Malika Jeffries-EL is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences and Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science at Boston University. Dr. Jeffries-EL’s research focuses on the development of organic semiconductors –materials that combine the processing properties of polymers with the electronic properties of semiconductors. She is a fellow of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry and has won numerous awards including the Percy Julian Award from the National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), the ACS-Women Chemist Committee Rising Star award, the Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay Morgan Award (2013). She has authored over 40 publications, received over 4000 citations, and given over 160 lectures domestically and abroad. She served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C and the new RSC title Materials Advances. Malika is currently Associate Editor for Chemical Science.

Professor Jeffries-EL, is also a staunch advocate for diversity, and dedicated volunteer that has served in several activities within the American Chemical Society. She is a science communicator who seeks to encourage students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM degrees and recently appeared on NOVA to talk about plastics. She also serves the community through her work with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA). Professor Jeffries-EL is a native of Brooklyn, New York.

Degrees and Positions

  • B.A., Chemistry and Africana Studies, Wellesley College
  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, The George Washington University
  • Mendenhall Fellow, Smith College
  • Post Doctoral Fellow, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Associate Professor, Iowa State University

Honors and Interests

  • Associate Editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry C
  • Editorial Advisory Board for Chemical and Engineering News
  • Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences (2015)
  • Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay Morgan Research Award (2013)
  • ACS Women Chemist Committee Rising Star Award (2012)
  • Lloyd Ferguson Award (2009)
  • NSF CAREER Award (2009)
  • Emerald Honors for most promising minority scientist (2008)

She was born in Brooklyn. She was “always curious about why things happened.” Her philosophy is: “Don’t shy away from hard work.” She toured Wellesley, saw the students, and thought: “I want their lives.” Became the first member of her immediate family to go to college. Found a lifelong community of friends at Ethos; found lifelong mentors in the chemistry department. “My professors said, ‘Chemistry needs you. Students need to see you. You can teach, train, and inspire.’”Currently a professor of chemistry at Boston University, where she conducts research on organic semiconductors and solar energy conversion. Class of 1996.

I-Team: Catalytic Converter Prices Could Rise Due To Thefts, War In Ukraine

BOSTON (CBS) – The connection between the war in Ukraine, Russian sanctions, and thefts of catalytic converters. Police in several communities say those thefts are on the rise.

Catalytic converters are valuable on the black market because they are made using rare metals.

One of those rare metals comes from Russia. Now with high demand to replace the stolen catalytic converters and U.S. sanctions on Russia, the price of the already expensive auto part could be going up.

Can We Create a Truly Biodegradable Plastic?

Out of Our Elements

PREMIERED  ON PBS

The Earth is covered in plastic—and we keep making more of it… What can we do about our plastic waste dilemma? Out of Our Elements hosts Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez Esquivel join chemist Malika Jeffries-EL in her Boston University lab to explore just what it takes to break down familiar plastics like legos and styrofoam. They also learn why plastic isn’t always recycled—even when it does make it into those familiar blue bins.

Beyond the Elements: Indestructible

PREMIERED  ON PBS

Glass so strong you can jump on it, a rubber-like coating tough enough to absorb a bomb blast, endless varieties of plastic. Scientists and engineers have created virtually indestructible versions of common materials by manipulating the chains of interlocking atoms that give them strength—but have they made them too tough? Host David Pogue explores the fantastic chemistry behind the everyday materials we depend on, and how the quest for durability can be balanced with products’ environmental impact.

The White House, Congress, and industry groups have identified semiconductors and microelectronics as a top priority for the U.S. innovation economy. The world is facing a shortage of chips and questions about supply chain security. Meanwhile, the U.S. is seeing increased international competition to produce the next big semiconductor innovations. 

For years, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has been working to address these issues, partnering with academia and industry to advance the frontiers of semiconductor and microelectronics across the board – from materials and manufacturing to revolutionary new innovations in design and technology. On March 19, 2021, NSF officials and supported researchers joined reporters for a conversation titled “Fundamental Research and the Future of Semiconductors.” 

Featured on the panel were:

  • Dawn Tilbury, NSF Assistant Director for Engineering
  • Margaret Martonosi, NSF Assistant Director for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • Thomas Kuech, NSF Program Manager
  • April Brown, Duke University
  • Daniel Holcomb, UMass Amherst
  • Malika Jeffries-EL, Boston University
  • Subhasish Mitra, Stanford University
  • Joan Redwing, Penn State

From Metal to Plastic:

Iowa State Chemist Works on Organic Semiconductors

In this 21st Century Chemist profile, Iowa State University organic chemist Malika Jeffries-EL explains her work to make less costly, more energy-efficient semiconductors and LEDs from organic, carbon-based materials such as plastics, “doping” the organic materials so that they are more conductive.

MiraCosta’s Ask A Scientist Series

Episode 2: Prof. Jeffries-El, Malika

MiraCosta Success in STEM Pathways Team has been sponsoring Video Podcasts titled “MiraCosta’s Ask A Scientist”. Every month we invite a scientist from around the world to share their personal journey and answer questions posted by our students.

In the honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we recorded the second episode of MiraCosta’s Ask A Scientist by Prof. Malika Jeffries-El. Professor Jeffries-El is the associate dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and associate professor in chemistry and materials science at Boston University. Jeffries-El’s research focuses on polymer chemistry-More specifically, creating “semiconductors,” or organic materials capable of conducting electric charges.

Black Doctors Talk Podcast

Ep17: Dr. Malika Jeffries-EL – Representation in STEM

Join us on this week’s podcast series which features our guest, Dr. Malika Jeffries-EL. Dr. Jeffries-EL speaks to us on the topic of representation in STEM programs, specifically the field of chemistry. Currently, she serves as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences and an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science at Boston University.

During the podcast, Dr. Jeffries-EL discusses her early curiosity in science, the role of mentorship and support for black female chemists, and her professional journey. She also shares her thoughts on the role of chemists in the development and deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Faces of Science Podcast

Ep. 1 – Prof. Malika Jeffries-EL

 

Welcome to NUBonD’s first Faces of Science Podcast with Prof. Malika Jeffries-EL of Boston University. NUBonD (Northwestern University Building on Diversity) is a graduate student-led organization whose primary goal is to foster a community built on inclusivity and diversity of thought, ideas, and backgrounds within the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University.

The Science Coalition

Malika Jeffries-El is an associate professor in the department of chemistry at Boston University. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, The Science Coalition is asking people to answer the question: Why should science matter to the presidential candidates? For more information, visit www.ScienceMatters2.me.

Get in touch:

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