BC chemistry professor Jennie Kong Mayer is one of three women who will be honored at the annual Seattle AWIS banquet on June 14. Mayer will receive the Excellence in STEM Education/Outreach award.
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Every year, the Seattle Association for Women in Science (AWIS) recognizes a select number of women for their achievements in advancing science or technology, contributing to STEM education, or being outstanding mentors and leaders.
BC chemistry professor Jennie Kong Mayer is one of three women who will be honored at the annual Seattle AWIS banquet on June 14. Mayer will receive the Excellence in STEM Education/Outreach award.
Mayer, who is originally from Riverside, California, received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and master’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Riverside. She came to BC in January 2005, after teaching at Riverside City College and Santa Ana College in Southern California. Mayer has been the department chair at BC for 12 years and serves as a co-lead for the school’s student success initiatives, which is focused on improving student outcomes and closing equity gaps.
Her efforts in the latter were one thing that stood out to Rose Fridman, who took Mayer’s Organic Chemistry III class in the fall of 2020. Fridman said Mayer embodies inclusivity and educational equity, noting how Mayer shared with the class, her own story as an Asian American woman in STEM, and her experiences in a predominantly male field. Throughout the quarter, Mayer set aside time at the beginning of class so students could also share their personal stories. Fridman said this helped her and her classmates connect with each other in a way she hadn’t experienced in previous classes.
“That made such a big difference.,” said Fridman.. “I really loved that she did that. I know that bond was formed because of Jennie’s work.”
For Mayer, the importance of diversifying sciences is paramount. . She has often found herself in professional circles where she is the only person of color in the room. In addition to traditional organic chemistry concepts, Mayer also assigns a research project for her students to study a scientist who is either similar to or different from them. “It makes them feel like they belong,” she said.
Mayer is also the education chair for the American Chemical Society Puget Sound Section (ACS PSS). It was through this organization that she met Clarita Bhat, professor emeritus at Shoreline Community College who started that school’s chemistry program in the 1970s.
Bhat became familiar with Mayer a few years before the pandemic when Mayer began volunteering with the Chemistry Olympiad program for high school students, a program that Bhat had been running for more than 20 years. “She’s like a human Energizer Bunny, just amazing,” Bhat said about Mayer, adding that if there is a way she can help students, Mayer will do it. “She has a passion for education. You can tell that she really cares about the students.”
Bhat, who is also a member of Seattle AWIS, said while they always have great candidates for their annual awards, Mayer being selected this year “could not have happened to a more deserving educator.”
Last Updated June 12, 2023