Taking an Unconventional Route?

Abstract

The path to my current position as professor of chemistry at a large public university could be considered to be a conventional one. I became interested in biological and chemical research as an undergraduate college student. I pursued that interest in graduate school and received my Ph.D. in chemistry. I was a postdoctoral fellow in two laboratories prior to landing my current job. Along the way I got married and had two children. When I embarked on my career 24 years ago, it was less common for women to major in chemistry and very few moved into an academic position. This was especially true for women with children. When I look at my current working life and my path to it, I feel very fortunate to have landed in such a challenging and interesting job. There is nothing more rewarding than having a family and there is nothing more enthralling than doing research.