Just hit the 2-year mark in the industry. Myself, still deeply immersed in adhesion science. Working with some top-notch chemists and formulators who tackle technical problems way different from my mechanics of materials background, it's making me see the value I bring to the team. Back when I graduated and was about to dive into this new gig, I had this clear goal of serving as a bridge between industry and academia. Looking back, I'm not even sure why I set that goal. Maybe it was because I loved my time with the adhesion science community and didn't want to lose touch with them.
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A third of July has passed, and half of this year has gone by. It’s the time of the year when people get to enjoy a well-deserved vacation with their families. This is also a great time for reflecting on how the first half of the year has unfolded and making or revising plans and resolutions for the remainder of the year. Lately, I have been working on an Employee Development Plan (EDP), which involves identifying my strengths, opportunities, and longer-term visions, including where I see myself in 5 to 10 years.
During a captivating conversation last week, a dear friend of mine, who possesses an uncanny ability to delve into the depths of scientific research and life philosophy, shared his hard-earned thoughts on the fundamental difference between elastomers and gels from multiscale arguments as well as a fundamental reason why numerous academic studies on hydrogels are focused on designing polymer networks. With this enlightening perspective in mind, he reiterated a profound statement: “Multiscale approach is the jewel of adhesion science".
It's been just over a year since I started my new journey in the chemical industry. I am not a chemist by training. I probably can't even make the simplest chemicals that high school graduates who have studied chemistry could create. I still remember the time when I was going over my job offers and had to make a decision within a couple of weeks. I felt relieved to see the end of the job search process and the approaching completion of my PhD, but at the same time, I was a bit overwhelmed and nervous about entering a field without any formal training.
On a peaceful afternoon, two days before the New Year. Sitting at my large mocha cherry desk placed right next to sunlight-coming-through sliding doors that separate myself from nature and other houses. It has finally started dawning on me that I’ve made it through 2022. Lots of good things happened this year.
I recently read a book called So good that they can't ignore you. This book tries to debunk why the "follow your passion" is terrible advice, which has unknowingly compellted a lot of people to become a chronic job-hopper and end up feeling unsatiated and lost even after achieving what they thought would be true calling. The author instead proposed the career capital theory to build career you love and concluded that working right by leveraging hard-earned career capital trumps finding the right work.
I like traveling. I love talking with people. They are great sources of countless food for thought and new insights. They allow for correcting unconsciously formed biases and learning new knowledge. These outcomes are hard to be achieved if I were to settle for a comfortable life.
I am currently on a vacation in Korea. I created a to-do-list before leaving. One of them was to mentor students at my undergrad alma mater. I enjoy giving away what I know and have to people in need of help. I am not expecting anything in return. If the stuff I offer can help students re-shape their viewpoints and take actions to achieve whatever they wish, that is all I want.
The field of adhesion has been a key enabler for the reduction of energy consumption and life-saving efforts throughout our lives. In the automotive and airline industry, for example, strong, lightweight composites in which glues bind fabrics that otherwise disentangle have been replacing a large portion of traditional metals.
It's been just a little over half an year since I started working at Dow. Unexpectedly, the experience has been thus far top-notch.
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