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STEM2D at Spelman

Johnson & Johnson, a leading multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer, recently partnered with Spelman College and several universities across the globe to provide incentives and awards that will attract women to STEM2D fields of study.

Recently, Taira D. Bell, PMP, the director of global brand protection, consumer, at Johnson & Johnson and Lauren Carter-El, MPH, the company's supply chain strategy manager, spoke to the Spelman community during the Johnson & Johnson STEM2D Town Hall Conversation. Johnson & Johnson aims to engage girls and women of all ages and throughout every cycle of their educational and professional lives in STEM2D fields, as well as expand the field of focus by including manufacturing and design.

Spelman's Johnson & Johnson STEM2D Scholars

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Renaissance Woman Jasmin Eatman Shines Brightly Inside and Outside of the Classroom

by Angela George | September 11, 2015

While at Spelman, biology major Jasmin Eatman, C’2017, was a Johnson & Johnson STEM2D scholar and one of eight students from historically Black colleges and universities in the nation to receive the ETS Presidential Scholarship for HBCU Students.

Sponsored by the Educational Testing Service, the full, one-year academic scholarship honors undergraduate students in their junior or senior year who have demonstrated strong academic performance and extensive engagement in co-curricular activities. As a scholarship recipient, Eatman presented a research project related to her major field of study at the ETS forum in Princeton, New Jersey.

"There exists an irrefutable relationship between scientific research and public health. I look forward to developing my career at this junction through research in neuroscience and public health. Today, I am fully dedicating myself to the pursuit of academic excellence, because I want my work in human developmental research to be undergirded by expertise in the field of neuroscience," said Eatman.

In the future, Eatman plans to challenge research in infant mortality within communities of color by applying the biological principles of cognitive neuroscience in order to assess the impact of urban environmental air quality on fetal neurodevelopment.

Spelman Biology Major Jasmin Eatman A scholar and community activist, the talented dance minor is a member of the Ethel Waddell Githee Honors Program, the Biomedical Scholars Program in partnership with the Social Justice Fellows Program, and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She has also maintained her status on the Dean's List and is a Women in Science and Engineering Undergraduate Program scholar.

Perhaps there is truth in the idea that the more you do, the better you become. While at Spelman, Eatman served as a resident adviser to first-year students, a Learning Resource Center peer instructor, and a directed supplemental instructor for cellular and molecular biology. I cherish the opportunity to facilitate the transition into undergraduate student life.

Eatman also served as an executive board member and mentor in Spelman College's chapter of Teen Angels Society Inc., a national mentorship organization geared towards supporting adolescent girls of color, providing a series of charm school sessions to promote academic excellence, etiquette, professionalism, community service, leadership and creativity.

Through the synthesis of high academic standards and a commitment to creative community engagement, I strive to live by a philosophy of victory -- walking boldly in faith, never in fear.

Eatman's future aspirations include obtaining master’s degrees in neuroscience and public health, as well as attending medical school. Her ultimate career goal is to become a family physician and utilize her research background to address the challenges of infant mortality within communities of color.

Eatman Featured in a 'Road to Graduation' Video Series

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Johnson & Johnson Town Hall Conversation Speakers

Taira D. Bell, PMP, director of global brand protection and consumer at Johnson & Johnson, is a results oriented leader with 20 years of experience at J&J. The New Orleans native is the ambassador for the J&J Women in STEM program at Spelman and has a passion for people leadership and development. Over the course of her career at J&J, she has been active in recruiting and mentoring top talent, supporting the African-American Leadership Council, and implementing organizational training for major diversity and inclusion efforts.

Bell's career began as a co-op opportunity with McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a J&J subsidiary that manufactures over the counter medications such as Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec. Upon graduating from Southern University A&M College in electrical engineering, she returned to J&J as an operations associate and assumed various roles including procurement, manufacturing, and international operations. Later roles increased her responsibility in external manufacturing and innovation project management and also afforded Bell the opportunity to partner with commercial teams to launch new products. She also received her project management professional (PMP) certification.

In one of her more recent roles in J&J Supply Chain, Bell served as senior manager, customer logistics; and was responsible for the customer service and replenishment aspect of J&J’s Consumer Walmart team which $1 billion in sales across beauty/skincare, oral care and baby products. In her current role as director of global brand protection, Bell is primarily responsible for preventing and mitigating the risk to patient safety and business value from counterfeit and illicit trade of consumer products worldwide.

She has been an active participant in community service initiatives through her job supporting Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, among other initiatives; and outside of work through her church, Chosen 300 homeless ministries, and through her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta, Inc.

Lauren Carter-El, MPH, is indeed a demonstration of Johnson & Johnson's mission and organizational legacy: “Caring for the world, one person at a time, inspires and unites the people of Johnson & Johnson.” The Columbus, Ohio native remains active in her community and is dedicated to causes that improve the lives of women and children through a focus on higher education, professional development and access to healthcare.

A supply chain professional with more than 10 year's experience, she currently serves as a strategy manager for the Johnson & Johnson U.S. Over the Counter Supply Chain organization. She began her career as a co-op at Johnson & Johnson in 2004, was permanently hired as a full-time employee in 2006, and began working in customer logistics, supply planning, production planning and operations team leading.

As a testament to her knack for directing teams and her ability to meet rigorous organizational standards, Carter-El assumed a range of responsibilities within procurement. She also headed global sourcing strategies, market engagement projects and complexity reduction initiatives which led to delivering over $5 million in total value to the business.

In her current role, Carter-El continues to champion more efficient business processes as she works to improve costs for mega brands like Tylenol, Motrin and Zyrtec. She also actively recruits and mentors co-ops and advises veterans transitioning into the workplace through the American Corporate Partners program. Outside of work, she supports various initiatives through her sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., and is a member of the Fund Development Committee for People’s Emergency Center in Philadelphia, which provides homeless women and children with shelter and services to improve their quality of life.

Carter-El holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University and a master’s degree in public health from Drexel University.