Report
Preparing Analytical Chemists for Industry
T
raditionally, undergraduate training of chemists has included core courses in quantitative analysis and instrumental analysis, which provide a strong foundation in basic chemical theory. In a recent study of doctoral education in chemistry, a task force examined the training provided by chemistry graduate school curricula. Although it recognized that students receive a strong fundamental foundation in science, the task force concluded that students need more preparation to "apply their knowledge and other abilities in concert with others to the best advantage of a team; to effectively communicate objectives, strategies, and results to others"; and "to foster creativity, flexibility, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills" (1). We agree! As the turn of the century approaches, chemists in general and analytical chemists in particular will need a
Thomas M. Thorpe A l a n H. U l l m a n Procter & Gamble 0003-2700/96/0368-477 A/$12.00/0 © 1996 American Chemical Society
in newly graduated analytiAcademia can help derdeveloped cal chemists. These nascent but missing skills, if incorporated into academic proanalytical chemists grams, will enhance the likelihood of a student's success in a challenging and acquire the fulfilling industrial career. We will also review short courses, undergradunontechnical skills briefly ate and graduate programs, and opportufor curriculum development that that are needed for nities can provide training in industrially orisuccess in industrial ented analytical science. Differences between industry careers and academia
broader range of technical and nontechnical skills to start successful industrial careers. These skills need to be developed at the undergraduate and graduate levels. How will the gap between the academic training of analytical chemists and the skills required of those in industry be closed? In this Report, we will explore the differences between academia and industry and identify the kinds of skills needed by industrial scientists that are often un-
Analytical chemistry in industry is fundamentally different from that in a university. Industrial scientists focus on solving real-world problems (often several at a time) quickly with the resources at hand and collaborate with teams of chemists and engineers who may be located throughout the world (2). Each problem has important yet distinct economic, safety, regulatory, and technological innovation criteria by which success is measured. Consequently, the scientist must be flexible and prepared to approach each
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Report problem as a unique challenge. In conable, approach. An elegant answer delivtrast, most newly minted Ph.D. recipients ered too late is useless. have completed an individual basic reIn college or graduate school, working search project that they worked on by with a friend on homework or an exam is themselves for two to three years, with usually considered cheating. With some little expectation that the end product exceptions, teamwork is not the norm in would be more than a thesis, a publishthe university, and research projects are able peer-reviewed manuscript, or, in usually individual efforts, with collaborasome instances, a patent. tion focused between the student and the Analytical chemists in industry are there professor. In industry the opposite is true. for one purpose: to advance the business of Teams of scientists and engineers work on most projects, and it is common for a the company. The satisfaction of a compachemical engineer, a process control enginy's customers is their primary considerneer, an analytical chemist, an organic ation. Whether the company sells a railcar chemist, a project manager, and a toxicolof glycerine, a bar of soap, or prescription ogist to collaborate. Each of these technipharmaceuticals, each product must meet cal professionals contributes expertise the expectations and specifications of the and experience to the total program, and customer. If the company is improving a their input often crosses into the technical chemical manufacturing process, the anaareas of other team members and enlytical chemist and the rest of the team are hances the end result. Effectiveness in a expected to deliver a process that is less expensive, easier to operate, and produces more or better products, frequently all at the same time. For the analytical chemist, these goals provide clear focus on the application of skills to the improvement of the process with little opportunity or need to explore its scientifically interesting aspects. Whether we like it or not, industry is becoming more focused on short-term results. Basic research with a 5- to lOyear outlook is disappearing, according to reports in the popular press. Quarterly results are closely watched by investors, the corporate board of directors, and the CEO. Product and process improvements have specific timetables, and these are rarely set at a leisurely pace. Developing an analytical method in support of a new product or regulation cannot be a two-year project. Industrial analytical chemists don't have time to invent new techniques to solve problems. Method development usually takes place only in the research department of the company. An analytical chemist working on a problem must use the tools available in or around the lab. Given a choice between two approaches, both of which could provide the needed information, the chemist will use the one that is most available. If time permits, other company resources may be sought, or the samples may be taken to an outside contract lab or occasionally to a university. Sometimes the ideal technique is unavailable and the analytical chemist will choose to use an available, but less desir478 A
The industrial chemist must sift through information and identify what is valuable.
global team-oriented environment relies heavily on the industrial analytical chemist's skill in communicating with colleagues from different technical disciplines and cultures. Undergraduate and graduate student research projects generally have a single goal, and work is often done in a linear, step-by-step fashion. In industry, we seldom have the freedom to address only one project at a time. In addition to preparing this manuscript and completing the company's mandatory writing projects, each of us has projects under way with at least five different internal customers. Learning to juggle projects without letting any of them crash is an important skill that isn't sufficiently taught in school. What industry needs
In addition to a thorough, broad, and in-depth knowledge of analytical chemistry, industry expects analytical chemists
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, August 1, 1996
(indeed, all employees) to possess other skills. These include good oral and written communication skills, thoroughness, and the ability to work with others, set clear goals and objectives, take the initiative, and use and manage ideas and information (3). In industry, as in much of life, communication skills are of paramount importance. Effective communication is needed not just for presentations at internal and external meetings and symposia, but also to sell ideas to managers who may or may not be technically trained. An industrial scientist must be able to translate hypotheses, data, results, experimental programs, and ideas into terms mat nonchemists will clearly understand. Good communication skills are also needed to work effectively with government agencies, suppliers, and customers with varying educational and technical backgrounds. Industrial scientists and engineers spend a significant portion of time writing periodic reports that summarize their work, proposals justifying the purchase of instruments or suggesting research programs, development plans and appraisals for themselves and their subordinates, analytical reports, and memos. Each document must be written to convey conclusions, recommendations, and technical information to the target audience in ways that they clearly understand. The ability to work well on project teams, with other department or lab members, and with management is critical to effectiveness in industry. The corporate world is multinational, multidisciplinary, multiracial, and multi-anything-else-youcan-think-of! Success depends on effective collaboration with all of these people. The ability to establish clear goals and objectives and then take the initiative to reach them is an important skill. The analytical chemist must set "stretching" goals, in which limits and abilities are pushed and tested, and then meet them in a timely fashion. Learning to set priorities is extremely important, especially in light of the multitasking aspect of industrial life. Critical projects must be recognized and moved to the top of the list, and less important work must be moved lower on "to-do" lists and returned to later as they become more important. Tasks of little business value must be weeded out and eliminated.
In this age of information overload, the industrial analytical chemist needs to develop strategies and skills to sift through and identify precious nuggets of valuable and actionable information from among the mass of ideas, interesting information, and trivia that flow across the desk through journals, memos, e-mail, the Internet, the telephone, and the fax machine. It is important to draw proper conclusions from the information and then act on them. The ability to learn from others, the literature, and one's own work— including mistakes—is a valued skill. Problem solving: The core of analytical chemical science
Why are these skills useful to industry? Industry needs these skills to solve problems, which is also the chief reason industry values analytical chemists. We are problem solvers. We use analytical thought processes, specialized knowledge of analytical and physical measurement techniques, and our broad training in organic, inorganic, physical, polymer, environmental, and biochemical sciences to characterize chemical systems in qualitative and quantitative terms. Well-trained analytical chemists often tackle problems by using some or all of the Figure 1 . The problem-solving steps in Figure 1. Unfortunately, few acaprocess. demic chemistry programs have curricula designed to include problem solving. New graduates entering industry often have little foundation in the critical skills required for cal disciplines approach industrial probthe job. Successful analytical chemists delem solving. These scientists and engivelop problem-solving skills on their own, neers are usually enthusiastic about depractically without realizing the process scribing the work they do, and these involved. Teaching problem-solving concontacts open future opportunities for cepts and skills is the single most important plant tours, internships, summer emthing the universities can do to enhance ployment, collaborative research with their students' careers. faculty, and possibly future full-time emThis is hardly a new concept. As Gras- ployment for students. selli stated about 20 years ago, "Although Faculty should encourage students to the problems will change, the problemattend, and even take students to, approsolving method will not" (4). The ability to priate short courses offered in their area. solve problems extends beyond analytical The ACS Younger Chemists Committee chemistry, and the approach is applicable Road Shows make appearances in many to any problem encountered in life. different parts of the country, and some companies sponsor short courses that To obtain a different perspective on they will take to campuses on request by approaches to industrial technology, chemistry department faculty. For examchemistry faculty should invite some of ple, Procter & Gamble sponsors an industheir engineering faculty colleagues and local industrial scientists to guest lecture trial analytical chemistry short course of in a course. This can provide a revealing this type that has been presented more than 75 times in 46 locations. contrast about the ways different techni-
An obvious, challenging, and interesting kind of analytical chemistry problem solving found in industry involves investigating customer complaints (5, 6). It is unfortunate that too few problem-solving articles like these appear in journals, because problem solving is a large part of most analytical chemists' jobs. Typically, the problems described in these articles have a clear focus or goal and are worked through in much the way Sherlock Holmes would solve a murder mystery. For example, in "What Caused the Drums to Bulge?" (6), the scheme shown in Figure 1 was used systematically to solve the problem. Professors should look for more opportunities to pose such problems to students and teach the method as well as the techniques. In the short course that we teach (7), fully half of our time is spent on the problem-solving method and actual industrial problems, and our students (mostly undergraduates) react enthusiastically! More intensive short courses are also available to students. The University of Alabama offers a three-week course between the spring semester and summer school (8) during which 15 local companies provide guest speakers or permit site visits. Students are exposed to the breadth of career opportunities in industry (sales, consulting, plant management, a private analytical lab, and a company analytical lab) and different kinds of industry (industrial gases, water treatment, petrochemicals, rubber, paper, petroleum refining, and solid waste treatment). Students and faculty should take advantage of local, regional, and national conferences in their area and seek out poster sessions, instrument exhibits, and talks that emphasize industrial problems. Don't discount the conferences of nonchemistry groups such as the Instrument Society of America and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Problem solving as part of the curriculum
In addition to using real problems found in the literature as examples in lecture and lab work, instructors should contact colleagues in forensic, clinical, and industrial labs to seek out real problems that can be used to convey both the approach and the techniques. Students should par-
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Report ticipate in, and faculty should encourage or require, internships in the laboratories of local companies. These might be summer programs, of which there are many, or they may be programs designed for a portion of the academic year. Faculty should develop a course with general industrial chemistry content or industrial analytical topics, making use of local industrial scientists for parts of the course, and use it not only to teach problem solving and the chemistry of industrial science, but also to expose the students to the wide variety of industrial activities. Industrial science is an amazingly broad field—in our company alone, scientists routinely deal with technical matters related to the development and manufacture of detergents, soap, shampoo, over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages, paper, and cosmetics. Each of these product areas depends on rich and diverse technical capabilities. Keep in mind that industrial chemists do more than lab work. Chemists are involved in regulatory work, sales, patent law, information management, production, and process analytical chemistry (9-11). Students can explore these areas within the framework of a course on industrial chemistry that encompasses guest speakers, face-to-face contacts with professionals working in these areas, and preparation of research papers. Undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize industrial chemical science are becoming increasingly available and should be considered by students as they look at options for college or advanced education. For example, the undergraduate industrial chemistry program at Michigan Technological University (12) incorporates chemical engineering course work into the curriculum, including unit operations, process evaluation and design, and industrial organic and analytical chemistry. Additional training in areas of specific interest to industry is also offered. Among graduate programs, the doctor of chemistry (D.Chem.) program at the University of Texas-Dallas (13,14) requires three practica, one of which is industrial and requires each student to spend about a year working on a real problem and writing it up in the company's normal reporting style. The D.Chem. 480 A
program also includes specific courses on computers, communication techniques, problem solving, and principles of industrial chemistry. Students completing the D.Chem. degree have successful and rewarding careers in a variety of chemical industries. Other advanced degree programs with an industrial emphasis are offered by Lehigh University, Northeastern University, and the University of Texas-Arlington (15). Universities with large industrysponsored research consortia also provide opportunities for broader contact with industrial science through courses, internships at sponsor companies, and contact with sponsor-company personnel at meetings on campus. Several such research consortia—including the University of Washington's Center for Process Analytical Chemistry, the University of Tennes-
Teaching problem-solving skills is the most important thing universities can do for students' careers. see's Measurement and Control Engineering Center, Tufts University's Center for Field Analytical Studies and Technology, and Iowa State University's Center for Nondestructive Evaluation—are oriented toward analytical chemistry and worthy of consideration by the prospective graduate student. "The mission, should you choose to accept i t . . . " Analytical chemists are problem solvers— this is the special skill they bring to industrial employers. Therefore, new analytical scientists must understand how problem solving in industry differs from that encountered in their academic training, then build a repertoire of tools to address those differences effectively. Faculty must also understand these differences and develop strategies to provide their students (who are their customers) with sufficient train-
Analytical Chemistry News & Features, August 1, 1996
ing in these industrially relevant skills to improve the likelihood that these new graduates will develop into successful industrial scientists. We are convinced that many companies are willing to join in partnerships with their academic colleagues to shift the paradigm for training analytical scientists. References (1) ACS Presidential Task Force on the Study of Doctoral Education in Chemistry. "Are We Matching Ph.D. Supply and Demand?"; CHEMTECH1996,26,8. (2) Thorpe, T M. "Industrial Analytical Chemistry: The Eyes, Ears, and Handmaiden to Research and Development"; / Chem. Educ. 1986, 63,237. (3) Logan, T. J. "Making Yourself Marketable as a Ph.D. Scientist"; In Chemistry 1991, 7,6. (4) Grasselli, J. G. "Teaching Analytical Chemistry: Real World News"; Anal. Chem. 1977,49,182 A. (5) Sevenants, M. R; Sanders, R. "Anatomy of an Off-Flavor Investigation: The 'Medicinal' Cake Mix"; Anal. Chem. 1984, 56, 293 A. (6) Thorpe, T.M. "What Caused the Drums to Bulge?"; Anal. Chem. 1984,56,603 A (7) DePalma, R. A; Ullman, A. H. "Professional Analytical Chemists in Industry: A Short Course to Encourage Students to Attend Graduate School";/ Chem. Educ. 1991,65,383. (8) Gumprecht, D. L; Trasher, J. S. "Industrial Chemistry: An Intensive Short Course Made Possible Through the Cooperation of Area Chemical Industry"; /. Chem. Educ. 1990, 67,321. (9) "I Know You're a Chemist, But What Do You Do?"; thepHilter 1982,15, 6. (10) Merrell, P. H. "The BS Chemist in Industry";/ Chem. Educ. 1985,62, 734. (11) Friesen, R. "What Can I Do with My Chemistry Degree?"; CHEMTECH 1989,19,136. (12) Bates, D. K.; Ponter, A. B. "Industrial Chemistry at Michigan Tech";/ Chem. Educ. 1985, 62,745. (13) Melton, L A. "The Doctor of Chemistry Program: Career Preparation for Industrial Chemists";/ Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 142. (14) Melton, L A. "Preparing Problem Solvers"; CHEMTECH 1992,22,162. (15) Melton, L A. "The Doctor of Chemistry: An Academic Program for Industrial Chemists"; Today's Chemist at Work 1995,4,30. Thomas M. Thorpe is a section head in the cosmetics and fragrances division of Procter & Gamble in Hunt Valley, MD. Alan H. Ullman is a technology leader in the global engineering division of Procter & Gamble. Address correspondence about this article to Ullman at Procter & Gamble, Winton Hill Technical Center, 6300 Center Hill Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45224.
