Grant receives AIChE Pioneers of Diversity Award

Dr. Christine S. Grant, Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement for the College of Engineering and professor in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University, is one of the first recipients of the new American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Pioneers of Diversity Award for her distinguished service to the organization.

The Pioneers of Diversity Award recognizes individuals who pioneered the formation of the AIChE Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) and/or rendered continuous services to the committee. The Minority Affairs Committee selected Grant as a recipient of the inaugural award citing her role as a former chair of the committee, her distinguished service to AIChE and her leadership in helping create a more inclusive institute and profession.

Grant, who is also an AIChE Fellow, received the award on Monday, November 9 at the MAC 25th anniversary celebration held during the AIChE 2015 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In her role as associate dean, Grant and her office are responsible for faculty development, all college level faculty promotion and tenure review processes and mentoring among the College of Engineering faculty. The unit also works on special initiatives that seek to broaden participation in STEM. In this capacity, Grant also serves as a resource for department heads, an advocate for the faculty and a liaison to the Provost’s office.

Grant has received numerous awards and honors in the mentoring realm, including the NC State Provost’s African-American Advocacy Award (2000); the National Science Foundation Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) (2004); the Council for Chemical Research (CCR) National Diversity Award (2009) the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering (GEM) Distinguished Alumni Academic Award (2004); and the American Chemical Society Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences (2012).

Grant received a Sc.B. in chemical engineering from Brown University (1984) and an M.S. (1986) and Ph.D. (1989) in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.