Name Lilia Abron | ||
Lilia Ann Abron (born March 8, 1945) is an entrepreneur and chemical engineer. In 1972, Abron became the first African American woman to earn a PhD in chemical engineering.
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Early life and education
Abron was born in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1966, Abron earned a B.S. in chemistry from LaMoyne College, and an M.S. in sanitary engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 1968. She began her PhD in September 1968 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed it at the University of Iowa.
Career
Abron was an assistant professor of civil engineering at Tennessee State University, held a joint appointment as an assistant professor of environmental engineering at Vanderbilt University and was an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Howard University. In 1978, Abron founded and became CEO of PEER Consultants, PC. She was the first African American to start an environmental engineering firm. In 1995, Abron founded Peer Africa with the mission of building energy-efficient homes in post-apartheid South Africa. In 2004, she was elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Abron gives presentations related to energy and the environment.
Personal life
Abron is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
She cites the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson as an inspiration for entering the environmental movement.
Honors
Personal life
Abron has three sons. Abron plays the hand bells.