Q&A with Ayanna Jones, M.S.

Ayanna Jones is a Ph.D. student at Howard University. Her research interests include chemistry and applied physics, and her work outside the lab has involved many large projects, including co-founding BlackInChem . We sat down with Ayanna to learn about her experiences and insights.

Conversation edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: Can you talk about your path in science and how you became interested in your field of study?

A: My path to science is kind of unique. While I was in high school, I was really good at math, chemistry, and physics. During labs, I found that I was a natural leader. Also, my chemistry teacher was a woman of color, and that was inspiring. She actually wrote my letter of recommendation for college which is how I got a full ride scholarship to Clark Atlanta University.

I remember my first chemistry exam in college, about 80% of the class dropped chemistry. A week or two later, I found out that I had the highest score, and the next day our instructor asked me to join his lab as a freshman, which led me to my first internship after freshman year.

I’ve found that every reaction leads to another reaction. What you might think is small actually does matter and can lead to another opportunity.

Q: Where do you think that your ambition and self-motivation stems from?

A: You know, I was just on the phone with my mom, and she said, “I know your grandfather would be really proud of you.” He was a (school) principal in Arkansas, and he was really passionate about education. It’s interesting how his children, and even his children’s children, have carried the torch into excelling in school, academically, professionally and really championing education. I think particularly, as Black people, it is important in terms of the legacy of what we’ve experienced.

The next summer I went to the University of Chicago, where I did an astrophysics internship. That was great because it introduced me to astrochemistry, or the study of chemistry in space.

From there, I went to Georgia Tech for my master’s. My research was looking at a moon of Jupiter, Europa, and the potential of life underneath its ice surface. We used magnetospheric data to survey the ocean beneath the surface for potential chemical reactions indicative of life.

I did an internship at NASA, and I was one of the first scientists to help establish CARDAMOM which is a biogeochemical software that allows scientists to import large data sets and then use this model to predict terrestrial cycles over time. I think projects like this highlight the importance of collaboration in science.

I really enjoyed being an expert in my own right and being treated as such during my internship at NASA. That’s how I got more confident in myself as a scientist and knowing how to speak up.

Q: What was that journey like in learning how to speak up for yourself?

A: I have two unique identities. I’m a woman and also a Black woman. So, I think for me, learning how to speak up is extremely important, because a lot of times in society, especially scientific spaces, I may be one of a few people that look like me.

It’s also important for me to understand that because I’m in the room, that means I deserve to be there. It’s not by accident. It was not a mistake. I’m in the room, and I can speak up just like everyone else can. You have to practice this mindset like a muscle. Knowing how to have a voice is super important.

Q: You co-founded the organization BlackInChem while in grad school. Can you speak about that experience?

A: In the summer of 2020, that’s when I also co-founded BlackInChem, which is a non-profit organization that specializes in supporting and uplifting chemists of color, particularly Black chemists in the United States and around the world. We really found a community on Twitter and social media and tapped into a resource that otherwise wasn’t being used.

Now, I’m president and it’s been a great journey. I think that once I graduate, I want to pass the torch along to someone else, and I’m super excited for where BlackInChem is going.

Q: It is so impressive to start such a big and wide-reaching organization while in graduate school. Can you talk a little bit about how you were able to do that?

A: I think the biggest thing is community. It wasn’t one person that did everything; it was a group effort. Earlier, we talked about learning different skills in grad school, such as speaking up for yourself. But I think another skill I’ve gained is the ability to ask for help. In the past, I always had the mindset that I can just do it myself. But I learned that you go further with other people.

I think that’s evident with BlackInChem. It was just all of us doing everything together and seeing how we can help each other. We weren’t business people, we just had an idea and lived experiences that made us think this idea could work. It was the audacity, really.

Q: The ability to ask for help is a very tough skill to learn. Did you feel the environment was supportive in helping you build that confidence?

A: There are obviously many ways to ask for help, but the main two are using your horizontal network and using your vertical network. So, your horizontal network consists of the people that are your peers – colleagues, classmates, etc. Your vertical network is filled with people that are far ahead of you.

It’s super important to get help both ways. But I think, with BlackInChem, what really helped us was the horizontal networking and reaching out to people who have lived experiences, who actually are the demographic that we’re trying to assist.

Q: As you get further along in your career, what is it like now to have that chance to be the vertical help for others?

A: It’s actually really beautiful. I’m so thankful for the people that have been so kind to me as I am rising. Because I know what it’s like needing someone to talk to, I feel like I’m more open to being that person for someone else. I love reaching back and helping people as I climb.