PORTLAND, OR, March 12, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Tracey Scherban, PhD, chair of the Women Chemists Committee of the American Chemical Society, was selected by Marquis Who's Who for a prominent feature in the February/March 2026 Portland, Oregon, regional issue of Forbes magazine.

Driven by a lifelong passion for supporting women in science, Dr. Scherban has utilized her expertise in solid state physics and chemistry across a number of roles. She initially joined Intel in 1983 as a process technician for several years, returning to the company in 1993. During her time with Intel, Dr. Scherban was promoted to senior process engineer, group leader and finally, engineering manager. She earned multiple awards and a patent.

Shifting her focus to education, Dr. Scherban volunteered in Portland Public Schools for more than five years before joining Portland Community College in 2009 as a chemistry instructor. She contributed as an adjunct professor at Portland State University. Most notably, Dr. Scherban has long been affiliated with the American Chemical Society. In early 2025, she accepted the duties of chairing the Portland section of that organization's Women Chemists Committee.

In her most recent accomplishment, Dr. Scherban was the primary organizer of the Women in Science Elaine Nam Memorial Symposium, held at Reed College in 2025. This day-long event was attended by a mix of high school and college students and featured 30 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals. In addition to speeches and panels, students were able to meet scientists working in academia, the government and the private sector. The event was named after Dr. Scherban's late colleague and friend, Elaine Nam, with whom she had organized a previous symposium in 2018.

To conclude the recent Women in Science Symposium, Dr. Scherban gave a presentation on the gender gap in Nobel Prizes. She noted that only 4.1% of recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and 1.8% of the Nobel Prize in Physics have been women. Rather than pointing to these statistics out of despair, Dr. Scherban issued a challenge to attendees to push back, aim high and work hard toward scientific achievements worthy of a Nobel Prize. In support of that hopeful future, she plans to write a book about past female Nobel laureates while continuing her work with the American Chemical Society.

EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
On each step of her vocational path, Dr. Scherban has been backed up by a deep academic foundation, beginning with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Reed College in 1983. She then obtained a master's degree in solid state science from Columbia University in 1988. Though Dr. Scherban initially only intended to pursue a master's degree, she became so excited about her research that she stayed at Columbia University, earning a PhD in material science in 1991. She went on to complete postdoctoral studies at the Laboratoire d'Ionique et d'Electrochimie du Solides in France.

RUNNING THE TABLE
Dr. Scherban's favorite pastime may not be what one would expect from a renowned scientist: She loves playing pool. Eager to keep improving, she aims to learn from some of the world's best pool players. Dr. Scherban's long-term goal is to compete nationally, demonstrating her ambition and love of the sport.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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