Careers in Green Chemistry and Engineering Designed for Sustainable Use

Symposium Organizers: Madushanka Mevan Dissanayake, Technology Development Engineer, Intel Corporation, Natalie O’Neil, Director of Higher Education, Beyond Benign, and Juliana Vidal, Postdoctoral Researcher, McGill University

This symposium aims to fulfill an unmet need for a dedicated informative session focused on the numerous career paths available to students under the general umbrella of green chemistry and engineering. Simultaneously, this symposium would aim to demonstrate the benefits that a background knowledge in green chemistry and engineering has in the eyes of an employer. It is not uncommon for students involved in this community (and STEM fields in general) to be unaware of the value of their transferable experience, and the breadth of career options that are available to them after graduation.

By assembling a series of career path examples, this symposium would directly address students’ ubiquitous question of what career options are available to them, and how they might go about pursuing them. In addition, this careers-focused symposium would be intentionally composed of speakers that are willing to speak to students about careers, providing an additional networking opportunity for both the student attendees and the speakers themselves, especially from the perspective of potential employers. We would also welcome anyone in established careers with a curiosity to learn about the career paths that their colleagues have pursued, or mentors to students seeking resources.