Dr. Gerard Parkin is an inspirational mentor who has had a profound impact on the many students that he has taught both in the classroom and research laboratory. In addition to his role as Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University, Dr. Parkin has focused efforts on community oriented teaching and has educated high school, middle school, and elementary school children about aspects of chemistry. Dr. Parkin made it possible for the students of a newly opened New York City public school (75% underrepresented minorities and a motto "Strength in Diversity") to utilize the teaching laboratories in the chemistry department at Columbia University and provided a program of experiments for the students. Dr. Parkin secured financial backing from Bruker AXS to support a symposium and workshop on Structural Methods in Chemistry that exposed a large number of high school students to the important and advanced scientific technique of X-ray diffraction and also provided an excellent example of integration of research and education. Dr. Parkin works to train students in performing research and seeks other ways to aid their professional development. He brings women students sponsored by the National Science Foundation from other universities (typically non-PhD. granting institutions) into his group, thereby providing them with graduate level experience in research. Faculty at nearby teaching universities also select Parkin's laboratory to spend their sabbatical doing research. Both of these interactions are in accord with the NSF mandate of broadening participation of underrepresented groups and academic institutions that are less than full participants in the science and engineering enterprise. Since the New York public school whose students Dr. Parkin brought to Columbia's teaching laboratories consists of 75% underrepresented minorities, educating these students about science and engaging them at an early stage of their careers will have a tremendous impact on the long term objective of encouraging minorities to take on careers in science.
