Dr. Florastina Payton-Stewart Honored with the Stanley C. Israel Award for her Efforts to Advance Diversity in STEM

Courtesy of Xavier University of Louisiana

In a momentous celebration of scientific excellence, Dr. Florastina Payton-Stewart (‘99), the associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of chemistry at Xavier University of Louisiana, has been honored with the coveted Stanley C. Israel Award for the Southwest region by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The ACS has expressed its commitment to recognizing and honoring individuals who champion diversity and inclusion in the scientific community, and the Stanley C. Israel Award was established to honor individuals who have significantly impacted the advancement of diversity in the chemical sciences. Dr. Payton-Stewart’s recognition serves as a testament to her dedication, leadership, and efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable future for the field of chemistry while advancing scientific knowledge. 

Dr. Payton-Stewart is a synthetic organic chemist with experience in both academia and industry. Since joining the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Xavier, her alma mater, in 2010, her achievements have continuously enriched the scientific community and inspired the next generation of aspiring chemists and researchers. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Payton-Stewart expressed her gratitude for the honor and highlighted the importance of fostering diversity in scientific disciplines. “I am honored to be the 2023-2024 recipient of this award! It acknowledges the work that I do daily. It’s centered around something I’m very passionate about because representation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) overall for African Americans is low. Representation matters if we are going to advance and be productive in STEM.” she remarked.

Dr. Payton-Stewart’s journey to this prestigious accolade is a story of perseverance, resilience, and a passion for discovery and diversity. She received her bachelor’s degree from Xavier in 1999 and her doctorate in bioorganic chemistry from Tulane University in 2007. After earning her doctorate, she held a postdoctoral position at Tulane University School of Medicine from 2007-2010. She is very passionate about teaching, mentoring and advising students and junior faculty. She has dedicated her career to exposing and nurturing individuals and undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in STEM, assisting junior faculty growth, and enhancing university initiatives for recruitment, retention, diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Offering advice to the next generation of STEM enthusiasts, she shares, “Never give up! Pursue a career in STEM if you are fueled by genuine passion and possess a true heart for the sciences.” 

Colleagues and students alike have praised Dr. Payton-Stewart for her tireless efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the scientific community, and she was recently acknowledged as one of 1,000 inspiring Black scientists. Her innovative work has pushed the boundaries of scientific understanding and demonstrated the power of diversity and inclusion in driving progress. 

 She served as a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Scientific Workforce Diversity Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) from 2017-2022. This committee is a permanent working group charged with providing regular advice to the ACD and National Institutes of Health Director on effective strategies to increase the representation of diverse individuals underrepresented nationally in biomedical research. Dr. Payton-Stewart is a 2017 Keystone Fellow; a 2017 alumna of Higher Education Resource Services (HERS); a 2018 alumnus of the Association of American Colleges & Universities Project Kaleidoscope Leadership Institute (AAC&U PKAL) STEM Leadership Institute; and is a member of both the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Chemical Education and the ADVANCE Implementation Mentors (AIM) Network Advisory Board; and a 2023 graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education, Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.  Her research as a chemist has been funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Defense (DOD). She has served as the inaugural Faculty Administrative Fellow for Diversity & Inclusion for the XULA STrIDES NSF ADVANCE grant. Her work focused on identifying, implementing, and supporting institutional transformation centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university, has upheld its mission to promote a more just and humane society since it was founded nearly 100 years ago by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Since the time of its inception, the institution has stood firm against racist and prejudicial ideology and instead persevered for equity, racial justice, and innovation driven by diversity; Dr. Payton-Stewart’s efforts and recognition are another example of the legacy of excellence that is embodied by the entire Xavierite community.