Dorothy J. Phillips

Dorothy Jean Phillips (née Wingfield) (born July 27, 1945) is an American chemist and 2025 President of the American Chemical Society. She worked on circular dichroism and bioseparation. In 1967, Phillips was the first African-American woman to complete a bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University.

Early life and education Phillips grew up in segregation in the southern United States. She was one of eight children. Her father, Reverend Robert Cam Wingfield, worked as a porter for the Greyhound Bus station before attending classes at the American Baptist Theological Seminary to become a Baptist minister. As a young girl the only white people Phillips knew were those who had employed her mother.

While Phillips originally intended to study medicine, she was discouraged by her advisor who believed she would not be able to have a family and attend medical school. Attending Vanderbilt University was the first time Phillips had white classmates and professors. She worked on the R17 virus, using circular dichroism and electron paramagnetic resonance to understand the conformation of the viral protein. She developed circular dichroism and began to work on antibiotics and herbicides.

Phillips joined the Waters Corporation in 1984, where she worked in research and development until 1996. At Waters Corporation Phillips was a member of the Chemical Research and Development department, developing chromatography packing materials and bioseparations. She was involved with the development of the Waters Corporation Symmetry columns and Oasis cartridges. After an almost thirty-year career, Phillips retired from the Waters Corporation in 2013 s Director of Strategic Marketing . Phillips has been elected the American Chemical Society president in 2025 and immediate past president in 2026. A total of 11,428 votes were cast for president-elect. With 6,653 votes, Phillips won the president-elect race against Florian J. Schattenmann, chief technology officer and vice president of research and development and innovation at Cargill, who received 4,775 votes. Phillips became the first Black woman to serve as president of the American Chemical Society in 2025.

Academic service In 1990 Phillips became involved with the American Chemical Society Northeastern Section. In 2017 Vanderbilt University created two faculty fellowships in her honour. In the fall of 2019, Philips was re-elected to serve a third term in 2020 on the board of directors for the American Chemical Society.

Awards and honours Phillips' awards and honours include;

1994 University of Cincinnati Distinguished Alumni 2004 American Chemical Society Nashville Section Salute to Excellence Award 2006 Vanderbilt University Unsung Heroine Award 2008 American Chemical Society Santa Clara Valley Section Shirley B. Radding Award 2008 Waters Corporation Leadership Award for Outstanding Contributions 2011 New England Institute of Chemists Distinguished Chemist Award 2015 Vanderbilt University Dr. Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Endowed Chair 2019 Vanderbilt University Member of the inaugural class of Vanderbilt Trailblazers 2020 National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award.

Personal life Phillips was married two weeks after graduating from Vanderbilt University. Her brother, Robert C. Wingfield, serves as director of the Fisk Community Environmental Toxics Awareness and Sustainability Program. She has two children, Anthony and Crystal, and a step-daughter called Vickie.