• What is your job title?
  
• Please give a brief description of your job, specifying what you do each day.
  
• What have you been working on or teaching lately?
  
• What most interests you in your job?
  
• What do you like least about your job?
  
• What has been your career path?
  
• Was there any person who inspired you to do what you are doing today?
  
• What attracted you to this career when you were in high school?
  
• What careers in your field do you see as promising?
  
• What advice do you have for young women who want to work in your field?
  
  
  
  
  
  

Q: What is your job title?
A: Senior Research scientist
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Q: Please give a brief description of your job, specifying what you do each day.
A: I develop pressure sensitive adhesives, product development. Basically I make tapes. I formulate the adhesive. I take rubber (which comes from trees) add fillers like clay and tackifiers (sap from trees) and lots of other little things like stabilizers and colorants. It reminds me of cooking. We add a little of this and a lot of that and see what we get. We spread the adhesive onto a backing and then test its properties (see how sticky it is). One product I work on is duct tape. Each day is a little different; I formulate adhesive, I extrude backing (a method to make plastic pellets into a long film), I put them together, and then test them. Once the testing is complete, I have to analyze the data and make decisions as to what I've learned and what needs to be done to adjust the product.
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Q: What have you been working on or teaching lately?
A: The latest project is reformulating a duct tape that the customer is complaining about. The adhesive is too soft and is oozing out the edges. I have to stiffen the adhesive but without changing its adhesion properties.
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Q: What most interest you in your job?
A: Every day is different. I work on several projects at the same time. I have 2 new products I am developing for the automotive market and working on product improvements or cost improvements on existing products. My favorite thing is working on the pilot equipment.
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Q: What do you like the least about your job?
A: The least favorite is dealing with Customer complaints.
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Q: What has your career path been?
A: I received a BS is Chemical Engineering and have worked at this type of job ever since (15 years this May)
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Q: Was there any person who inspired you to do what you're doing today?
A: I was very interested in getting into the Plastics industry. My Dad and Brother are both engineers and I guess I just followed in their footsteps.
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Q: What attracted you to this career when you were in high school?
A: I actually planned on going into Law school. I went on vacation and spoke to several Chemical Engineers and decided I have a mind of this field.
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Q: What careers in your field do you see as promising for the future?
A: I would like to stay in research and development but perhaps move into management where I can guide new researchers in their careers.
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Q: What advice do you have for young women who want to work in your field someday?
A: If math and science are fun to you and you love to get involved and work with your hands, then this is a great field to pursue.
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