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Sherice Nivens receives 2008 Medal of Achievement

Sherice Nivens (BS ’98 Chemistry) was selected as the recipient of the College’s 2008 Medal of Achievement. Established in 2005, this award recognizes early- to mid-career alumni of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences who have excelled through their chosen professions or public service, and proven themselves destined to make a significant impact in science, government, education, business or industry.

A native of Ruby, SC, Nivens graduated from Chesterfield High School in 1991 and came to NC State to pursue a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. During her time as an undergraduate, Nivens served as a research assistant in the Organic Synthesis Laboratory of now emeritus professor of chemistry, Suzanne Purrington. She would also later serve as a research assistant in the laboratory of Professor Stefan Franzen. Nivens graduated from NC State with honors in 1998 and went on to earn a master’s degree in physical chemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001.

After research co-ops at Merck and Dow, Nivens began her professional career in earnest at Ethicon Endo-Surgery in 2002. She proved a quick study at Ethicon. In less than four years with the company, she rose from facilitation resident to laparoscopic sales specialist, responsible for a $4.5 million territory. In 2004, Nivens was named “Rookie of the Year” for Ethicon’s Mid-Atlantic Region and ranked 1st in the company for Harmonic Scalpel Disposable and Capital Divisional Sales.

In 2005, Nivens joined her current employer, Intuitive Surgical—a global leader in the rapidly emerging field of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery and the company that developed the da Vinci Surgical System.

Nivens has continued to experience great success since joining Intuitive Surgical. Today, she serves as clinical sales manager for a region that covers much of the Southeastern United States and accounted for nearly $10 million in sales revenue last year. In 2006, she received the company’s top clinical sales management award.

“While she continues to succeed wherever she goes, Sherice has not forgotten her personal or educational roots,” said Dean Dan Solomon.

Nivens paid tribute to those roots earlier this year when she established a scholarship endowment in PAMS in honor of her grandparents. Upon establishing the Arnater and Viola Nivens Scholarship Endowment, Nivens stated that the scholarship was intended to honor the sacrifices her grandparents made and the collective guidance they gave that served as her “springboard to success.”