Chemistry Careers in Industry:
I provocative opinion
Accent the Positive
I n discussions concerning t h e education of chemists, t h e question of "whether t o educate more chemists" is getting nearly a s much attention a s "how" a n d "what" t o teach1. Indeed t h e first recommendation i n t h e 1973 American Chemical Society Studyz reported i n "Chemistry i n t h e Economy," is t h a t supply-demand statistics be gathered o n chemists a n d chemical engineers i n order t h a t t h e chemistry profession avoid any i u t u r e oversupply of manpower. A corollary t o this suggestion is Recommendation $3 which suggestSsimilar statistics be taken i n connection with college enrollments a n d degrees granted i n chemistry and chemical engineering. W h a t these two recommendations imply-the coercion of young people into or out of t h e profession a s "need" dictates-seems pragmatically sound enough, h u t not altogether ethical. It is unfair a n d counterproductive t o discourage a student with a n enthusiasm for chemistry. Other recommendations4 a n d suggestions5 i n t h e same study which stress cooperation between industw a n d schools. a n d curricula which emphasize broad-based education' in chemistry, present moreAprofessional a n d oractical wavs of dealing with t h e question of who should study chemistry. anted, the- statistics would have their place. Perhaps when read by t h e aspiring chemist, they would make him aware of his competition.) T h e chemistry enthusiast ought to, for example, he counselled a s t o t h e promising careers for chemists outside t h e narrow classical chemical disciplines-careers i n areas such a s health a n d medicine, t h e environmental sciences. energy, forensics, agriculture, a n d materials science. Once a student has chosen a course of s t u d s i n chemistry, he should constantly be kept aware of t h e nature of chemistry outside t h e academic world. Getting back t o statistics, we see t h a t less t h a n 20% of t h e chemistry positions presently available are i n colleges a n d universities6. Most people who study chemistry will serve industry. I n college, students c a n see first h a n d what a n academic career would he like, a n d judge whether or not they wish t o vie for one. B u t what can college faculties d o t o acquaint students with industrial careers? T h e chemical industrialists themselves offer some views o n t h e subject7. T h e organization of "co-op" programs is probably t h e most serious or ideal type of endeavor cited. Engineers educated i n co-op schools have a reputation for being among t h e best -so similar programs m a y represent t h e ideal arrangement for t h e education of chemists. Some such workstudy programs for chemists, such a s one a t Northeastern University, are already reporting t h e benefits of cooperation between college a n d industrys. T h i s "ideal situation" for a college would require t h a t willing industries be i n close proximity, or t h a t t h e industry, school, or student b e able t o finance t h e relocation of t h e student. T h e absence of t h e ideal mav force alternatives for t h e professor who remains i n eainest about acauaintine students with t h e nature of work i n industw. 1ndust;ial chemist Calvin Moyer states To begin with, the most important preparation for an industrial career in chemistry is a good, solid foundation in chemistry. But a lot can he done to make this basic education exciting. In high school we learned about alchemists and phlogiston. We discussed such people as John Dalton, Avogadro, and Joseph Pries~
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tley. I think the history of chemistry adds much to the excitement of chemistry. However, how many college teachers (and how many student chemists), could name the six chemicals made in the largest quantities in the United States today? Or roughly, in what quantities these are made? At the top of the list is sulfuric acid at 63 billion paunds, then oxygen at 32 billion pounds, followed by 31 billion pounds of ammonia, 22 billion pounds of ethylene, 21 billion pounds of sodium hydroxide and 21 billion paunds of chlorine. We all recognize these chemicals and could write reactions involving each one, but why are they the hackbone of the chemical industry? Where did they came from? How are they made industrially today? Where do they go? What do they sell far? In a similar fashion, we might ask far the names of the five largest chemical companies and for their approximate dollar sales of chemicals. The top five chemical companies with almost 13 billion dollars in sales represent over one third of the total chemical sales far the top fifty chemical companies in the United States. These companies employ almost one-half million people. How many chemists and how many chemical engineers are employed by these companies, the chemical industry or industry in general in the United States? It would be easy to introduce these and other concepts of the chemical industry into chemical education at many levels. Chemistry laboratories could he given an industrial flavor. Instead of handing out an unknown base to he titrated with acid in order to determine its equivalent weight, students could he supplied with materials representing the alkaline effluent from a chemical process. They could he given three or four industrially available acids to neutralize these effluents. Industrial economics could easily be worked into the picture hy having the student determine the most economical of the seids used. With suitable student interest, a university course in industrial chemistry could grow out of these beginnings. Ronald Bond cites some specific subject matter areas which could be stressed i n a n industrial chemistry course o r integrated into existing courses. Instruction should be given in: (1) surface-aetiue chemistgvbecause the majority of chemical specialties deals in one way or another with "surfactants" or surface active compounds. The chemistry, classification, availability, uses, and limitations of these products could be taught. (2) polymer chemistry-because polymers are finding new uses; for example, they are replacing polluting compounds used in water treatment. (3) pallution con'Article condensed fram remarks made by industrial chemists during a symposium "Education of Chemists in the Southeast,'' University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia May 17, 1914. American Chemical Society, "Chemistry in the Economy," Washington, D.C., 1973, p. 5-6. aACS, loe tit., pp. 8. 4 ~ ACS. - -. - loc, cit... no. 9-11. 5 ACS, loc. cit., pp. 441-52. Chem, and Eng News, October 8, 1973. p. 28. Symposium program participants: Calvin L. Moyer of the Du Pont Company, Wilmington, Delaware; Hubert Bradley of Celanese Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina: Ronald Band of Bonco Manufacturing Corporation, Jefferson, Georgia; Leonard Spadafino of Tennessee Eastmen Company, Kingsport, Tennessee: Tommie Sue Curtis of the Monsanto Corooration. St. Louis. ~iisonri. a w e i s , K., Wiener, R N., and Karger, B. L., J . CHEM. EDUC., 50,408 (1973). x e
trol methods-in light of our emphasis on improving the environment and (4) writing-especially technical bulletins, registration of labels-with federal and state agencies, and in written cornmunicatians.
It seems that the chemical industry in general challenges chemistry faculties to teach speech and writing (for example, through oral exams, lab reports, seminar discussions, verbal reports, and topic papers). Moyer cited some related abilities (where teachability may even be questioned) which are essential to success in industry (1) team wark-since many problems in industry are of the magnitude or importance that more than one person may be assigned to a task. A chemist must be ahle to work with a task force and pull for the common goal of the group. (2) analytical obility-the ability to decide which info~mationto collect, and then to use it
in defining problems, deciding the significance of problems and deciding what to do to solve the problems. (3) ability to get the job done-knowing how much of a job has to be done. In industry, a chemist simply may not attempt to understand all the details of a process or wrap up all the loose ends; it is more important to get the primary job done in areasonable length of time.
The chemistry departments and individual instructors who find ways to give students broad-based instruction and acquaint them with the world of chemistry outside academia will no doubt he the ones who find their graduates making greatest contribution to society and the field of chemistry.
Brenda W. Hill University of Georgia Athens, 30602
Volume 52, Number 4, April 1975 /
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