For Miranda Steele, science has never been just about formulas and processes. It has always been about people.
As a leading scientist at Keenova, Steele serves as a manager of process chemistry –– a role that places her at the critical intersection of research, manufacturing, and patient impact.
“Everyone needs to be afforded the same access and the same opportunities,” she said. “What you do individually should have some impact on the global community.”
“We’re all human first,” she said. “Understanding that we all have needs shapes how I approach the work. If I have the ability to help answer questions and provide solutions, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
The St. Louis native’s work at Keenova, a global pharmaceutical company with a facility in Hazelwood, involves the development work used to help support manufacturing, troubleshooting, streamlining processes, and optimizing that ultimately yields pharmaceuticals and therapeutics for patients.
After more than 20 years with the company, Steele’s work continues to evolve — just like the questions she seeks to answer. No two days look the same. One moment she’s writing technical reports, the next she’s collaborating across teams or designing new chemical pathways to improve efficiency. But beneath the complexity of her work lies a simple, human-centered goal –– improving access to care.
“Reducing timelines, raw material costs — these things ultimately allow for better outcomes for patients when it comes to accessibility and affordability,” she said. “Providing these things in a shorter timeline allows patients to have it sooner rather than later.”
Bobby Trawick, executive director of global technical operations and development at Keenova, has worked with Steele in the life sciences space at Keenova for decades.
“Her steady leadership and her work to strengthen our manufacturing processes help us deliver therapies with greater consistency and care to the people who rely on them,” Trawick said. “She brings technical skill, genuine curiosity, and a spirit that lifts the people around her. Her contributions matter, and I am grateful for the chance to work alongside her.”
Originally intending to become a physician, Steele’s early ambitions were shaped by what she witnessed growing up in St. Louis.
“My desire to serve and seeing the needs and disparities within my own home and community, that’s what rooted that decision,” she said.
Though life redirected her path from medicine to chemistry, the mission never changed.
“I’ve been able to still be fulfilled in serving — just in a different way,” she added.
That mindset defines how Steele approaches her work today. She sees her role not just as a chemist, but as a problem solver for people who may never know her name, and her commitment to health equity extends beyond the lab.
In her community, she is a mentor, educator, and advocate — particularly for young people who may not see themselves reflected in careers in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
She recalls a moment that continues to stay with her –– a young girl brought to tears simply by seeing Black scientists in person during one of her community service visits.
“She had never seen an African American scientist,” Steele said. “Sometimes we don’t understand the impact we can have. We don’t even have to say anything, we just need to show up in spaces.”
That belief fuels her involvement in youth programs, church outreach, and community education. Whether she’s helping run a food pantry, teaching proper medication disposal, or speaking with students, Steele is intentional about sharing knowledge.
“If the knowledge that I have is not shared, then we have a problem,” she said.
Rev. Keith Hackle Jr., senior pastor at Grace Community Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Euclid, Ohio, has known Steele for eight years. Before moving to Ohio, he served as pastor of Agape SDA Church in University City, where Steele worships and spends time volunteering.
“In an era where leadership is often measured in metrics and milestones, Miranda Steele redefines what impact looks like — quietly, consistently, and with an unwavering commitment to people over prestige,” Hackle said.
“For years, Miranda has been a steady force in her community. Her approach to service is rooted not in grand gestures, but in reliability –– showing up, following through, and building trust over time. Whether organizing neighborhood initiatives like leaf removals, mentoring young people, or collaborating with other area churches for citywide events, she has cultivated a reputation for consistency that many aspire to, but few sustain.”
At Keenova, a company grounded in the belief that “no one should be alone in their pursuit of better health,” Steele sees her work as part of a broader mission to close gaps in care.
For her, health equity is both a global and deeply personal responsibility.
“Everyone needs to be afforded the same access and the same opportunities,” she said. “What you do individually should have some impact on the global community.”
In laboratories, classrooms, churches, and communities, Steele is doing exactly that — quietly but powerfully shaping a future where science serves everyone, and where equity is not an aspiration, but a standard.
“If I see something,” she said, “and I have the ability to change it — as a chemist, as a mother, as an African American, as a woman — I want to change it.”