As we celebrate Black History Month, Omowunmi Sadik, FNAI, Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at NAI Member Institution New Jersey Institute of Technology, shares with us her motivation as an inventor as well as the importance of engaging the next generation of inventors.
Q: What inspired you to become an inventor?
A: I generally think of my work in terms of innovation and problem-solving. What can we do differently? How can we use or reinterpret what is already known to solve another problem? My philosophy is to explain how chemistry permeates the world around us. That’s always been my motivation – to take chemistry beyond the classroom, to show that chemistry is not confined to a lab or as is commonly portrayed in the popular culture in terms of toxicity and that it offers solutions that permeate our everyday lives.
Q: As the Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at NJIT, what do you feel the importance is of engaging next generation inventors in the innovation space?
A: In the 21st century, we face enormous economic, social, and technological challenges as articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals: the need to achieve zero hunger, clean water, affordable and clean energy, healthcare, and economic development. Innovation and commitment to problem-solving will be the key to addressing these challenges- that requires that we continually engage the next generation to achieve the solutions to these challenges.
To read more about Dr. Sadik and her work, visit: https://ow.ly/IAX950QpcgQ