By Minnie Stephenson Chemist Mercedes Taylor was never interested in playing with test tubes or trying on lab coats as a child.  “I didn’t think that chemistry was an immediately gripping topic for me,” Taylor said.  But recently, the Smithsonian recognized Taylor for her work in STEM with a statue at its gardens. Taylor, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of … Continue reading UMD Professor honored in statue form by Smithsonian