On July 26, 2020, the American Disabilities Act celebrated 30 years of being passed into law in the United States. CBI Trainer, Prof. Karl Booksh, broke his neck while playing flag football his freshman year in college. For some, this may have changed their course in life, but Dr. Booksh earned advanced degrees and awards, published manuscripts, and has a thriving research program at the University of Delaware. This past February, he joined some CBI students as they visited the Wilmington Ronald McDonald house to lead families in learning about science. He knows what it is like to struggle, and wanted to spend time with kids who are facing challenges of their own.
Prof. Booksh has been a strong advocate for people with disabilities and that’s why he created the Chemical Sciences Leadership Initiative, which brings eight to 10 undergraduates with disabilities from across the country to campus to gain practical experience as research assistants working with UD professors. The program is supported by the National Science Foundation through its REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program. Currently, Prof. Booksh is president-elect of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, where he is working to establish its first diversity and inclusion committee.
CLICK HERE to read the UDaily article about Prof. Booksh by Tracey Bryant.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Prof. Booksh and his research.
