Chekesha Liddell

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Chekesha M. Liddell Watson

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| workplaces = Cornell University

| alma_mater = Georgia Institute of Technology,
Bachelors of Materials Sciences (1999)

Spelman College, Bachelors of Chemistry with Highest Distinctions (1999)

Georgia Institute of Technology,
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Minor in Science and Technology Policy (2003)

| doctoral_advisor = Christopher Summers

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Chekesha M. Liddell Watson (née Liddell) is an Associate Professor of Material Science and Engineering at Cornell University. She researches colloidal materials, and the relationship between micron and submicron length scales.{{Cite web|title=Chekesha M. Watson|url=https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/faculty-directory/chekesha-m-watson|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220164709/https://www.engineering.cornell.edu/faculty-directory/chekesha-m-watson |archive-date=2017-12-20 }}

Early life

Liddell grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. At an early age, her parents recognized her good comprehension for spatial relations. Since she was 8 years old, Liddell participated in math and science enrichment workshops. In high school, Liddell participated in a summer camp at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for emerging minority scientists, as well as worked alongside and co-authored a paper with one of the Kennedy Space Center's top female scientists.

In 1999, Liddell graduated both from Spelman College, receiving a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and graduating with Highest Distinction, as well as Georgia Institute of Technology, where she earned a Bachelors of Science in Materials Engineering.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mse.cornell.edu/people/profile.cfm?netid=cml66|title=Faculty Profile - Department of Materials Science and Engineering - Cornell Engineering|website=www.mse.cornell.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-05-21}} She was awarded a NASA Women in Science and Engineering Scholarship, which allowed her to study the metabolism of arsenic in poultry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/postsecondary/features/a-wise-choice.html|title=NASA - A Wise Choice|website=www.nasa.gov|language=en|others=Marilyn Lewis : MSFC;, Carl Person : HQ;, Mabel Matthews : HQ;, Stephanie Schierholz : HQ;, Heather R. Smith : NASA Educational Technology Services, Adrienne Stiff-Roberts : POC;, Monica Cox : POC;, Kelly Bolden : POC;, Dr. Cornelia Gillyard : Spelman College;, Flint Wild : MSFC;, Diedra Williams : MSFC;, Chekesha Liddell : POC|access-date=2018-05-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://cswa.aas.org/MEETING/WomeninAstroProceedings.pdf|title=Meeting the Challenges of an Increasingly Diverse Workforce|website=NASA|access-date=2018-05-21}} During her scholarship she worked at Kennedy Space Center. After defending her thesis titled Non-spherical zinc sulfide colloids as building blocks for three-dimensional photonic crystals,{{cite journal |title=Non-spherical zinc sulfide colloids as building blocks for three-dimensional photonic crystals |url=https://smartech.gatech.edu/handle/1853/32788 |website=SMARTech Repository |date=August 2003 |accessdate=10 June 2020|last1=Liddell |first1=Chekesha Miata |bibcode=2003PhDT.......107L }} She earned her PhD in Material Science at Georgia Institute of Technology in 2003.{{Cite web|url=http://www.news.gatech.edu/2003/09/29/research-award-gives-boost-tech-grad-turned-faculty-member|title=Research Award Gives Boost to Tech Grad Turned Faculty Member|website=www.news.gatech.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-05-21}} Liddell was awarded a $20,000 Career Initiation Grant from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Research

Liddell creates photonic crystals for solar cells using colloidal building blocks.{{Cite news|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/407558/cheaper-more-efficient-solar-cells/|title=Cheaper, More Efficient Solar Cells|last=Bullis|first=Kevin|work=MIT Technology Review|access-date=2018-05-21|language=en}} She has worked on the Self-assembly of microparticles with hemispherical{{Cite journal|last1=Hosein|first1=Ian D.|last2=Liddell|first2=Chekesha M.|date=2007-08-01|title=Convectively Assembled Nonspherical Mushroom Cap-Based Colloidal Crystals|journal=Langmuir|volume=23|issue=17|pages=8810–8814|doi=10.1021/la700865t|issn=0743-7463|pmid=17630788}} and dimer shapes.{{Cite journal|last1=Hosein|first1=Ian D.|last2=Liddell|first2=Chekesha M.|date=2007-10-01|title=Convectively Assembled Asymmetric Dimer-Based Colloidal Crystals|journal=Langmuir|volume=23|issue=21|pages=10479–10485|doi=10.1021/la7007254|issn=0743-7463|pmid=17629310}} Liddell joined the faculty of Cornell University in 2003.{{Cite news|url=https://tnj.com/early-career-honors/|title=Early-Career Honors {{!}} The Network Journal|date=2009-05-29|work=The Network Journal|access-date=2018-05-21|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-503853811/changing-faces|title=Changing Faces" by Hamilton, Kendra - Black Issues in Higher Education, Vol. 20, Issue 20, November 20, 2003|website=|language=en|access-date=|archive-date=May 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522111852/https://www.questia.com/read/1P3-503853811/changing-faces|url-status=dead}} She is a member of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/nobcchearchives/docs/2008_conference_program_redc|title=NOBCChE 35th Annual Conference of NOBCChE {{!}} Philadelphia, PA {{!}} March 16–21, 2008|work=Issuu|access-date=2018-05-21|language=en}} In 2006 she was awarded a National Science Foundation Career Award for Nonspherical, Active, and "Inverted" Bases for Optimized Photonic Crystal Design.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0547976|title=NSF Award Search: Award#0547976 - CAREER: Nonspherical, Active, and "Inverted" Bases for Optimized Photonic Crystal Design|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2018-05-21}} This award resulted in 16 publications. In 2009 Liddell was awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newswise.com/articles/president-honors-outstanding-early-career-scientists|title=President Honors Outstanding Early Career Scientists|website=www.newswise.com|access-date=2018-05-21}}{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/gtalumni/docs/2008_84_3|title=Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine Vol. 84, No. 03 2008|work=Issuu|access-date=2018-05-21|language=en}} She was recognized as one of Cornell's Emerging Scholars in 2011.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mse.cornell.edu/news/awards.cfm|title=Faculty Awards and Honors - Department of Materials Science and Engineering - Cornell Engineering|website=www.mse.cornell.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-05-21}}

Awards and honors

(2011) Emerging Scholars Class of 2011 (Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine){{cite web |title=Emerging Scholars. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education |url=https://diverseeducation.com/?emerging-scholar=puzzlemaster |website=diverseeducation.com}}
(2010) Provost's Award for Distinguished Research (Office of the Provost, Cornell University)
(2009) Dow Distinguished Lecturer (University of California at Santa Barbara UCSB)
(2007) Certificate of Appreciation for Mentoring (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation)
(2007) Frontiers of Science Symposium Invitee (National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)
(2006) NSF CAREER Award: Nonspherical, Active, and "Inverted" Bases for Optimized Photonic Crystal Design
(2003) Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Sciences Career Initiation Grant
(1999-2003) Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowship
(1999-2003) Georgia Tech President's Fellowship
(1999-2003) Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Sciences Fellowship
(2000) National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Fellow
(1999) Hertz Foundation Fellowship Grant
(1999) TMS materials society, J. Keith Brimacombe Presidential Scholarship
(1998) ASM Foundation Scholarship, ASM International materials
(1999) ASTM, American Society for Testing and Materials, Mary R. Norton Memorial Fellowship

References

External links

{{cite web|url=https://www.mse.cornell.edu/faculty-directory/chekesha-m-watson|title=Chekesha M. Watson|publisher=Cornell University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering|access-date=2020-06-24}}
{{cite web|url=https://cliddellwatson.mse.cornell.edu|title=Liddell Watson Research Group|access-date=2020-06-24}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/advancedSearchResult?PIId=&PIFirstName=Chekesha&PILastName=Watson&IncludeCoPI=true&BooleanElement=All&BooleanRef=All&ActiveAwards=true&ExpiredAwards=true|title=NSF Award Search: Advanced Search Results - Chekesha Watson|publisher=National Science Foundation|access-date=2020-06-24}}

Category:Living people

Category:African-American engineers

Category:21st-century American engineers

Category:Spelman College alumni

Category:Georgia Tech alumni

Category:Cornell University faculty

Category:21st-century American women engineers

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:People from Tallahassee, Florida