Brianna Hargett

Applied Scientist of the Year

Brianna’s passion for STEM started at an early age, when her love for children, and the desire to help others through medicine, gave her aspirations to become a pediatrician. During the summers of her middle and high school years, she was encouraged by her parents, Drs. Brenden, and Tonya Hargett, to participate in summer camps to gain more exposure to other STEM careers. Because of their encouragement, it was on the campus of NC A&T State University, where her newfound love for engineering began.

Her combined interest of Medicine and Engineering led her to pursue a Biomedical Engineering Degree, from East Carolina University. She quickly recognized, how advantageous it was to be exposed to STEM fields at an early age and decided to pay it forward. While pursuing her degree, Brianna helped re-establish the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter and served as the Vice President on her college campus. Under her leadership the chapter started a math and science tutoring program for students at a local church and a STEM fair for underrepresented children in the local community.

Brianna’s career started with Proctor & Gamble (P&G) in 2020 as a Quality Control Analytical Chemist at the Greensboro Product Supply Personal Healthcare Plant, testing raw materials and Brands like Pepto Bismol, Vicks, and Align Prebiotics for release to customers. After approximately two years in product supply, Brianna transitioned from North Carolina to Mason, Ohio to continue her career with P&G in Research and Development in Healthcare. She is now an Analytical and Stability leader, who is responsible for establishing shelf life, and determining photostability for oral care and personal healthcare products. While working for P&G, Brianna continues to support youth in STEM by volunteering with Girls in STEM, the Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative Bike Club, Take Our Children to Work Day, and the Residential Scholars Program which is a P&G Sponsored program exposing high school students of underrepresented backgrounds to R&D functions. Outside of work, she continues to serve her community in the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated as the co-chair of the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) and as a member of the Cincinnati Professional NSBE chapter.