3M engineer Jessica D. Haley (BS’10, MS’10, PhD’15) has joined the School of Engineering’s Board of Visitors. She will attend the board’s virtual meeting today, which includes a ceremony to recognize the newest members of the school’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni and Circle of Distinguished Friends.
While at Vanderbilt, the Jacksonville, Florida native simultaneously earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and master’s degree in environmental engineering. In 2015, Haley received a doctorate in chemical engineering, focusing on thermodynamics and phase equilibrium of complex fluids. While researching and writing for her doctorate, Haley worked for four years as a Tennessee Titans cheerleader. She ranked No. 3 of the top 100 NFL cheerleaders in the 2013-14 season.
“Vanderbilt has always held a special place in my heart and so, I am most grateful for the opportunity to serve. I look forward to doing all I can to help the institution navigate challenges as thoughtfully as possibly, always with a principal concern for the best interests of the School of Engineering and how it can best serve the world by producing future engineers.”
At 3M, Haley is a technical manager responsible for the materials R&D group in the Safety and Industrial Business Group. She manages a team whose portfolio of R&D programs include a range of products such as respiratory protection, adhesives and tapes, specialty polymers, filters, and other personal safety products.
Prior to joining 3M, Haley was a senior research engineer at ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company in Houston, Texas, where she led an interdisciplinary team of engineers and geoscientists on projects to optimize development plans for the Corporation’s portfolio of diverse oil and gas assets.
Haley is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers.
Haley is a motivational speaker, trainer and workshop presenter on STEM subjects as well as youth and religious programs. For eight years she served as a tutor program coordinator for the Tennessee Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, which served more than 3,000 students in Tennessee. She is also an active member of the Big Brother Big Sister organization.
Among her honors and awards are a Vanderbilt Provost Award Fellowship, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship, an El Paso Corporation Excellence in Engineering Diversity Scholarship, and the Dr. Vera Chatman Award for Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student.
The Board of Visitors is comprised of the school’s most distinguished alumni and friends. The board was established in March 2013 as the successor organization to the school’s Committee of Visitors and the Engineering Alumni Council. Board members serve as advisers to the Dean and senior staff and meet twice annually.
Contact: Brenda Ellis, 615 343-6314
brenda.ellis@vanderbilt.edu