Just two and a half years after joining Procter & Gamble North Carolina A&T State University alumna Dr. Jennifer Davis Alexander has taken on a new role in the company. Alexander is now the global eyes products research leader for the COVERGIRL and MAXFACTOR brands in Hunt Valley, Md.

“I’ve always loved and been curious about cosmetics and personal care products,” Alexander said in an e-mail.

“The best part of my job is that I get a chance to develop "new to the world" products in a field for which I have a personal passion.”

Alexander, 31, graduated from N.C. A&T in 2004 with a B.S. in chemistry. From Aggieland, she went directly to the University of Cincinnati to work on her doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences.

“Once I made up my mind that I would attend graduate school, I began searching for areas that would allow me to marry my scientific curiosity with my personal interests,” she said.

“My sister mentioned cosmetic science and once I did the research on the programs that were available, I knew it was for me.”

She went on to become the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in cosmetic science and is now mentoring other African American students who are interested in the field.

“I think it’s imperative that we give back and serve as role models. I am a mentor at the University of Cincinnati – a point of contact for African Americans interested in the cosmetic science Ph.D. program – and I was invited back to A&T to speak to current students in the Department of Chemistry,” Alexander said.

In her new position, Alexander is primarily responsible for identifying consumer needs and translating them into technical specifications to develop products such as mascara, eye shadow and eye liner. She got her start with Procter and Gamble working with pet food. From pet food to cosmetics, the foundation she built at A&T prepared her for Ph.D. studies and her career.

“I had professors who saw my potential and always pushed me to think outside the box to see beyond what is right in front of me,” she said. “That has helped me tremendously in an industry where new products seemingly come out every day and it is imperative that I think outside the box in order to satisfy consumers.”

In addition to being a mentor at the University of Cincinnati, Alexander has been a mentor and a member of The Skin Care Professionals, Professional Beauty Association, Associated Skin Care Professionals, The Powder Group, Lincoln Heights Missionary Baptist Church and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.