Noureen Siraj

Noureen Siraj is a professor of chemistry at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She earned her bachelor's degree with top honors and a fully funded scholarship, completed her PhD in Austria, and pursued postdoctoral research in the USA. Since her PhD, she has worked with ionic liquid materials, which she has explored for applications in health, environmental science, and energy storage. She considers herself a material scientist whose work includes developing cancer therapeutic drugs tested in cells and animal models, advancing lithium-ion battery technology leveraging Arkansas's lithium resources, and creating flexible electronics and charge storage devices. In her academic role, she mentors first-generation and underrepresented students, many of whom have gone on to high positions in federal laboratories. She is active in the Central Arkansas American Chemical Society, serving as Chemistry Olympiad coordinator, and engages in community programs including youth education on honesty and hard work, presentation skills training, soccer for kids, ACT prep, and free tutoring in sciences and math.