Career Ladder
Learn how chemists got their job
Dionne Hernández-Lugo
An openness to learning new things took this chemist from pharma to NASA
By Tien Nguyen
Jason Pontrello
This former professor does contract work from home as he raises 4 boys
By Giuliana Viglione
Amber Wise
This former chemistry professor is helping cannabis regulators make science-based decisions
By Britt E. Erickson
Vartika Joshi
Education and travel helped this Indian chemist build her career in the chemical industry
By Laura Howes
Catherine Goffinet
This Ben & Jerry’s flavor guru made a career out of her love of food and chemistry
By Arminda Downey-Mavromatis
Luis Martínez
This synthetic chemist is now teaching students to create companies rather than molecules
By Matt Davenport
Anne Mallaband
This English chemist worked in industry before moving to academia and European science policy
By Andrea Widener
Vy Dong
From first-generation college student to award-winning catalysis chemist
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Curtis Ho
Organometallics lecturer uses his calling as a Buddhist monk to help calm the stresses of academic life
By Melissa Gilden
Raluca Ellis
This chemist turned museum programmer is inspiring the next generation of scientists."
By Samantha Jones
Jonathan Schroden
This physical chemist turned defense analyst goes far with problem-solving and data-analysis skills
By Cici Zhang
Hannah Follis
This formulation chemist turned cosmetics entrepreneur whips up bold fragrances and daring lip colors
By Melissa Gilden
Andrew Davis
This polymer chemist puts his industry background to work preserving documents at the Library of Congress
By Arminda Downey-Mavromatis
Rebecca Robbins
Exploring industry led this former professor to a career as a color chemist at a confections company
By Linda Wang
Chloe Poston
This chemist carved a path away from the bench to become an expert on the scientific workforce
By Bethany Halford
Kabrena Rodda
This chemist and military academy grad found a varied career in national security
By Jyllian Kemsley
Yun He
Opportunities in academia and industry call chemist from China to the U.S.—and back again
By Jean-François Tremblay
Dana Garves
This bench chemist built her own business around the craft beer boom
By Craig Bettenhausen
Michele Ramirez-Weinhouse
This former pharma chemist got back to her roots at the only school on the Hawaiian island of Lanai
By Melissa Gilden
Regina Easley
This research chemist’s career took some unexpected turns before she fell for oceanography
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Paula Olsiewski
This chemist made the leap into biotech, then entrepreneurship and beyond
By Emma Hiolski
Michael Malaska
Mark Olson
Nonconventional career track leads supramolecular chemist from Texas to China
By Emma Hiolski
Mary O’Reilly
This science illustrator combines her passion for research with her love of art
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Kusai Merchant
A chance encounter at an ACS national meeting led this chemist to a career on Capitol Hill
By Linda Wang
Xiaoxi Wei
A fascination with organ transplantation inspired this ‘biohacker’ to cofound her own company
By Taylor C. Hood
Karen Goodwin
A passion for chemistry drove this one-time homemaker to become a tenured professor
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Warren Samms
Lynn Soby
Passion for addressing global problems led her to the helm of IUPAC, the "United Nations of chemistry"
By Jyllian Kemsley
James Schiller
A life-changing event plus encouragement led to a career in the pharma industry
By Taylor C. Hood
Michael Okoroafor
Polymer research took this packaging innovator from academia to industry
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Elliot Richman
A lifelong love of learning moved this chemist from lab bench to newsroom to classroom
By Ryan Cross
Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink
A love for science lit the path for this Science journal editor
By Taylor C. Hood
Angela Hoffman
Self-reliance and an unlikely start in teaching helped make Sister Angela Hoffman a standout educator
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Eric Breitung
Networking helped this industrial chemist transition into a career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
By Linda Wang
Joan Frye
Science fiction inspires physical chemistry professor turned NSF program director
By Alexandra A. Taylor
Salvatore La Rosa
Children’s Tumor Foundation vice president for R&D leaves behind music for a medicinal chemistry career
By Andrea Widener
Paul Dietze
Chemistry professor turned patent attorney says there’s life after being denied tenure
By Linda Wang
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