Pioneers and influencers: A profile of Dr. Kenrick Lewis

The Pioneers and Influencers series of Organometallics focuses on the career and achievements of Dr. Kenrick Lewis as an organometallic chemist. Ken’s entry into silicon chemistry began in 1979, when he was transferred to the Exploratory and Basic Group of Silicones R&D group at Union Carbide and tasked with improving the performance of the Direct Synthesis. There were many challenging problems and played a crucial role in answering many that produced transformative innovations over his career. Ken is currently a Corporate Research Fellow at Momentive, the highest distinction for a scientist in the company. His journey to distinguished researcher began far away from Tarrytown, New York. A native of Grenada, the island nation in the West Indies, Ken’s interest in science began at the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS) in St. George’s. Although he has been in the US for his entire professional career, he remains connected to his homeland and continues to have a positive impact on its educational system. Between 1991 and 2011, Ken supported scholarships for students to attend secondary school and has encouraged younger Grenadians to interact with the vast outdoor laboratory in Nature. One of Ken’s scholarships enabled Kirani James to attend GBSS.