ScienceMakers Toolkit Manual - The History Makers

Life Science
anti-cancer pharmaceuticals. Pickett was named president of Schering-Plough in 2002, which placed him in
charge of research and development for the entire company. In 2006 Pickett moved to Biogen Idec Inc. to become
its President of Research and Development.
In addition to his professional career, Pickett taught at the New Jersey School of Medicine and Dentistry, and at
McGill University in Montreal. Pickett’s research has been widely published in prestigious journals such as the
Journal of Biological Chemistry. Pickett has been recognized internationally for his work and was named one of
the 50 Most Powerful Black Executives by Fortune Magazine in 2002. Pickett and his wife, Shirley, raised two
daughters.
Discussion Questions
Personal:
1. What was the most compelling thing you learned about Dr. Pickett?
2. Where was Dr. Pickett born? Locate it on a map. How far away is this from where you live? What are
the names of his parents? Where did Dr. Pickett attend high school? What do you suppose high school
was like for him?
3. How old are you? In what year was Dr. Pickett your age? What was happening in the country that year?
What was happening in the world that year? What do you suppose his life was like when he was your
age?
4. What were Dr. Pickett’s favorite subjects in school? Why did he feel this way? What are your favorite
subjects? Why do you enjoy them? What are your least favorite subjects? Why? What classes challenge
you? Why? Do you think you will pursue a future career in one of these subjects? What can your
teachers do to make classes more challenging and attention-grabbing? (See answers.com biography)
5. What extracurricular activities did Dr. Pickett participate in? What extracurricular activities do you
participate in? What is your favorite? (See answers.com biography)
6. In 2002, Dr. Pickett was named on of the 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in America for Fortune
magazine. Why do you think Dr. Pickett was seen as “powerful?” What do you think defi nes “power?”
How can a knowledge of science give you power? How does education contribute to success and
power? (See answer.com biography)
Science:
7. What do you think a pharmacologist does? Would you like to be a pharmacologist? Why?
8. If you were a pharmacologist, what kinds of questions would you study?
9. After Dr. Pickett left UCLA, he followed a path that was different from most biologists. What was it?
Who were his mentors during this period? What advances did Dr. Pickett assist with? Have you ever
followed a path that was different? Explain the situation. What was the expected path? What did you do?
Look up the Robert Frost poem “Walking Through the Woods on a Snowy Evening.” How could this
apply to Dr. Pickett? How could it apply to you? What is a different path you could follow in the future?
(See answers.com biography)
108