{"602275":{"#nid":"602275","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Stefan France: A Lot of Work Remains","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFebruary is Black History Month, a special time set aside to celebrate the contributions of African Americans. We join the celebration by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues through a two-part Q\u0026amp;A.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ww2.chemistry.gatech.edu\/~sfrance3\/Stefan_France.html\u0022\u003EStefan France\u003C\/a\u003E is an associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In his research, he develops synthetic methods and applies them to natural products synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Numerous awards widely recognize his achievements in research, teaching, and mentoring.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESeven Ph.D. students have graduated under his supervision. France\u0026rsquo;s mentoring reaches far and wide, including more than 50 undergraduates from Georgia Tech and elsewhere. He is active in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nobcche.org\/\u0022\u003ENational Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers\u003C\/a\u003E (NOBCChE), and the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/phibetasigma1914.org\/\u0022\u003EPhi Beta Sigma Fraternity\u003C\/a\u003E. He is an avid movie buff, sports fan, and supporter of music and arts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHe has been married to his college sweetheart, Sara, for more than 12 years. They have two children.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is the achievement that you are proudest of so far?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nProfessionally, my Ph.D. graduates will always be\u0026nbsp;my greatest accomplishments. I am always so proud to be part of each student\u0026rsquo;s growth and development in graduate school.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an homage to my Ph.D. students\u0026rsquo; contribution and importance to the lab, I created a tradition that has two parts: First, each graduate receives a plaque commemorating their completion of the Ph.D. requirements.\u0026nbsp;Next, I mount a second plaque with the student\u0026#39;s name, thesis title, and defense date on a wall in my lab. I\u0026rsquo;ve labeled this wall of plaques \u0026quot;The Family Tree.\u0026quot; Right now, seven plaques are on the wall. Four more will go up by the end of 2019.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis wall is inspirational to my current students, prospective students, and me.\u0026nbsp;It is a point of pride, an\u0026nbsp;anchor to the lab, and \u0026ndash; unintentionally \u0026ndash; a great recruiting tool.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrent graduate students are excited about the\u0026nbsp;day their plaque goes up. Former students enjoy\u0026nbsp;seeing their name and plaque on the wall. Prospective students are amazed by the wall.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat does Black History Month mean to you?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nFirst, it serves as a reminder of the\u0026nbsp;accomplishments,\u0026nbsp;contributions, and impact of black Americans in this country. Second, it serves as a reminder that a lot of work remains to build true equity, inclusion, diversity, acceptance, and support across all communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile I appreciate Black History Month, I would be happier in a world where celebrating black culture is not relegated to one month of each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBlack History Month encourages me \u0026ndash; as a black American \u0026ndash; to work harder to encourage and support other people of color while also promoting an environment of inclusiveness, respect, and the open and supportive sharing of ideas. I believe that it is through this environment that student, staff, and faculty can thrive and reach their utmost potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Associate professor of chemistry reflects on Black History Month"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFebruary is Black History Month, a special time set aside to celebrate the contributions of African-Americans. The College of Sciences joins the celebration by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues through a two-part Q\u0026amp;A.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Sciences celebrates Black History Month by inviting the perspectives of African-American colleagues."}],"uid":"30678","created_gmt":"2018-02-12 21:09:07","changed_gmt":"2018-02-27 15:18:50","author":"A. Maureen Rouhi","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2018-02-27T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"602562":{"id":"602562","type":"image","title":"Stefan France","body":null,"created":"1519053912","gmt_created":"2018-02-19 15:25:12","changed":"1519053912","gmt_changed":"2018-02-19 15:25:12","alt":"","file":{"fid":"229656","name":"2018 Stefan France by SueWinters.square250.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20by%20SueWinters.square250.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20by%20SueWinters.square250.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":109237,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20by%20SueWinters.square250.jpg?itok=6UK4nox_"}},"602563":{"id":"602563","type":"image","title":"France \u0022Family Tree\u0022","body":null,"created":"1519053982","gmt_created":"2018-02-19 15:26:22","changed":"1519053982","gmt_changed":"2018-02-19 15:26:22","alt":"","file":{"fid":"229657","name":"2018 Stefan France Family Tree.square250.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20Family%20Tree.square250.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20Family%20Tree.square250.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82535,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/2018%20Stefan%20France%20Family%20Tree.square250.jpg?itok=14QlD6PF"}}},"media_ids":["602562","602563"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"177030","name":"2018 Black History Month"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"172186","name":"Stefan France"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}