IA02

            Derrick Ward graduated from Chatham University’s Green Chemistry program, and now works as a manager at Beyond Benign and a green chemistry based research journal. Before he worked in these positions, he had worked for the EPA. Derrick found that working for the government was very nice, but he found that he didn’t want to work in a lab his whole life. Leading people and using his problem solving techniques at Beyond Benign better fit his interests.

            Derrick found that being able to apply the knowledge that he learned in a lab setting would help him better understand the material, but he did suggest taking time to oneself to study.  He found the quiet study floor of the library to be really helpful, because it limited the amount of things that could distract him from his work. He would utilize the quiet study floor to study before he would meet up with a group to discuss the subjects. If he was able to relay the information that he retained to other people, then he knew that he truly understood the material. It is common that science majors have trouble communicating their finding with others as a result of lacking social skills. Derrick joined a competition for innovation with his fellow green chemistry peers in order to grow his debating and social skills. Joining a club or engaging in activities is a good way for a student to improve their people skills.

            In order to build a good resume in a science field, lab work is always a must. Derrick suggested taking unpaid lab jobs/ internships on off campus locations. He suggested going to off campus labs because they would be doing real experiments there instead of just preparing solvents for a lab group to use. In these scenarios, a student could get more real life experience in the workplace and learn new content.