Tracey Scherban, former chemistry instructor at Portland Community College in Oregon, recently received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, an American publisher of biographical profiles. The award honors Dr. Scherban’s distinguished career in science and education.
Dr. Scherban retired from Portland Community College in 2019 following 10 years of service as an instructor of chemistry. She also had a stint teaching chemistry at Portland State University in 2010. More recently, Dr. Scherban organized the American Chemical Society of Women in Science Elaine Nam Memorial Symposium in September 2025, which connected high school and college students with STEM professionals to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing women in STEM.
Before transitioning her career to academia, Dr. Scherban held several key positions with Intel Corporation, where she led efforts to address critical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing. In 2004, her research culminated in a patent for enhancing the adhesion of silicon nitride films to carbon-containing oxide films.
Dr. Scherban earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Reed College in Portland. She holds a master’s degree in solid-state science and a doctorate in materials science from Columbia University in New York City.