Clare Boothe Luce
2018 Fellows
From left to right, graduate students Tiffany Crawford from the
Glish lab, Rachel Johnson, Li lab, Breanne Hatfield, Weeks lab,
and Jill Williamson with the Leibfarth lab, are the first fellows
awarded from the department’s “Clare Boothe Luce” grant. The
$300,000 grant for which Associate Professor Jillian Dempsey
is the principal investigator and director, supports three new
graduate fellowships for women in chemistry at UNC-Chapel
Hill. The fourth fellowship is provided by UNC. The fellowships
will be used to support and nurture women graduate students
who are aspiring to tenure-track academic positions.
Since its first grants in 1989, the Clare Boothe Luce Program
has become one of the single most significant sources of pri-
vate support for women in science, mathematics and engi-
neering. Clare Boothe Luce, the widow of Henry R. Luce, was
a playwright, journalist, U.S. Ambassador to Italy and the first
woman elected to Congress from Connecticut. In her bequest
establishing this program, she sought “to encourage women to
enter, study, graduate and teach” in science, mathematics and
engineering. Thus far, the program has supported over 2,300
women.
Outstanding Mentor
Congratulations to Kenan Distinguished Professor Matthew
Redinbo, who has been selected as one of the University’s three
Outstanding Mentors for 2018.
This prestigious award recognizes a faculty member who has
engaged in exceptional mentoring of postdoctoral scholars,
as evidenced by, among other things, advocacy for postdoc-
toral scholars, creating a supportive environment for research,
showing respect for the postdoctoral scholars’ goals, and as-
sist them in fulfilling those goals.
Well deserved, Professor Redinbo!
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