• 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: Principal Research Scientist
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Q: Please give a brief description of your job, specifying what you do each day.
A: I work in a product development or "R&D" lab on developing new products for the pressure sensitive adhesive tape market. I emphasize the development portion of "R&D" since it is fairly fast paced and doesn't leave alot of time for research. New products need to get out quickly, so that sales revenue can be realized.

Everyday I talk with sales and marketing people at other locations who are trying to market or sell products that I have developed in the past or are in the process of developing. I also work with suppliers who are providing me with specific raw materials to make my products with. And, then I communicate with people at the manufacturing sites who are actually producing the products.

At my own location, we have a pilot plant where we can produce products on a small scale for evaluation. We also have test equipment to do this evaluation. I have a dedicated technician who performs alot of tests and experiments for me as I design those tests for him.
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Q: What have you been working on or teaching lately?
A: In the last few years, I developed a new tape called Sof-tape that is marketed by CURAD. I also developed a "water repellancy" for a flexible fabric finger bandage which is also marketed by CURAD. You can find these products at various drug stores. That is a recognizable aspect of my job.

But, I also evaluate existing products with new fibers or new release treatments since companies that have been making the old fibers and old release treatments (chemicals) have stopped making them for various reasons. This is really done behind the scenes and most people never know about this kind of work.
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Q: What most interest you in your job?
A: Making products that are used by people I don't even know. And, working with people from many different locations with many different jobs. I also keep learning new things and my job is never boring.
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Q: What do you like the least about your job?
A: The pressure to do things quickly.
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Q: What has your career path been?
A: Undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering in Rochester, NY. Master's degree in Chemical Engineering in Boston, MA. Three and a half years doing research for a government lab in Watertown, MA and then in 1989 I joined the company I currently work for. I have been doing product development for them for 13 years.
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Q: Was there any person who inspired you to do what you're doing today?
A: I was guided into engineering by my uncle, my high school chemistry teacher, my high school physics teacher and my older sister. I really didn't know what it meant to be an engineer at that time though.
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Q: What attracted you to this career when you were in high school?
A: I was good at math and science and people said that engineers were able to get good jobs.
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Q: What careers in your field do you see as promising for the future?
A: Areas of work that are popular these days for chemical engineers include the biotech industry. But, chemical engineers also have a broad enough background for a number of other areas including oil and chemical processing (energy), building manufacturing plants, environmental work, medical research and more.
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Q: What advice do you have for young women who want to work in your field
someday?
A: It is more fun and interesting than you would think! And the salary is reliable for a stable life style.
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