Sharon Barnes
*Sharon Barnes was born on this date in 1955. She is a Black chemist, biologist, and inventor.
Born in Beaumont, Texas, she is the daughter of Selena and William Jefferson McDonald. She attended Sisblee High School, where she received three scholarships to attend college. 1978 Barnes received her B.S. degree in biology-chemistry and clinical laboratory science from Baylor University. During college, she interned at the clinical laboratory science program for the Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas.
After college, Barnes began working as a technologist in Clinical Laboratory Science at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. This same year, she received her certification as a clinical laboratory scientist from the Veterans Administration at Baylor University. In 1981, Barnes obtained a new position at Brazosport Regional Health Center, where she worked as an assistant lab director. She pursued her interest as a chemist at the Dow Chemical Company, serving as a special chemistry lab supervisor five years later. In 1991, Barnes obtained a U.S. Patent for a new application in Infrared Thermography Technology.
She was a member of a team of five, including one other Black, who invented the process and apparatus for contactless sample temperature measurements. She received her clinical laboratory director from the National Certification Agency at Baylor University. She became laboratory director at Dow Chemical Company and clinical lab director in the Clinical Health Department. Barnes has also worked as a QA/QC chemist in Research and development at the Texas Analytical and Environmental Lab. In 1996 Barnes became Dow Chemical Company's training specialist and site training and development manager. She eventually assumed the role of human resource partner and consultant.
2005, she received her MBA in human resources management from the University of Phoenix. She became the human resources associate director for the Performance Plastics Division for manufacturing, engineering, finance, assets, supply chain, licensing, and catalysts. In 1991, Barnes was named Dow Texas Inventor. Barnes received the Outstanding Scouter Award twice from Dow Chemical Company and was selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Blacks in Research by Engineer.com.
In 2003, she was elected National Secretary for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE). Barnes received her MBA in 2005 at the University of Phoenix. She was a Gubernatorial Appointee on the District One Review Committee for Harris, Galveston, and Brazoria countries. Barnes resides in Freeport, Texas, with her husband, Ronald Barnes. They have two children together, Ronald Barnes II and Ashley Crawford.
