Connecting the Dots: Interdisciplinary Relationships Case Study in

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Connecting the Dots: Interdisciplinary Relationships Case Study in 21st Century Global Workforce Angela Phillips Diaz* Executive Director, Government Research Relations, Office of Research Affairs, University of California San Diego, Room 237, 1608 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036, United States *E-mail: [email protected].

Working, studying, and conducting research globally is a 21st century paradigm. The foundation for the successful navigation of this paradigm is building and sustaining relationships. Over the past two decades, my career has been an intersection of science and technology (S&T) and policy spanning government, higher education, and non-profit sectors locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Each experience, grounded in programmatic knowledge, was enabled through relationship building vertically and horizontally. This paper highlights key professional and educational experiences as a potential roadmap for students and aspiring, young, mid- and late career professionals. These experiences demonstrate the powerful impact of an interdisciplinary context with a solid underpinning built upon relationships. Success and impact are characterized through an interdisciplinary toolkit: Agility, Balance, Collaboration, Diversity, Integrity, Respect, and Teamwork. Key knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success in this global science, technology, and innovation (STI) enterprise are not relegated solely to proficiency in a single field. Higher education in collaboration with government, industry, non-profits, and professional societies has the means to accelerate the STI global readiness of aspiring and current professionals by offering a safe environment that engages

© 2016 American Chemical Society Cheng et al.; Chemistry without Borders: Careers, Research, and Entrepreneurship ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016.

them in real world issues and encourages learning through fundamental and innovative techniques. Each of us has our own story that comprises success, failure, doubt, courage, gratitude, and inspiration. The challenge and the opportunity is how do we translate these experiences to guide and inspire our global workforce to be the exemplar for competitiveness and impact?


Introduction There are a number of diverse interdisciplinary relationships that exist between science, technology, and policy. My career is a testament to the diverse areas one can have an impact through science and technology work. I have served the U.S. government by working for the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Air Force, the Department of Justice, NASA, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. I have also held leadership roles in higher education at the University of California Riverside and Purdue University and non-profit organizations including the California Council on Science and Technology and the ARCS Foundation. In all of these endeavors, I was leading or guiding teams engaged in transnational work focused on science and technology. These experiences both nationally and internationally have shaped my career in profound ways, particularly through the relationships I formed. With every career change, I acknowledged that I was training for something – even if I did not know what it was at the time. One of the most important relationships to me was the one I shared with Dr. Mario Molina. Dr. Molina is a Chemistry Nobel Laureate awarded in 1995, serves on the President’s Committee of Advisors in Science and Technology (PCAST), earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, and has been a member of the American Chemical Society for 45 years. He is a scientist-activist, melding science with public policy, and developed and helped pass the Montreal Protocol. In Dr. Molino’s own words: “I also made the decision that it was not enough to just do the science, but it was important to try to do something about it, which meant to worry about the policies issue, to try to influence the way society functions, and to actually have society respond to this problem. I felt that there was a certain responsibility of scientists to do just that, which was not yet a generally accepted view. Some other colleagues thought we should simply report what we find, wash our hands, and let the politicians do the job...” I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Molina on PCAST in the 1st Clinton term and since then he has always been open and accessible to me and many others.

Interdisciplinary Toolkit I believe each of us can improve ourselves by challenging both ourselves and our friends and colleagues to be more competitive academically and professionally. The important message is that we need to have the right knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a given job. Take a chance when we have to. Above all, build relationships. 44 Cheng et al.; Chemistry without Borders: Careers, Research, and Entrepreneurship ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016.


While I was at Purdue’s Global Policy Research Institute, they defined interdisciplinary as having a team with science or engineering, economics, and social science expertise. The interdisciplinary toolkit involved several key elements: agility, balance, collaboration, diversity, integrity, respect and teamwork, or “ABC DIRT”. These skill sets are invaluable across many fields, within government, academia, industry, and non-profits. The phrase “ABC DIRT” was first coined by NASA Goddard Center Director Al Diaz and became the value- based management principles during his term as Center Director. Agility: Agility is defined as intellectual acuity or the ability to think and draw conclusions quickly. My work at NASA in Congressional relations taught me that whenever I received or heard a report, I asked myself immediately, “So what? ”It is useful to quickly grasp the issues and visualize the impacts or the implications. Balance: I like this quote from Susan Hackwood, Executive Director for the California Council on Science and Technology that emphasizes the importance of balance and being able to pivot: “Making decisions on many science- andtechnology-related policies involves balancing many pros and cons, some of which may not be fully understood, and a long-term view that isn’t always easy to sell to a public who want quick results.” Over the years I have worked with faculty, administrators, and innovators fostering state-of-the-art science and technology research that would be melded with policy. This business is not neat and tidy, and there is a lot of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity. It requires sound data, perseverance, and, oftentimes, interdependent and inclusive solutions. Collaboration: During the process of amending the Iran Non-Proliferation Act of 2000, I faced a complicated scenario of NASA vs. everyone else, agency vs. agency, economic security vs. national security, foreign policy vs. domestic policy, administration vs. legislative branches of government. The success ultimately came from relationships – long standing ones built on trust and individuals with the courage to build on their own relationships to broker legislation that met all parties’ needs, and not necessarily their wants. Diversity: One of the highlights of my service at Purdue University was working with Dr. Arden Bement (former NSF and NIST Director) and Dr. France Cordova (former President of Purdue and current NSF Director). Together, they launched the Global Policy Research Institute with the aim to bring “fresh new ideas to education and research.” One way they did this was through the Global Policy Research Seminar course -- a cross listed, interdisciplinary leadership course focused on the nexus of S&T policy and grand challenges facing the globe. This course provided students from a variety of backgrounds an opportunity to work together on teams to address grand challenges ranging from agriculture and biodiversity to health and bioengineering to national security and cyber infrastructure. Integrity: At the end of the day, integrity and ethics are foundational values that will always serve us well. Being authentic builds trust which results in sustained relationships. This holds true when we deal with people domestically or internationally, whether it be through collaborations or negotiations. Respect: I believe respect has many dimensions, and being aware and understanding of others is one aspect. When I was at NASA Headquarters, often I was the only woman in the room. It was important to have the respect of others 45 Cheng et al.; Chemistry without Borders: Careers, Research, and Entrepreneurship ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016.


and in turn show respect for one’s colleagues. Every person brings a different “lens”, perspective, and expertise to the table. The alternative view or devil’s advocate can be very powerful in reaching the best solution. Although at the time it may seem tedious or off task, being respectful and encouraging all views in communication could be the difference between a successful shuttle launch or a tragedy. Teamwork: While I worked on the International Space Station Crew Code of Conduct, relationships and trust were critical. NASA had cold-war adversaries now sitting across the table trying to craft a document that was useful and viable for both parties when they fly to the International Space Station. They had put aside their “history” to some extent and worked together as a team, looking to the new world of partnerships. Teamwork in this situation was critical to success.

What Should You Do? Dr. Suzanne Bart of Purdue University, a 2015 Rising Star Award Winner, discussed inspiration as it related to her innovative approach to teaching freshmen engineering students: “Making science approachable by removing the fear and intimidation from both the subject and the instructor shows students that anyone who wants to … can study STEM fields and learn to think critically and solve problems… help diversify student populations and workforces, and bring fresh new ideas to education and research.” Up and coming “stars” like Dr. Bart as well as seasoned professionals who are generous coaches and mentors provide the encouragement and inspiration that we all need at various points in our lives. ACS has many active and involved members. I would like to ask ACS members one question: What actions will you commit to take over the next 100 days to help yourself, a colleague, a student, or a mentee to be academically or professionally more competitive in today’s global workforce? As you prepare to take your actions, remember the toolkit (ABC DIRT). Take a chance when needed. And build relationships!

Conclusions Many years ago, it was possible to become successful by focusing on a single field of study. In the complex and rapidly changing world today, the old model is frequently insufficient. Students today need to have a greater awareness of global trends and broadly based training in order to be successful in their careers. Higher education in collaboration with government, industry, non-profits, and professional societies has the means to accelerate the global readiness of aspiring and current professionals by offering an environment that can engage them in real world issues and encourages innovative instructions. The case study that I presented in this article hopefully provides inspiration to younger colleagues or students to seek opportunities, take chances when needed, and to build relationships. 46 Cheng et al.; Chemistry without Borders: Careers, Research, and Entrepreneurship ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016.


I would like to end this article with a quote from Ei-ichi Negichi, 2010 Nobel Laureate, from his speech at the Nobel banquet on December 10, 2010: “The final reward for any researcher is to see his or her lifetime of work extend beyond academia and laboratories, into the mainstream of our global society where it can breathe hope into the world. … Our pursuit in research must not be for rewards. Our pursuit in whatever we do must always be for excellence, and if we accomplish excellence, it is its own reward and recognition will follow. …”

47 Cheng et al.; Chemistry without Borders: Careers, Research, and Entrepreneurship ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2016.

Connecting the Dots: Interdisciplinary Relationships Case Study in

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