2021 NCTA Winner Nita Xu

July 5, 2021

Video Transcript

H.N. Cheng:

Greetings from the American Chemical Society. I am H.N. Cheng, 2021 ACS President. I would like to congratulate Nita “Qiuyun” Xu, an R&D technologist at Dow and recipient of the prestigious National Chemical Technician Award. The award, established in 1989, honors excellence and professionalism among technicians, operators, analysts, and other applied chemical technology professionals. It is awarded annually and is administered by the ACS Committee on Technician Affairs. This award recognizes Nita's passion for product development and dedication to bringing new products to market. Nita is a talented experimentalist with expertise in small molecule synthesis, polymerization, and formulation of intricate polyurethane systems for adhesive and sealant applications. Her work has resulted in numerous commercialized products, publications, and patents. Congratulations Nita, we honor you and your contributions to the global chemistry enterprise.

Jennifer McCulley:

My name is Jennifer McCulley, Chair of the Committee on Technician Affairs. It is my great pleasure to award the 2021 National Chemical Technician Award, presented by the Committee on Technician Affairs. Nita’s contributions have led to eleven patents and six journal publications, with over forty internal Dow publications and presentations. Her initiative to ensure a safe workplace and willingness to mentor new employees shows excellence in professionalism and safety. Her passion about safety and setting the lab safety protocols is always considered a model for others to follow. She regularly mentors and helps others in their respective projects. Nita is a selfless contributor as well as a great team player and a great asset for the Dow R&D team. Again, it is my great pleasure to present Nita Xu with the 2021 NCTA Award.

Carolyn Ribes:

Dow’s purpose is to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners, and Nita, I think you really personify this purpose. Let’s talk about the sustainable future. The projects you’ve been working on recently have resulted in the commercialization of new adhesive binders. These can be used to recycle materials: materials as diverse as rubber, polyurethane foam, cork, wood, and even gravel. And our customers can then use these and come up with great applications for recycled materials. When it comes to materials science expertise, I think you’ve demonstrated this with your publication history, and how good you are with formulations and product development. And of course, there’s also the professionalism that you bring to the role, as well as your focus on safety and respect for people. Nita, you’ve already been recognized internally with the Gulf Coast Scientist Award, and locally with the Brazosport ACS Award, but it is really, really fitting that you are recognized as this year’s recipient of the ACS National Chemical Technician Award. I’m proud of you and I’m so proud to have you as a member of team Dow.

Will Koonce:

I was extremely excited – thrilled, really, when I learned that Nita had won the 2021 National Chemical Technician Award from the ACS. It’s a fantastic honor, and very well deserved. I’ve known Nita since she joined our group more than a decade ago, and she really exemplifies professionalism and technical excellence in our organization. It goes without saying: she’s been granted numerous patents, she’s contributed to important technologies that we’ve commercialized in polyurethanes at Dow, from adhesives and sealants, to binders, you name it, Nita has been there. She has a great collaborative spirit, works well with researchers across our organization, and beyond that, her technical depth and acumen are really unmatched amongst technologists in our organization, so this is an extremely well-deserved honor, I’m very, very happy for Nita and this recognition, and I want to thank the ACS for continuing to promote this award, which I think is very worthwhile.

Nita Xu:

Thank you. It is my great honor to receive this prestigious award. Thank you, ACS and the Committee on Technician Affairs for this recognition. I’m really excited. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family for being very supportive of my career, and my employer the Dow Chemical Company. Through Dow I get to pursue my dream of doing research, while being a very supportive, inclusive, and caring culture. I’m so proud to be a technologist in the Dow family. Technologists are key members and are the backbone of many research groups. We bring hands-on expertise and practical skills to nurture creativity. Technologists with great passion for science, strong interest to learn, and dedication [to be] hardworking contribute to the success of the organization and the business. I also wanted to thank the polyurethane business R&D leaders, and my working group co-workers. We have a very collaborative and supportive team. Special thanks to my technical leader, Dr. Bindu Krishnan, for her technical guidance and mentoring, enabling my career growth. Thank you ACS, and thank you Dow.