{"id":73060,"date":"2021-06-30T15:43:27","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T19:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=73060"},"modified":"2021-07-26T15:01:06","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T19:01:06","slug":"horizon-scholarship-recipient-aims-to-be-role-model-for-future-minority-scientists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2021\/06\/horizon-scholarship-recipient-aims-to-be-role-model-for-future-minority-scientists\/","title":{"rendered":"Horizon Scholarship recipient aims to be role model for future minority scientists"},"content":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This is one in a series of stories on Brock\u2019s inaugural Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipients. To read other stories in the series,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Science has always been a big part of Josh Clarke\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

For as long as he can remember, he has been fascinated by the way things work, spending much of his childhood voraciously consuming scientific media on a wide range of topics.<\/p>\n

It was in his high school chemistry class in Brampton, Ont., that Clarke (BSc \u201918) learned how molecules react when combined, and how they can interact to form something completely new.<\/p>\n

It reminded him of Lego.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved Lego as a kid,\u201d Clarke says. \u201cI loved how creative it allowed you to be. Starting with tiny blocks, you could make anything you want, and after seeing the similarities in Chemistry, my interest was instantly amplified. Chemistry allows for me to be creative and scientific at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

His passion for chemistry brought him to Brock in 2013 to begin a bachelor\u2019s degree, with Clarke working his way up to the PhD program in the same field.<\/p>\n

Clarke\u2019s dedication and drive to succeed recently saw him recognized as one of 20 inaugural recipients<\/a> of the Brock Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship. The scholarship fund will provide $1 million over the next 10 years to high-achieving graduate students from Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) and other under-represented groups. Twenty students will be chosen each year to receive a one-time award of $5,000.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Horizon Graduate Student Scholarship recipient and Chemistry PhD student Josh Clarke with a sealed Schlenk flask, which allows researchers to manipulate compounds outside of a controlled environment.<\/p><\/div>\n

Clarke is now working under the supervision of Chemistry Professor Georgii Nikonov, who encouraged him to pursue chemistry at the graduate level during his undergraduate studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Nikonov brought me into his lab and opened my eyes to the world of research,\u201d Clarke says. \u201cThe more time I spent there, the more curious I became.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clarke is studying organometallic chemistry, through which he develops new catalytic systems. He describes catalysis as a means by which chemists can optimize important reactions or make challenging reactions happen spontaneously.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatalysts can help facilitate reactions that wouldn\u2019t be possible otherwise,\u201d he explains. \u201cOur work can also improve the efficiencies of known reactions. For example, agrochemicals like fertilizers can be made in a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nikonov says he is honoured and privileged to have Clarke in his lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cJosh is an intelligent, diligent and very hard-working student. He goes an extra mile to help other people around him and always stands up for the common good,\u201d he says. \u201cHe is truly deserving of this recognition through the Horizon Scholarship.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Clarke\u2019s love of science has always been apparent, the road to becoming a scientist wasn\u2019t quite as clear. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Clarke often felt out of place because he was Black and loved science.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, my race and enrolment in STEM have, at times, been at odds with one another,\u201d Clarke says. \u201cThe lack of prominent Black scientific role models, professors and educators has made me feel out of place culturally at times.\u201d<\/p>\n

He goes on to explain that Black friends have even jokingly called him \u2018white.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it deeply troubling that members of my community viewed being career-oriented, having a passion for education and engagement in extracurriculars as \u2018non-Black\u2019 traits,\u201d he says. \u201cIt compels me to show those around me that these values are not racialized.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Clarke wants to be a role model for young minority scientists.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I can be for them, what I never had for myself,\u201d Clarke says. \u201cI encourage anyone having similar struggles that they must be authentically themselves. In the past, I\u2019ve found myself floating between groups \u2014 either trying to act more \u2018white\u2019 to be like my academic colleagues, or more Black to fit in with my community. Don\u2019t make my mistakes. Be true to yourself and spend time with the people that accept you for who you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clarke says winning the Horizon Scholarship was an amazing feeling.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was unsure whether I should apply and whether my story would be a fit,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to share something so personal. Being chosen as a recipient brings a huge feeling of validation. My story has been heard. I hope my story encourages others to speak up and share their truth.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Science has always been a big part of Josh Clarke\u2019s life. For as long as he can remember, he has been fascinated by the way things work, spending much of his childhood voraciously consuming scientific media on a wide range of topics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":73064,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119,3319,188,55,41,1,4],"tags":[48,348,3335,3330,9928,10492],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73060"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73388,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73060\/revisions\/73388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}