculty (College of Science and Mathematics), I discovered a lapse in communicating science to non-technical audiences. To solve this challenge, I networked with like-minded students and faculty to create a team and launch the first faculty Newsletter which featured articles from both students and staff written in non-technical language. Perhaps due to my level of student involvement and advocacy, I was selected to represent graduate students on the Faculty Dean search committee (20••••22). Academically, I am a recipient of the 2019 Newman academic award from the Chemistry department as well as an inducted member of the Golden Key International Honor Society for top-10 students in their class. I have attended several conferences both within and outside the United States to present my research and I have been a recipient of several travel awards and grants. I also have experience with mentoring and in particular, I have mentored an undergraduate student in my research lab for 2 years during which time she gave a departmental talk on her research and is currently preparing for a poster presentation at a conference. I\'m interested in a career in a leading chemistry-related industry, including management consulting companies with focus on chemistry-related industries.