Beloved biology professor and nationally recognized STEM mentor leaves a lasting impact on generations of scholars.
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Dillard University joins the City of New Orleans, the national STEM community, and generations of alumni in mourning the passing of Dr. Ruby L. Broadway, Professor of Biology, distinguished scholar, mentor, and one of the university’s most influential architects of scientific education and opportunity.
For more than four decades, Dr. Broadway devoted her life to the advancement of science, the empowerment of students, and the strengthening of Dillard University’s mission as a historically Black institution committed to academic excellence and social progress. Through her work as an educator, researcher, and program builder, Dr. Broadway opened doors for countless young scholars who might otherwise never have imagined themselves pursuing careers in science, medicine, or research.
Dr. Broadway joined the Dillard University faculty in 1983 as an Assistant Professor of Biology, beginning a remarkable career that would span more than forty years of service to the institution and its students. Over time, she rose to become Professor of Biology while also holding distinctions including Delta Sigma Theta Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair and ACUE Distinguished Teaching Scholar.
Dr. Broadway was a visionary who believed deeply that talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not. Her life’s work focused on closing that gap by creating pathways for students from historically underrepresented communities to thrive in STEM. In fact, through her leadership, Dillard University became home to a remarkable pipeline of STEM opportunity that supported students from early childhood through graduate-level research careers.
Among her most enduring contributions were several innovative programs that reshaped the STEM landscape at Dillard and beyond. For example, she founded the Saturday Science Academy, an academic enrichment program designed to engage elementary and middle school students in laboratory sciences, mathematics, computer science, and communication skills while developing critical thinking and curiosity about the scientific world. She also launched the Young Scholars Environmental Camp, which introduced young students to environmental science through hands-on learning experiences, field studies, and exposure to the possibilities of higher education and scientific careers. Dr. Broadway’s Pre-Freshman Engineering Summer Program strengthened scientific preparation for middle and high school students by introducing them to mathematics, biology, chemistry, engineering concepts, and scientific experimentation, helping many young scholars envision futures in technical fields.
At the undergraduate level, Dr. Broadway led and advanced several nationally funded initiatives designed to prepare Dillard students for advanced scientific training. These included programs such as MARC U-STAR, U-RISE, MSEIP, and NSF GEOPATH, each of which helped cultivate research experience, mentorship networks, and graduate school pathways for aspiring scientists.
Through these initiatives and her decades of mentorship, Dr. Broadway advised countless undergraduate students who went on to graduate schools, doctoral programs, medical schools, and influential careers in science and public service.
Beyond her educational leadership, Dr. Broadway was also an accomplished researcher whose work contributed to the scientific understanding of environmental health and molecular biology. Her research explored issues such as lead contamination and the cellular mechanisms involved in leukemia research, contributing to broader conversations about environmental toxicity and biomedical science.
Throughout her career, Dr. Broadway received numerous honors recognizing her excellence as an educator and mentor. Among them were the Distinguished Outstanding Mentor Award from the National Institute of Science, the Faculty Mentor Award from the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minorities, and the Presidential All-Star Award, reflecting her extraordinary commitment to student success and academic excellence.
President Monique Guillory, reflected on Dr. Broadway’s legacy:
“Dr. Ruby Broadway was a pillar of Dillard University and a force in the advancement of STEM education for generations of Black students. Her life’s work reflected the very best of what it means to be a scholar, a mentor, and a servant leader. Through the programs she built, the research she advanced, and the countless students she guided with care and conviction, Dr. Broadway helped shape the scientific futures of young people who might otherwise never have imagined themselves in laboratories, graduate programs, or leadership roles in science and medicine.
At Dillard University, we speak often about preparing students not only for careers but for lives of purpose and impact. Dr. Broadway embodied that calling. Her legacy will live on through the thousands of scholars whose journeys began because she believed in their potential.” As Dillard University reflects on Dr. Broadway’s extraordinary life, her legacy is written in the thousands of students whose lives she transformed. Her vision helped establish Dillard as a powerful pipeline for Black excellence in STEM, and er mentorship shaped generations of leaders who now carry her influence into laboratories, classrooms, and communities across the nation.
Information regarding memorial services and ways for the university community to honor
Dr. Broadway’s life and contributions will be shared as it becomes available.
