WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018
Happy New Year! Hoping that 2018 brings many successes and opportunities to all of you!
When I reflect upon my career, there are a couple thoughts that come to mind: to work hard and “seize the day”. I feel thankful that I have been presented with many career opportunities. As a woman in the field of chemistry, I progressed as a research scientist, in business, as a research manager, and most recently here at Penn as Executive Director. These opportunities were due to hard work and demonstrated skills.
While I have been a part of many technical forums that were largely male, I always brought a specific skillset to offer and, likely as a woman, offered slightly different perspective from others in the room. I never hesitated to share my perspective and also did not hesitate to share successes which helped drive forward my own career growth.
With that said, I hope that all of you continue to grow in your research. Respectfully share your opinions and be comfortable in debate of those opinions. Finally, seize the day (take opportunities when afforded, continue to work hard and advocate for yourself)!
Kersten
Dr. Kersten Forsthoefel
Executive Director of Penn Chemistry