Dr. Rukeyser Thompson

Applied Scientist of the Year

Dr. Rukeyser S. Thompson’s world has come full circle. She stands at the intersection of her childhood past time of playing with dolls and styling their hair in Bassfield, Mississippi, and her love of chemistry cultivated via a B.S. and Ph.D. from Alcorn State University and Purdue University, respectively. The magic from that intersectionality results in shampoos for consumers all over the world. Rukeyser leads the Global Hair Care Shampoo Research & Development programs for cosmetic and anti-dandruff shampoos. Throughout her 18.5-year tenure with P&G, she’s had previous R&D assignments on the Herbal Essences ®, Vidal Sassoon®, Fekkai®, Olay®, Secret®, and Gain®, brands.

In her Herbal Essences role, she led a R&D team that delivers product innovation for consumers in North America, the United Kingdom, Latin America, and Asia. In her Consumers of African Ancestry (CAA) role, she led global R&D hair care teams in Africa, Germany, and North America. Building on her team’s fundamental understanding of CAA hair, P&G launched three product lineups specifically designed for CAA women: Head and Shoulders in Africa (October 2016), Pantene Gold Series in NA (January 2017), and Head and Shoulders Royal Oils (January 2019).

Rukeyser is a recognized leader and community servant. She is the site leader for the Mason Business Center (MBC) African Ancestry Leadership Network (AALN). She also serves as site sponsor for FORCE, the formulation community of practice. In 2021, Rukeyser received the Alcorn State University Women of Courage Award. She was also awarded the 2018 Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) Beauty’s Top Talent Award and 2018 Top Blacks in Healthcare Award from BlackDoctor.org in recognition of her leadership on Pantene Gold Series. Rukeyser is a 31-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and leads the fundraising committee in the Phi Psi Omega Chapter in Forest Park, OH. She is a life member of the Alcorn State University Alumni Association and an active alum. She was inducted as a member of the 2014 Purdue University Old Masters class which created an endowment to support the leadership development of Purdue undergraduate students.

Rukeyser is married to her childhood friend and college sweetheart, Eric Thompson, a fellow Mississippian and Alcorn alum. They are owners of the Midwest Regional Insurance and Financial Services, LLC in Cincinnati, OH. She and Eric reside in Liberty Township, OH, and have two children, Amelia (Walgreens pharmacist in Memphis, TN) and Eric II (Alcorn State University class of 2024).