Macromolecular Science and Engineering MSE

My pragmatism philosophy of engineering research was built during my master’s period in U-M, and has been developing and helping me on PhD research work here in RPI Chemical Engineering. That is, to implement your ideas from the beginning and develop your ideas during practice. Engineering research is not done from just literature reviewing, but more from your own discoveries in the lab.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Talk to professors more about your future research and career plan, especially when applying to new positions (grad school or industry). There are many professors (like Dr. Jinsang Kim) caring about your personal development!

Realizing early on that I was interested in a career in research, my time in undergrad consisted of two materials research experiences and three Research and Development (R&D) internships. These experiences helped me to decide to pursue a career in R&D in industry developing medical products or biomaterial therapeutics. I realized that the type of hands-on roles I was targeting required a Ph.D and more biomedical/biology skills to supplement my materials background. That led me to pursue a Master’s degree which helped me gain the skills that I still needed to transition from polymeric materials research into more biomedical research. Now I’m conducting biomedical engineering research as a Ph.D. student where I get to use both my materials background and biomedical training every day. After completing a Ph.D. I’ll be applying to R&D jobs related to biomaterial design and manufacturing. 

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

My Master’s degree in Macromolecular Science and Engineering communicates my in-depth specialization in polymers, while my thesis work during my Master’s shows my experience in applying these principles to biomedical applications. Without my Master’s degree, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue the opportunities that I am able to today. However, as an important note, I could have pursued comparable opportunities had I gone directly from BSE to Ph.D. 

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

During my time at Michigan as a graduate student, being involved in two organizations – the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Macro-ACS chapter – helped me find community, meaningful friendships, support, and so much advice that helped me during the program and while applying to Ph.D. programs. My advice is to find at least two mentors, one who is a few years ahead in your program, and another outside of your program but pursuing similar goals to yours. Their guidance will be valuable as you confront challenges and as you plan the next steps after graduation. 

I completed my undergraduate/graduate concurrent program at Michigan and knew that I wanted to continue doing research. I became interested in molecular biology and thought that having an engineering perspective might help me think about important questions in the field differently. I am now finishing up my PhD in molecular biology this month and will continue on in academia and hope to further diversify my skills as a postdoctoral research fellow in a more chemistry field. I have found basic science research extremely rewarding and I think that it is benefited by people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, views.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about different areas of research being conducted all over the University. 

(2.5 years) as a Scientist developing next generation materials for the 3D printing industry. (3 months – present) as an engineer supporting business growth for a separate 3D printing technology.

How does your Master’s degree differentiate you from others?

The Master’s degree helped by providing learning opportunities and time to explore new subjects that I started to get more interested in. My interests transitioned from my undergrad major, and the Masters degree provided personal improvement as well as benefits when finding my first job.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Take time to really learn what you like to do and what you are good at. Don’t be pressured into “checking off boxes” or chasing an opportunity that you don’t really want (aka job at a company just because it has a prestigious reputation) because it may look good on a resume. College is a time to really figure out what you want to do before you get hit by the demands of a full time job or graduate school.

I am a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. The time I spent at U-M working on research projects helped me to think independently which has contributed in a big way during my PhD experience

Advice to Students

The ACS Poly/PMSE U-M chapter was very interesting. I was also a part of Macro Outreach program and had some really nice experiences talking about polymers to middle and high school students.