Fierke works as a catalyst for change

When she was a professor at the University of Michigan, Carol Fierke helped draft a proposal to increase diversity in the chemistry department. With funding from the National Science Foundation Michigan ADVANCE program, Fierke and her colleagues developed strategies to make the department more welcoming for women and minorities.

Carol Fierke

Building her knowledge of social science literature was crucial to modifying the culture, Fierke said. She worked with a universitywide committee to develop a workshop to teach faculty about the literature and to train search committees on best practices. The Michigan chemistry department faculty went from a low of 8% to now almost 30% women.

“We completely changed the face of the department,” she said.

Now provost and executive vice president of Texas A&M University, Fierke is a distinguished enzymologist who continues her work on behalf of underrepresented groups. Scientists like Mildred Cohn, the first woman to hold the presidency of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, opened doors for women in the sciences and inspired her to follow their example, Fierke said, so it is fitting that she will receive the ASBMB’s 2020/2021 Mildred Cohn Award in Biological Chemistry.

Fierke’s experience as an advocate for diversity influences the way she mentors her students, particularly women and underrepresented minorities, who often struggle with building confidence.

“I tell my students you don’t have to be confident, just act confidently — eventually you become confident because people see you that way,” she said.

She encourages her students to learn skills beyond the bench and do some soul searching to find careers in which they can thrive.

“I know that when I was a doctoral student, I thought there was one career pathway, but that’s not true,” she said. “There are lots of pathways to get to a final goal.”

Fierke’s advocacy continues at Texas A&M, where she aims to increase faculty diversity, enhance interdisciplinary research and increase student success.