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ProfessionalInterview

Dr.LydiaContreras
ChemicalEngineering

JoannaMcDonald
POEBlock4
InterviewbyPhone
Interviewdate:October18th,2015
Submissiondate:October29th,2015

GeneralInformation

a.)Intervieweename:
Dr.LydiaContreras
b.)Intervieweesspecificdegree:
ChemicalEngineering
c.)Intervieweesplaceofemployment:
UniversityofTexasatAustin
d.)Intervieweesprofessionalbusinessemailaddress:
lcontrer
@
che.utexas.edu
(phonenumberusedtoconductinterviewisaprivate
number)
e.)Howdidyoufindandmakeinitialcontactwiththisprofessional?
IfoundDr.ContreraswhenIwaslookingthroughUTAustinschemical
engineeringdepartmentonline,andthenIemailedher.

ProfessionalInterview
a.)Pleasedescribethefieldofchemicalengineering,ingeneral.
So,ChemicalEngineeringisprettybroad.Andtherearealotofpeopleworking
there.Somepeopleworkinpharmaceuticals,sortofmakingprocessesthatmakedrugs
cheaper,better.Alotofpeopleworkintheoilandgasindustries.Sortofmakingsure
thatthesamethingwith,youknow,oilandgas.Soessentially,sortofmakingbetter
productsorbetterprocessesthatcanhelpsocietyandpeoplewithbettertechnologies.
So,chemicalengineersarepeoplethatforexampletocoveraprocess,liketheaction,
theyneedtoreallybegoodtomakeendproducts.Chemicalengineersworryabout
makingprocesseswhereyoucanmakealotofproduct,anditactuallyworks.So,I
dontknowexactlyhowtoexplainthattoyou.So,theexamplethatIalwaysgiveto
youngstudentsisthatifyouweremakingalittlebatchoficecreaminyourhouse,and
allofasudden,thaticecreamisreallygood,andthewholeworldwantedit,youhaveto
figureouthowtomakeenoughicecreamfortheentireworld.So,cheap,youknow,
maintainthequality,figureouthowmuchenergynowyouneed,figureoutifyoure
gonnamakelotsoflittleprocesses,orifyouregonnahaveabigbatchoficecream.
Youknow,andthatchangesthewaythatyourproductcanbe.Sotofinishtheexample,
youhavetoturnalittlebatchintoalot.Itsoneofthemainspecialtiesthatchemical
engineershavetraditionallydone.But,theyalsoworkindiscovery,sothediscoveryof
newreactions,thediscoveryofnewmechanisms,andthatsmorewhatIdo.

b.)Whatisyourcurrentjobtitle?
Iamanassistantprofessor,sothatmeansthatImthesortoffirstlevelofthe
professorscale.

c.)Pleasedescribeyourparticularjobandduties.
Yeah,soIteach,Iteachundergrads,so,peoplethataregettingtheirBachelors
degree,andIteachgraduatestudentsaswell,Iteachagraduateclass.AndIalsoruna

researchgroup.SoIhavealaboratory.Yeah,soImrunningaresearchgroupofabout
15scientiststhatworkonprocesseshavingtodowithbiotechnology.So,sortof
thinkingupmechanisms,orwaysthatcertainbehaviorsunravel.Andthisishowwecan
betterdesignwaystodetecthowwerespondtoourmentalfunction,andstufflikethat.

d.)Whatisyouraverageworkschedule?
Well,haha,thatstricky.Imean,Isortofgotoworkat8,andIusuallyleave
around5or6,butthenIusuallyworkalotathome.Andyourealwaysreadingand
studyingandlearningaboutnewproblemsandthatswhatIthinkmakesthejobsortof
fun.Yourealwayskindofthinking,orcomingupwithnewideas,youknow,research
ideas.So,itsalotofwork.Itsalotofgood,funwork,youhavetoreallyenjoyit.Soa
lotofwhatIdoisbeingascientist,thinkingaboutproblems,reading,anddoingalotof
analysis,andcomingupwithways,orcreativewaystosolvetheproblemandtestingit
inthelab.Andthattakesalotoftime.

e.)Startingwithhighschool,describeyoureducationalbackground
chronologically.
IwenttohighschoolinNewYork,andIwasalwaysreallyattractedtothe
chemistryandthephysicsandthemath,soalotofitwasthere.AndIwentto
undergradatPrinceton,soIcouldhaveachemicalengineeringdegree.AndI
doublemajoredalsoin,sortof,biochemistry.AndIwenttogradschool,andwhenI
wenttogradschool,itwasgradschoolatCornell,IdidaPhD,sothatwasadegreein
chemicalengineering.AndthenIdidapostdoctoralattheDepartmentofHealthinNew
York.AndsothereIworkedwithdetectionandcriteria,socriteriathatequaldiseases.
Andtryingtocomeupwithwaysthatthecognitivediseases,sohowwecankindof
comeupwithwaysthatcan[helpbringpeopletohealth.](AfterthisIaskedheraboutif
sheworkedwithdiseasesandshetalkedaboutworkingwithdiseasesandbacteria
duringherpostdoc.yearandwithherresearchgroup.)

f.)Ifyouhadtodoitover,relatedtoyourcareeroreducation,wouldyoudo
anythingdifferently?
No,IlovewhatIdo.Itsreallyfuneveryday,atmyjob,Igettothinkaboutreally
interestingthingsorproblemsthatnobodyhassolvedbefore.So,Ireally,IlovewhatI
do,IreallylovewhatIdo.

g.)Whatadvicewouldyougivetomeassomeoneinterestedinpursuingacareer
pathsimilartoyours?
Well,justtostartaskingalotofquestionsandtrytofigureoutthebigpicture,so
thinkingabouthowacareerlikethatcanreallyhelppeoplearoundtheworld,anditcan
beveryinspirational.Becausetogetthedegree,youknow,itslotsofwork,itsalotof
hardstudying,studyingscience,math.Sometimesitgetshard,butyouknow,every
othercareergetshard.Soyouhavetoreallybeawarethatwhatyouredoingisreally
special,andhowithasareallybigimpactonhelpingpeople.Andjusttoaskalotof
questions,andwonderwhy?andhow?andwhyisthisbetter?andsortofchallenge
thewayyouseethingstechnologically.Thatsveryinspirational,thinkingofyourcareer.

PersonalReflection
a.)Whatsurprisedyoumostabouttheinterview?
Somethingthatsurprisedmewashowmuchsheenjoyedherjob.Icouldtellshehada
realpassionforwhatshedid,andevensaidthatshewouldnthavechangedathing,
whichgavemehopeformyownfuture.Shesaidthatherjobrequiredalotofworkand
constantlearning,butshedidntsayanythingnegativeaboutit.Alotofpeopleseemto
toleratetheirjobsevenwhentheyenjoythefieldtheyworkin,butIcouldtellthatDr.
Contrerashadpassionforwhatshewasdoing.Fromhearingthat,Ifeelmorepositive
aboutmycareer,becauseifIdowhatImpassionateaboutlikeher,Icouldbethat
happyandactuallylovemyjob.

b.)Whatwasthemostimportantpieceofinformationthatyoulearnedfromthe
interview?
ThemostimportantpieceofinformationIlearnedduringtheinterviewwashowmuchof
animpactchemicalengineeringhad,whichIdidntknowabout.Whensomethinglikea
vaccinationormedicinethatsomanypeopleneedismade,chemicalengineersdothe
workthatallowsthosetobeproducedinlargequantitiesquickly.So,chemical
engineerssavelives.Itmakesmethinkofwhensmallpoxwaseradicatedandalmost
theentireworldwasvaccinated.Itmusthavebeentheworkofchemicalengineersthat
helpedproduceallofthevaccinesthatsavedsomanylivesfromsmallpox,whichwasa
verydeadlydisease.Eventhoughitseemsobviouslyfalsenow,previously,Ithought
thatdoctorshelpedthemostpeople.Doctorsdohelpalotofpeople,butchemical
engineershelppeopleonamassivescale.IfIpursueajobinchemicalengineeringlike
Dr.Contrerashas,Icouldhelptheworld,whichIvewantedtodo,butwhiledoing
somethingthatImpassionateabout.

c.)Howhasthisinterviewinfluencedyourfeelingsaboutyourfuturecareer?
Thisinterviewhasmademefeelmorehopefulandconfidentaboutmycareer,because
IvenowmetsomeonewhohasbeenthroughcollegestudyingwhatIwanttostudy,and

doesthingsthatIwanttodo.SoIwasabletoseenotonlywhatthejobislike,buteven
moresohowsomeonefeelsaboutdoingthisjobeveryday.AndtohearthatDr.
Contreraslovesherjobsomuchandlearnsconstantlygivesmehope.Ipreviouslyfelt
unsure,butIfeelmuchmoreconfidentthatIllbeabletoliveahappylife,helppeople,
andenjoymyjob.InmyfuturecareerImightevenbeabletohelpanotherstudentlike
Dr.Contrerashashelpedme,yetanotherwaytohelptheworldthroughchemical
engineering.

d.)Howhasthisinterviewchangedorconfirmedyourplansregardingyourfuture
career?
Thisinterviewhaschangedandconfirmedmyplansregardingmyfuturecareer,
becauseIwaspreviouslyunsureifIwouldreallyliketostudychemicalengineering,but
fromDr.ContrerasexperiencesIbelievethatIdbesuccessfulinaneducationin
chemicalengineering.IthinkIwillgotocollegeandstudychemicalengineering,butIll
alsotakeclassesinthingsthatmademeunsureifIwantedtostudychemical
engineering,likecomputerscienceandart.ImnotsurewhatspecificjobIwouldliketo
pursue,butitwouldbeinterestingtobeinvolvedinaresearchgroupduringcollege,
somethinglikeDr.Contrerasruns.AndifIenjoyedthat,Imightliketodoresearch
duringmycareeraswell.ButtalkingwithDr.Contrerashassolidified,fornow,myplans
tostudychemicalengineering.

e.)Whatisthenextstepforyoutopursueyourplans?Whodoyouneedtotalk
to?Whatinformationdoyouneed?
FormetopursuemyplansIshouldworkhardinmymathandscienceclasses,
especiallychemistry.IthinkIllalsotakeAPchemistrynextyear,becauseImenjoyingit
alotalready,thisyear.Iwouldliketotalktomorechemicalengineersandseewhat
otherkindsofjobsareavailableinchemicalengineering.Iwouldliketotalktooneof
thementorsfrom1000Girls,1000Futuresandseewhattheysayaboutwhattheydo.I
wouldlikemoreinformationaboutthecareerandalsothedifferencesbetweenchemical

engineeringandchemistry.IhavereadbeforeaboutthedifferencesandIthinkthat
pursuingchemicalengineeringisabetterchoice,butIwouldliketoreadmoreaboutit.
Itcouldalsobefuntoparticipateinsciencecompetitionsinvolvingchemistry,suchas
TAME,orthesciencefair,whichIthinkIlldo.Iwouldlikemoreinformationand
experience,butIalsothinktheinformationIvebeengiventhroughthisinterviewhas
beeninvaluable,becauseIwouldntbeaskingformoreinformationwithoutlearning
fromDr.Contreras.

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