To celebrate National Chemistry Week, Ramapo College of New Jersey shares how fueled by the power of mentorship, a McNair scholar is advancing in the field of cosmetic chemistry.  

October 24, 2025

By Elizabeth Mendicino ‘25

Valeria Lopez ‘26 had never expected that by the time of her graduation, she would be a Chemistry major. She had always possessed a love for skincare and cosmetics, but did not originally recognize that it could culminate into a career path.

“It wasn’t really until college that I realized that chemistry was something that involved cosmetics, because before college, I didn’t really think about STEM,” Lopez said. “I didn’t really think I’d be majoring in that, but I came to the realization that if I study chemistry, I can learn how to make these products that I love using so much.”

Cosmetic chemistry is a niche within chemistry that encompasses the development, research, and formulation of cosmetic products. Cosmetic chemists can be involved with various aspects of the creation of cosmetic products, from skincare to makeup.

Now a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Lopez is a winner of the Future of Sustainability New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) scholarship, a member of the NYSCC, a McNair Scholar, has interned with the beauty start-up ESSNTLS Lab, and is preparing to pursue a Master’s or Ph.D. in chemistry.

Lopez attended the Future Chemist Workshop put on by the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

Once Lopez chose to take the leap and pursue cosmetic chemistry, she wasn’t sure how she would get her foot in the door. But through the McNair Scholars program at Ramapo, she was able to find the perfect mentor, and gain unmatched research experience.

The program, named after Challenger astronaut Ronald E. McNair, supports students in their pursuit of post-graduate studies in STEM fields with the aim of obtaining a Ph.D. Scholars receive one-on-one academic counseling, faculty-guided peer tutoring, research and internship opportunities, and support in the application process for post-baccalaureate programs, which includes workshops for the graduate school application process, standardized test preparation, and graduate program tours.

Dr. Ashley Howell ‘05, lecturer of Chemistry and a Ramapo alum, is an advisor to the McNair program, where she met Lopez. Howell had worked at Avon Products Inc in the corporation’s Global Research and Development Center for 12 years, and is a member of the NYSCC.

“In graduate school, I was studying polymer chemistry,” said Howell, on her own journey towards pursuing cosmetic chemistry. ”Polymers are really large molecules that are used for a lot of different things, and at the time, we were looking at biodegradable polymers to help deliver drug molecules in a controlled way for medical applications. I discovered that these polymers could be used for other non-traditional applications to deliver preservative, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects to skin in cosmetic products. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities with chemistry, and I realized that there is so much more you could do with chemistry beyond medical and pharmaceutical applications. Chemistry is everywhere.”

Now a fulltime professor at Ramapo, Howell helps inspire students – like Lopez – to discover the aspects of chemistry that they too are passionate about. Howell started advising Lopez during her junior year, and Lopez was immediately excited by Howell’s degree of expertise in cosmetic chemistry. Howell connected Lopez to the NYSCC, and helped her apply to attend its Future Chemist Workshop.

“She showed me the way,” Lopez said. “Before, I didn’t really know how I could even get into the cosmetics industry, and when I heard that she has a bunch of experiences in that, she helped me. Especially with the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists. I didn’t even know that society existed. So she told me I should apply, and she helped me with the application process. She even has explained things in terms of how the industry works and what they’re looking for and helped with getting an internship.”

Dr. Ashley Howell ‘05, now a lecturer of chemistry at Ramapo, previously worked in research and development at Avon Products Inc.

With Howell’s mentorship, Lopez has been gaining more and more experience, becoming a prepared, knowledgeable, and competitive student in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Howell is proud of Lopez and eager to watch her grow and succeed.

“I love getting to know the students and seeing them grow over time,” Howell said. “I love when you get to meet students early on in their college career and then you see all the wonderful things that they do by the time they’re ready to graduate and after they graduate, and keeping in touch with the students. It’s one of the best parts of the job.”

The McNair Scholars program – funded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) – is part of the Federal TRIO Programs, a group of eight initiatives designed to assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs, according to the DOE.

For more information on the McNair Scholars program, visit https://www.ramapo.edu/stem-center/programs-grants/mcnair/ or contact the program’s director Dr. Sandra Suarez at suarez@ramapo.edu.