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A Kentucky State University chemistry professor recently joined the 2020-21 class of Jefferson Science Fellows (JSF), an initiative of the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. 

Dr. Scott A. Wicker, interim chair of the School of Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and associate professor of chemistry, was selected as a Jefferson Science Fellow. 

According to its website, “the Jefferson Science Fellows program is designed to further build capacity for science, technology, and engineering expertise within the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).” 

Wicker earned honors distinction with his Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife biology from Grambling State University and a doctorate in environmental toxicology from Southern University and A & M College. 

Wicker has more than seven years of Historically Black College and University (HBCUs) higher education experience, where he has held post-doctoral research associate and faculty positions. During his higher education tenure, he served as a principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or senior investigator for six funded grants worth over $5 million.

Wicker is an inorganic chemist specializing in the kinetics of green chemical methods for synthesizing metal oxides used in energy storage and sensor devices.