The breadth of focus of PSE’s faculty within the field of soft materials creates a great deal of flexibility in the topic of their degrees.  This breadth also deepens the technical toolbox of the students – being around so many different types of projects truly promotes an environment in which “learning by osmosis” is a constant process.  Only after I began my current job in product development at 3M did I realize how important this was.  Truth can be found in the adage that, after graduation, a student will never work in their exact field of graduate study, and so the learning environment must include more than just preparing for a dissertation if the student will be impactful after school.  PSE at UMass truly excels in creating such an environment.

Why PSE? I wanted to be part of an emerging field with tangible benefits to humanity. My time in PSE afforded me a multitude of research opportunities within the department, across campus, and abroad. My experiences strengthened my enthusiasm to participate in robust collaborations between international scientific research groups, broadened my perspective on science, and reinforced the importance of communication between scientists. Since graduating, the skills I learned during my time in PSE have directly translated into my postdoctoral work at MIT. PSE’s progression to promote excellent research and establish scientific relationships across many disciplines makes me proud to be an alumna.

Once I started working as a senior formulation scientist at Axalta Coatings Systems, I could see the strength and value of the multidisciplinary approach of my education in PSE. It prepared me to work and collaborate with people from different scientific backgrounds. Being well-rounded with a strong understanding of the structure-property relationship of polymers has helped me determine key problems and possible solutions quickly. Having had hands-on experience with the large number of instrumentation techniques available in PSE allowed me to adjust very quickly to a new work environment and laboratory settings. I also believe the rooted culture of openness in PSE contributed to my success significantly. From the moment I joined PSE, I knew I was part of a big family and it’s been a privilege for me of have had the chance to meet, study, and work with all these great people.