Find Your Path: Unconventional Lessons from 36 Leading Scientists and Engineers

by Daniel Goodman

Overview

Scientists offer personal accounts of the challenges, struggles, successes, U-turns, and satisfactions encountered in their careers in industry, academia, and government.

This insightful book offers essential life and career lessons for newly minted STEM graduates and those seeking a career change. Thirty-six leading scientists and engineers (including two Nobel Prize winners) describe the challenges, struggles, successes, satisfactions, and U-turns encountered as they established their careers. Readers learn that there are professional possibilities beyond academia, as contributors describe the paths that took them into private industry and government as well as to college and university campuses. They discuss their varying preferences for solitary research or collaborative teamwork; their attempts to achieve work-life balance; and unplanned changes in direction that resulted in a more satisfying career. Women describe confronting overt sexism and institutional gender bias; scientists of color describe the experience of being outsiders in their field.

One scientist moves from startup to startup, enjoying a career of serial challenges; another spends decades at one university; another has worked in academia, industry, and government. Some followed in the footsteps of parents; others were the first in their family to go to college. Many have changed fields, switched subjects, or left established organizations for something new. Taken together, these essays make it clear that there is not one path to a profession in science, but many.

Contributors
Stephon Alexander, Norman Augustine, Wanda Austin, Kimberly Budil, Wendy Cieslak, Jay Davis, Tamara Doering, Stephen D. Fantone, Kathleen Fisher, David Galas, Kathy Gisser, Sandra Glucksmann, Daniel Goodman, Renee Horton, Richard Lethin, Christopher Loose, John Mather, Richard Miles, Paul Nielsen, Michael O'Hanlon, Deirdre Olynick, Jennifer Park, Ellen Pawlikowski, Ethan Perlstein, Richard Post, William Press, Beth Reid, Jennifer Roberts, Jessica Seeliger, David Spergel, Ellen Stofan, Daniel Theobald, Shirley Tilghman, Jami Valentine, Z. Jane Wang, Rainer Weiss

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780262537544
Publisher:	MIT Press
Publication date:	12/03/2019
Series:	The MIT Press
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Daniel Goodman is Director of Advanced Technology at ASM-NEXX, a Massachusetts-based company that produces semiconductor capital equipment, and a director of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, which provides graduate fellowships in applied science.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiii

How to Read This Book xv

I The Entrepreneurs

1 Love of the Unknown Sandra Glucksmann 3

2 A Lab of My Own Ethan Perlstein 11

3 A Mathematical Modeler Beth Reid 17

4 A Long-Standing Interest Christopher Loose 23

5 Start-Up or Large Venture Z. Jane Wang 33

6 A Company with Values Richard Lethin 39

7 A Bigger Picture Jennifer Park 47

8 Personal Connections and Serendipity Stephen D. Fantone 55

9 Tangible Products Kathy Gisser 65

10 From Health Care to Robotics Daniel Theobald 77

11 Adapting and Creating Daniel Goodman 83

12 My Dream Job Wanda Austin 91

13 From Outsider to Collaborator David Galas 103

14 Troubleshooter and Leader Norman Augustine 115

15 Learning Business by Finding a Market Richard S. Post 125

II The Academics

16 The Right Environment Jessica Seeliger 163

17 The Advantage of Not Fitting In Stephon Alexander 163

18 The Long Way Round Kathleen Fisher 173

19 A Flash of Inspiration Tamara Doering 183

20 A Change of Direction Michael O'Hanlon 193

21 An Unfair Advantage David Spergel 203

22 Solving Puzzles Shirley Tilghman 211

23 Communicating and Computing William H. Press 221

24 Always Experimenting Richard Miles 229

25 A Mentor and a Dream Rainer Weiss 239

III The Public Servants

26 Improving the Situation Jennifer Roberts 255

27 Reclaiming My Dream Renee Horton 265

28 Choosing a Balanced Life Jami Valentine 279

29 Flexibility and Change Deirdre Olynick 291

30 Risks, Leaps, and a Support Network Kimberly Budil 301

31 Pioneering Gender Equality Wendy R. Cieslak 307

32 Disappointments and Successes Ellen Stofan 319

33 Breaking Barriers and Leading Teams Ellen Pawlikowski 327

34 Engineering a Leader Paul Nielsen 339

35 Vision and Teamwork John Mather 349

36 Quiet Science and Nuclear Threats Jay Davis 359

IV Summary

Life and Career Lessons: Learning from Lives, Views, and Stories 371

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Find Your Path offers a compelling look at the careers paths of 36 scientists today. This book is a must-read for graduate students wondering “What's next?” or for anyone interested in understanding the challenges and opportunities in pursuing a career in science.”

—Miriam Gamoran Sherin, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, Northwestern University

“Throughout life, important people and choices will shape your career more than raw academic aptitude. As described in these 36 different and wonderful life stories, a wealth of career opportunities awaits those who are able to understand this important life lesson.”

—Woodward Yang, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Harvard University and Founding Faculty Director of the Harvard Master in Design Engineering Program

“Find Your Path is an inspiring and enlightening read. STEM role models are the best way for all of us to learn about how we can make a difference in the world.

—Derek Lidow, former CEO of International Rectifier and author of Building on Bedrock

“Goodman has captured a compelling set of career stories from a fascinating group of scientists and engineers. These diverse innovators and leaders are models for us all, with their tales of challenges and triumphs, perseverance and risk taking, and plain good and bad luck.

—Roger Falcone, Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley

Editorial Reviews

An absorbing volume.—TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION—

It's the simplicity of the concept and the richness of the monologues that make Find Your Path such an inspiring read. Don't be put off by the title – this isn't one of those trivial airport self-help manuals. It's an important work of required reading for anyone starting on a career at the cutting edge of technology.

—E & T MAGAZINE—

From the Publisher