October 24, 2023

BATON ROUGE, LA - Tyrslai Menyaee’ Williams-Carter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Research in the School of Education and Assistant Dean of Mentorship, Education, and Research in the Strategic Initiatives unit of the Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School, was recently named the recipient of the 2023 Winifred Burks-Houck Leadership Award by the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) during their 50th National Conference and Gala. This award recognizes Dr. Williams-Carter as a trailblazer and honors her significant strides in leadership, scientific achievements, and community service. Williams-Carter served as the keynote speaker at the Winifred Burks-Houck Luncheon and received the award at the 50th NOBCChE Annual Awards Ceremony & Gala in September, where Mae Jemison was the Keynote speaker for the evening. 
 
The Winifred Burks-Houck Leadership Award is named after Winifred Burks-Houck, an environmental organic chemist and the first female president of NOBCChE. In 2010, NOBCChE established the distinguished lecture, award, and symposium to honor Winifred A. Burks-Houck by highlighting the leadership, scientific achievements, creativity, and community service of a NOBCChE-affiliated professional woman and NOBCChE undergraduate and graduate student working towards a degree in a STEM field. 
 
Williams-Carter research investigates the strategies and support structures necessary to support students through critical junctures on their academic journey while cultivating essential skills critical to success in the workforce. Additionally, her research examines the impacts and designs of mentoring networks and support structures to employ approaches like social cognitive career theory or social identity theory to understand its direct influence on student self-efficacy and STEM identity. Her dedication to transforming the lens through which underserved students see higher education by broadening participation and increasing the matriculation of undergraduate and graduate students is evident. Williams-Carter has designed and implemented several STEM projects, particularly for groups historically underrepresented in STEM. She continues to create an impact by bringing numerous students from LSU and other institutions towards research and education. Because of her background in Organic Chemistry and STEM Education, Dr. Williams-Carter has published several scientific and educational publications. She is an investigator of 5 ongoing education support projects totaling over six million dollars.  

Her education research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, with the most recent, in May 2022 with Frontiers in Education titled Supporting Historically Underrepresented Groups in STEM Higher Education: The Promise of Structured Mentoring Networks. Additionally, she is co-guest editor of a special issue in Frontiers Education, entitled “Exploring  STEM Environments that Broaden Participation” (2023). She is affiliated with many professional STEM organizations, and as of October 1, 2023, she has begun her term as president-elect for the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE).