Meet Dr. Treva Brown: The Scientist and the Beauty Queen

Episode Summary
1) She's smart and beautiful. She says that Chemistry chose her and not the other way around.
2) She believes that being in STEM is important that she was inspired by having a chance encounter with a scientist. That meeting changed her life.
3) That scientist awarded her a scholarship that allowed her to attend her dream college, LSU where she received her degree.
4) She believes that having friends, mentors, sponsors, and a good support system are all needed especially in STEM Careers.
5) She understands that all of us are multifaceted people with more than one singular gift. That we can be STEM professionals AND a dancer, or debutante, or pageant queen. All are possible.
6) She believes that she is changing the face of pageantry and the face of STEM.
Dr. Treva Brown Bio
Treva Brown was born and raised in North Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her diploma from Baton Rouge Magnet High School. She dreamed of attending Louisiana State University and her physics teacher provided her with advice and information. Treva recalls, “Ms Cao told me about STEM programs at LSU and I began considering them and came across the LA-STEM [Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] Scholars Program, for which I applied, and met Dr Isiah Warner. It was through listening to his story, and some research through the LSU Chemistry website, that I decided to choose Chemistry as my major and have loved it ever since.”

Treva became a LSU tiger in the Department of Chemistry at LSU and took charge of her undergraduate experience. Her journey as an undergraduate was a very fruitful experience. She began research in Professor Jayne Garno’s group. She gained intensive experience in atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning probe lithography to study organic thin films of n-alkanethiols. She analyzed and performed surface chemistry studies of organosilanes via particle lithography and chemical vapor deposition. Treva presented her research and won presentation awards at many conferences across the nation including ACS, SERMACS, NOBCChE, and Triple EX. As a senior, Treva served as a TA for General Chemistry Laboratory, which was good experience in preparation for graduate school. Eager to share her passion for STEM, Treva became a counselor in a summer program hosted by the Office of Strategic Initiatives. She served as a role model for the incoming LSU freshmen, entering the LA-STEM Research Scholars Program, helping them to transition into college life. She emphasized the principles of leadership, scholarship, and success by expressing the importance of excellence in mentoring, education, research, and outreach. As she reminisced about her time in the Department, Treva says, “I appreciated the outpouring of encouragement and support from programs such as LA-STEM Research Scholars, LS-LAMP (Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation), IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Development), and HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute) Professors Program. Without the continued encouragement and support from the professors and staff that worked with these programs, I probably would not be where I am today in the scientific world.”
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevabrownphd

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