Raychelle Burks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Edward's University, Assistant Professor, 2016 – 2020
Doane College, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2013 – 2015
Raychelle Burks | |
|---|---|
 Burks speaks in 2019 | |
| Alma mater | University of Northern Iowa University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Analytical chemistry |
| Institutions | American University, Associate Professor, 2020 – Present St. Edward's University, Assistant Professor, 2016 – 2020 Doane College, Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2013 – 2015 |
Raychelle Burks is an associate professor of analytical chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C., and science communicator, who has regularly appeared on the Science Channel. In 2020, the American Chemical Society awarded her the Grady-Stack award for her public engagement excellence.[1]
Burks developed an interest in forensic chemistry when she was 12 after a field trip that presented students with a science interaction challenge, asking students to solve a real-world problem using science.[2] Burks earned her BS in chemistry at the University of Northern Iowa, her MSc in Forensic Science at Nebraska Wesleyan University, her PhD in chemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and was a postdoctoral research associate at the Doane College.[3]
Career and research
Burks became an assistant professor of chemistry at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, in 2016, where she taught and conducted research until 2020. She then moved to Washington, D.C., to join the faculty at American University as an associate professor of chemistry.[4]
Her current research centers on developing low-cost colorimetric sensors for detecting chemicals of forensic interest including explosives and illicit drugs.[5][6][7][8][9] To maximize portability in the field, her group focuses on transforming smartphones into detection devices.[7] Her research interests lie in the applied science domain, which she believes is well-suited to capturing and holding students' attention because they are working to solve real-world problems.[10] She has spoken about her intersectional research approach to equipping students with the technical knowledge they need to work on these real-world challenges with the United States Department of Defense Science, Technology, and Innovation Exchange.[10][11]
