Ann Nalley is a legend when it comes to encouraging women to pursue the field of chemistry. While conducting workshops in the inner city of Chicago, she brought the excitement of chemistry into the lives of female teachers, mothers, and their daughters. During the laboratory experiments in subjects like; cosmetics, green chemistry or solar energy, Ann emphasized the significance of attracting young girls to chemistry and the importance of creating programs that could be duplicated at home. Her mission of encouraging women into the field of chemistry continues while she is lecturing around the globe in countries such as; England, Cuba, Korea, and Egypt. This is not an easy task to tackle, particularly in the Middle East.<br/><br/>The Middle East is a part of the world in which women need strong support and encouragement to pursue careers in the chemical sciences. Over the last twelve years, six conferences titled “Frontiers of Chemical Sciences: Research and Education in the Middle East - A Bridge to Peace and International Development, “ have been organized and are known as the Malta Conferences. In these conferences, chemists from fifteen Middle East countries spend a week together with six Nobel Laureates working on issues of air and water quality, solar energy, medicinal chemistry, nanotechnology and science education. This is the only platform in which these scientists can develop collaborations, friendships, and overcome the chasms of distrust and intolerance. The Malta Conferences succeeded in attracting six times more women in the 2013 conference than there was in the first conference in 2003. Ann has been an integral part of attracting these women to participate in the conferences and developing programs for young women in their own countries. It takes a true woman of valor to take on such a task.<br/>

Woman of valor: More precious than pearls

249th National Meeting (2015)

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