Successful Women in Chemistry - American Chemical Society

Chapter 25

Melissa V. Rewolinski, Director of Chemical Research and Development: A Career in Teamwork and Leadership

Downloaded by RUTGERS UNIV on December 31, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 28, 2005 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2005-0907.ch025

Rita Majerle Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104

Teamwork is essential for project success in industry. This profile illustrates how one woman has successfully gone from the individual project focus of graduate school to the role of industrial group leader. It also shows that chemistry is definitely a people-oriented career.

Melissa Rewolinski is a director and section leader of the IMI (Isomers, Metabolites, and Impurities) Group within Chemical Research and Development at Pfizer Global Research and Development in L a Jolla, California. She is responsible for supervising and training group members and is strongly involved in Pfizer's local and global recruiting efforts. The vision of a lone scientist in a lab carefully guarding his results is a far cry from reality for today's scientist. Melissa adds that teamwork drives industry. "Industry would not be successful i f there weren't common overall goals for their employees." Therefore, teamwork is a must. " A l l projects are approached by teams of people who have the success of the project as a comihon goal. However, within that, there is still plenty of opportunity for individual achievement. I think that the best companies to work for are going to provide opportunities in both areas. One important thing to note, however, is that when we are looking at candidates for positions within Pfizer, we have to see their capability for getting along with others (ability to work in a team environment) as well as scientific excellence. Scientific excellence alone will not get you a job."

© 2005 American Chemical Society

Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.

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Melissa V. Rewolinski (Courtesy ofJay Gould.)


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Education and Early Career Melissa was born in Georgia and grew up in Tennessee. Her father has a Ph.D. in history and studied theology and geography. Her mother holds a master's degree in health management. Although not the daughter of scientists, she grew up in a household where education was valued and knowledge for its own sake was important. Her first experiences with honors high school chemistry made it clear to her that this would be her career pathway. She had a special project in which she looked up the procedure and then synthesized acetaminophen (Tylenol). That was it for her. She was excited that, "I could make something that someone could take and make their life better!" Although she briefly entertained the idea of studying chemical engineering, it wasn't the direction that Melissa wanted to go. " M y favorite course was my first-year organic course," she stated. Organic chemistry, in particular synthetic organic chemistry, was the field she decided to pursue. Melissa attended Rice University in Houston and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in 1991, graduating Magna cum Laude. During her summer breaks as an undergraduate, she experienced industrial research first hand. As a sophomore she used optical and scanning microscopy to determine possible causes of polymer failure as a microscopy technician for Dow Chemical, in Freeport, Texas. The next summer, Melissa became a summer research chemist at Shell Development in Houston, synthesizing consumer chemicals and fuel additives. She returned to Rice University after her graduation to pursue her doctoral studies under the guidance of Professor Marco A . Ciufolini. Although her thesis involved the applications of 'ene' reactions to total synthesis projects, Melissa learned even more important and practical information. She credits Ciufolini with being a strong mentor as well as a good advisor. "I wasn't sure i f I wanted to pursue a career in academia or in industry," admits Melissa. Watching her mentor Ciufolini, she decided that although she enjoyed teaching, teaching was not as valued as proposal writing and obtaining grants in some institutions. She notes, "I didn't want to miss doing the science." From Houston, Melissa went north to join Pharmacia and Upjohn in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for an industrial postdoctoral appointment. As a member of the medicinal chemistry group, under the direction of Dr. Steve Tanis, she worked on the synthesis of biologically important alkaloids. It was an interesting experience being a member of a multidisciplinary team that studied mechanismbased disease targets. Melissa commented that, although taking a postdoctoral position is not an ideal way to get a position in the larger pharmaceutical firms, the economy at the time dictated her choice and in the long run it worked for her.


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Work and Life


Compromise is a necessity when pursuing a career and nurturing a growing family. "Balance is key," says Melissa Her family includes an active threeyear-old son and another child on the way. When asked i f she can "do it all", Melissa replied that compromise is an important part of being able to juggle work and family. Each individual, says Melissa, determines the definition of success. "I feel that I'm successful because I am making a difference. It's important to me that I make a difference in both my work and my family", she adds. When Melissa isn't working, she enjoys reading, jogging, traveling, sleeping, spending time with her family, and going to the beach.

Professional Development Mentoring has made a big impact in Melissa's life and career. Although she is not a part of a formal mentoring relationship in her current position at Pfizer, she credits Ciufolini and Tanis with being strong and helpful advisors in her career. Additionally, Melissa has found that networking is a very important part of career development. These connections inside Pfizer and throughout the profession are always valuable. Although time spent on professional development is at a premium, Melissa makes an effort to attend professional meetings such as a Gordon Research Conference on a yearly basis. Pfizer offers in-house courses and, when asked about a favorite, she replied that a course on organometallic chemistry by Jacobsen and Buchwald was right up there. Management short courses have also been helpful in her career path as she notes that she is "no longer a bench chemist" but has moved into a supervisory role. She also makes a point of updating her resume at least yearly. As a recruiter of Pfizer, she is in tune with the job market and recommends keeping an eye on the economy. When asked what was her favorite book, Melissa, with her full-time career and growing family, replied that Who Moved Mv Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, has been inspirational. It is a parable in which the characters find that consciously choosing to adapt allows you to take advantage of new possibilities. In a rapidly changing industry such as pharmaceuticals, adapting is a necessity. On a more philosophical note, Melissa says that a key part to growth is to take chances. A phrase that is posted near her desk sums it all up: "What would you do if you weren't afraid?"


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Final Thoughts


When asked what made a position in industry challenging and rewarding, Melissa replied, "It is always changing. There is a constant need to do things differently. Thinking outside the box in such areas as process technology for example and applying and using new methods like the use of enzymes and such is very exciting." Her advice to young women starting out is to be pro-active in your career development, to always think of where you want to be and then match that up with your plan on how to get there. "Be strong," she says. "Don't feel like you have to accept anything less than what is right and fair for you or for others around you."


Successful Women in Chemistry - American Chemical Society

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