Lady Makes History, Becomes First Black Woman to Add Element to Periodic Table

Cursory: Clarice Phelps, a Tennessee State University graduate, became the first Black woman to contribute to discovering an element on the periodic table, Tennessine (Ts), in 2022. See full details…

Introducing Clarice Phelps, a graduate of Tennessee State University, who achieved a historic milestone in 2022 as the inaugural Black woman to play a role in the discovery of an element on the periodic table.

This element, currently identified as Tennessine (Ts) with atomic number 117, belongs to the halogen group.

“Taking a seat at the periodic table didn’t happen overnight, it was actually a 20-year journey,” Phelps said.

As reported by News Channel 5, Phelps, originally from Nashville, Tennessee, displayed a keen interest in chemistry from a young age.

Encouraged by her mother, who gifted her a microscope, she frequently conducted experiments with various mixtures in their kitchen during her childhood.

This early curiosity laid the foundation for her passion for science, which flourished further during her high school chemistry classes. In 2003, Phelps graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tennessee State University.

Subsequently, she pursued a master’s degree in Nuclear and Radiation Engineering at UT Austin. For four years, Phelps served in the Navy, applying her chemistry expertise to handle radioactive materials.

Continuing her professional journey, Phelps joined the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she focused on the purification of chemicals.

These refined substances were then shipped to Germany and Russia to serve as target materials in the synthesis of atomic number 117 (Ts). In 2016, Phelps received formal confirmation of Tennessine’s addition to the periodic table.

However, it wasn’t until 2019, upon recognition by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), that she realized she was the first Black woman to achieve this groundbreaking milestone.

Reflecting on this revelation, she expressed disbelief and recounted her own childhood yearning for a role model like herself in the field of science. Phelps, currently pursuing a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering, maintains optimism that her achievement will have a positive impact on African American and other marginalized communities in the scientific realm.

Credits: ALLSCHOOL, scholarshipregion

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