Giving

STEM Success

In 2018, Barbara Hill and Ancelmo Lopes drove past TU’s new home of the College of Science
and Mathematics at about the same time they were discussing how to help women interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The timing was perfect, and the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program was born, forever changing the trajectory of women in STEM at TU. 

Now, five years later, their gifts to establish and sustain the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program, which delivers dedicated, transformational support for STEM majors at TU to improve the advancement and retention of women in STEM fields, exceed $1.2 million with their most recent gift. The beta cohort of scholars will graduate this spring. Jordan Brooks and Kelsey Evans are among them.

Brooks, a forensic chemistry major and first-generation college student from Prince George’s County, says she always had a knack for science but gravitated to chemistry because “I liked the numbers.” As a Hill-Lopes scholar she’s had the opportunity to attend a variety of conferences that have further honed her interest in forensic science. She plans to attend graduate school for forensic science and has been accepted into Thomas Jefferson University and Penn State University. She credits her Hill-Lopes mentor, Kelly Elkins, who connected her with conference and research opportunities.

Mentoring is a cornerstone of the Hill-Lopes Scholars Program, according to Kristin Pinkowski, its coordinator. “My hope is the program’s mentoring and community support will give our scholars the encouragement they need to succeed in the workplace,” she says.

Evans’ Hill-Lopes mentor, Gillian Briggs, has experience in the cosmetic chemistry field, an area of deep interest for Evans. The Germantown, Maryland, native entered TU as a biology major but changed direction after she took a chemistry course. Her interest in starting her own business began with her hair.

“I am mixed race and have curly hair. My mom didn’t know how to take care of my hair,” she says. So Evans did her own research and started making her own hair products. “People don’t think about cosmetic chemists and product ingredients, but the industry is huge,” she says.

Evans recently participated in the 10-week Women with Impact Academy, a mini-MBA program that equips young women with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become leaders and entrepreneurs. After graduating, she plans to dive headfirst into the business of cosmetic chemistry.

“Hill-Lopes has meant the world to me,” Evans says.