Melva Covington: I love what I do because I approach each situation or tasks with the mindset of how it will be successful and make an impact. Now that outcome is not always so evident because usually the challenges and barriers are great. However, that doesn 't impact my mindset of excellence, even if it does not look so good. I approach every circumstance as a way to make things better and exceed expectations. My job is to see the possibilities, use what we have (or can create) to build and execute to produce on something innovative.

Melva Covington: One of my greatest challenges was in preparing the final versioncomponents of my Ph.D. dissertation. I had to integrate the latest changes in the document based on input from my advisors, finalize it in 24 hours and turn it into the Registrar in order to graduate. These were the days, in which we used floppy disks to save things because the computer hard drive storage was not large enough. Well, I finished the changes and went to save. But before I could do so, the entire computer system crashed, damaged the disk and I lost all of the written changes in the process. I was heart-broken, walked out of the computer lab, sat on the floor, started crying and just prayed for comfort/help/direction _ anything! I saw my life flash in front of me because it was due at 5pm and it was 4:45pm. At that very moment, my dissertation Cchairperson happened to walk out of the class room to get something from his office and saw me there, looking miserable. I explained what had just happened and he arranged for me to have another 24 hours with the registrar to make changes. I went back to the latest version that I had on a separate disk and got the job done. Life lesson: Never panic _ everything is manageable!. That experience guides my reaction, even now, in crisis management and building solutions.

Melva Covington: I am most excited about the breakthrough in Genomics and the potential of innovation in targeted (or tailored or personalized) medicine. The breakthroughs in understanding the DNA structure of all living things (and particularly in the human race) enables us to better understand the cycle or pattern of diseases and develop therapies that target them , while limiting side effect profiles. This is coupled with the explosion in technology and the use of automated systems to replicate and analyze information much faster than ever imagined is simply amazing. This innovation and its precise the application across populations of it in increasingly precise ways are is revolutionary.

Melva Covington: I grew up in Northeast Washington DC.

Melva Covington: My favorite school teacher is my mother, who was my first teacher of life, information and culture. She established in me the key concept to understanding that _nothing is impossible _ so go ahead and soar! She was not only a phenomenal role-model but also taught business to junior and senior high school students in the DC school system for 46 years. Aside from my Mom, Mr. Greene was my favorite teacher who taught me in the 7th grade. She was a little woman who helped me to make a good transition into junior high school and was a gentle _ yet firm disciplinarian. I was able to go to Europe under her watch and she nurtured experiences/exposures outside of America. My exposure to the world and global possibilities was birthed from her mentorship. That is why mentorship is so important to me now.

Melva Covington: I moved from NJ to Indianapolis in 2004 to take a new job. I had no family or friends there, but wanted to use this as an opportunity to adapt my social and professional style to successfully live in the Midwest _ very unlike the Northeast. Nearly everything was different _ even the rate of speech. People keep asking me to slow down and repeat myself. Nevertheless, this was an opportunity for me to understand amy new environment, listen to people carefully and drop my perceptions of what was normal so as to be more open to change. This required me to empathically look at things from the eyes of others but also be comfortable in bringing my authentic self to the table, and that was alright.

Melva Covington: My talent is in synthesizing complexity. I am not sure how unique it is. However, I have a gift of being able to digest complex concepts (or things that don 't seem to go together well) and develop patterns or develop a strategy from diverse pieces. These connections just seem to flow together in my mind. I then use the synthesized concepts to dialogue and motivate engage with others. This stimulates great conversations and long lasting real collaborations.

Melva Covington: Personal style _ custom, monogrammed French cuff shirts with cufflinks (usually color matched). For me, it is a silent power statement when a woman enters in a room; it says (for me) she means business, so don 't play. Also, a nice pair of heels goes well with that! In my purse is my cell phone, money clip and hand sanitizer.

Melva Covington: I generally read multiple books at one time _ I get bored easily so this is necessary to keep my brain stimulated. Right now, I am reading four books: a. Corner Office Rules, Keith Wyche b. A Pale Horse, epic novel by Wendy Alec c. Jesus>Religion, Jefferson Bethike d. David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell

Melva Covington: Favorite website is MotorTrend, Linked.in, CNN, Spafinders. I am also a bicycle rider so I explore different trials or vacation where I can bike in nature.

Melva Covington: What inspires me is the life and stories of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Understanding His walk and impact as He engaged with on people is a constant source of inspiration and way to model my life. I am not nearly as perfect, but as He is. ; but Therefore, I try to think about love, compassion and grace the way that He did _ and pattern my life and decisions based on it..

Melva Covington: What is next for me is to continue to work to bring solutions through innovation to people, communities and my company. As Sanofi continues to evolve in thise constantly changing healthcare eco-system, I hope that I can play a part in that transformation. In particular, I would like to contribute to the understanding of how diverse patient populations and communities can benefit from the healthcare solutions that we generate within the pharmaceutical industry. We are currently engaged in building research structures and commercial platforms that enable us to be more patient-centered. A key part of this is having Participatory Action Research and Patient Engagement opportunities that help us to be better partners in building healthcare solutions. I would also hope to be an inspiration to the next four generations of scientists. An impactful woman leaves an inheritance to the next few generations.