The Bettye Washington Greene Endowed Memorial Lecture Series honors the legacy of a prominent alumna of the Wayne State University Department of Chemistry. Dr. Bettye Washington Greene was a leader in the field of polymer chemistry and the first African American woman with a Ph.D. in chemistry to be hired by Dow Chemical Company, where she had a long and successful career. The Bettye Washington Greene Endowed Memorial Lecture will provide Wayne State students with the ability to learn about cutting-edge scientific research while also learning about career paths in research. The event format enables students to network with successful professionals in the chemistry profession. This year we are honored to have Professor Kenneth R. Carter as the keynote speaker.

Schaap Lecture Hall, Chemistry Building (Friday, October 9, 2026)

• 2:00 pm Coffee and Networking
• 3:15 pm Welcome and Brief History of Bettye Washington Greene
• 3:30 pm Keynote Lecture: Dr. Kenneth R. Carter, Provost Professor in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst: "Functional Cellulose Nanomaterials"
• 5:00 pm Reception and Networking