Her Story
About Rebecca
Rebecca DeVasher serves as Professor of Chemistry at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She began her academic career after earning her PhD at the University of Alabama, where she worked as an instructor and research appointee focused on aqueous phase catalysis and industrial waste cleanup. Joining Rose-Hulman initially in a visiting position that transitioned to tenure-track, she advanced from Assistant Professor through Associate Professor to her current full Professor role, a journey spanning since 2000. DeVasher has emphasized green chemistry initiatives, including leading her department's participation in the Green Chemistry Commitment, and co-authored a chapter in Organic Reactions Volume 85 with her PhD advisor. She is a member of the American Chemical Society and Alpha Chi Sigma, and has received the Dean's Outstanding Teacher Award in 2020 along with the Honorary Alumni Award from Rose-Hulman.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rebecca
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the solid foundations given early on by my parents who ran a home for children, my upbringing with many kids around, learning practical skills like soldering and flying a plane, and being pulled along by others through opportunities and help rather than just my own drive. It's more about gratitude for what I was given and paying it forward.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was from Penny Miller who said look at Dan Morris and do exactly what he does. It translates to finding role models, connecting with mentors, and building strong mentor-mentee relationships. I think it's important not to hesitate to put effort into those relationships.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay positive, dream big, stay true to yourself, stay focused on the tasks, be a teacher and embody that. In this tough field, identify your task and know what those are. It's okay if people make fun of you, it just means you're a good teacher.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges and opportunities relate to what we consider intelligence in education. Knowledge and intelligence are not the same, and we need to understand connecting with intelligence as we move forward to help our youth. It's important that adults be good examples and follow the rules.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Consent and autonomy are really important to me. As a teacher with students, I want to make sure they understand that relationships are built on consent and that most of what you get out of things is from some relationship.
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