Credit:
Christine Brennan Schmidt
It has been almost 1 year since I was laid off from my job in the pharmaceutical industry. The Comment I wrote last year for C&EN was viewed by over 2,000 people, and my LinkedIn post about the article garnered over 36,000 impressions. Thank you for reading my Comment and sharing your feedback and personal notes.
This year, having benefited from time to reflect on my job loss, I would like to offer some reflections.
For those of you who have also experienced an unexpected career change, you are not alone. As more than a few friends said, “Welcome to the club.” I found that talking with people helped me immensely, whether I was dealing with practical questions about topics such as severance and benefits or needing some emotional support. Notes were taken, tears were shed, and hugs were received.
“In this year, I have also contemplated various paths forward for my career, whether that is continuing to work in a similar area, retiring, or transitioning to a new path.”
Being a member of the American Chemical Society community gives me valuable opportunities as a scientist, leader, and volunteer. As an active member of my local section, a member of the ACS Board of Directors, and, through and through, a chemist, I continue to learn, grow, and contribute.
Learning fresh science. My formal training is in organic chemistry; professionally, I am a medicinal chemist and expert in drug discovery, portfolio strategy, and business operations. This year, I broadened my scientific horizons by attending diverse symposia, including the inaugural Chemical Advances in Biomaterials and Therapeutics Symposium organized by the Materials Science Committee of the Northeastern Section of the ACS and the William H. Nichols Medal symposium organized by the New York Section of the ACS, recognizing Professor Mercouri Kanatzidis of Northwestern University. I came away with a new appreciation for electrochemistry, critical minerals, and the evolution of halide perovskite photovoltaics.
Serving ACS. As members of the ACS Board of Directors, we are chartered to “have, hold, and administer all the property, funds, and affairs of the Society.” The ACS Strategic Plan, which was recently updated and approved by the board, delineates the mission, vision, core values, and strategic goals of our society. Over the past 7 years as District I director, I have contributed on a strategic level to the ACS: I’ve chaired committees and served on working groups related to professional and member relations, industry, and international representation. Currently, I serve on the Board Standing Committee on Executive Compensation, where I help to crystallize ACS’s organizational objectives and provide input on the salary recommendations for the ACS Executive Leadership Team, and the Committee on Audits and Risk Management, where we independently provide oversight of ACS’s financial integrity, as well as risk management and compliance. It is satisfying to serve ACS and work to realize our vision.
Sharing insights and advice. I was delighted to be invited by Northwestern University Building on Diversity (NUBonD) to be their 2026 Faces of Science speaker. Over a day and a half, in addition to giving one medicinal chemistry talk and another on career perspectives, I met with many graduate students and faculty members. I learned about their research, toured the chemistry department, and thoroughly enjoyed being hosted by NUBonD, a terrific graduate student–led organization. Likewise, it was an honor to be the guest speaker at the Chicago Local Section monthly meeting honoring 50, 60, and 70-year ACS members. These are impressive milestones to recognize and celebrate. It was great fun to make new acquaintances and catch up with longtime friends and colleagues. I gave a short talk about my career and ACS journey and elicited a robust question and answer session.
With that, let me mention the ACS Speaker Directory. Do you enjoy giving talks? ACS members can join this network and offer to speak at events organized by ACS local sections, divisions, and international chapters. Potential topics depend on your areas of expertise and interest: sign up to speak about research, career development, or science for general audiences, for example.
Appreciating my ACS community. As I close, I wish to express my appreciation to the people: it comes down to you, members of the ACS milieu. You are volunteering as local section and international chapter leaders; organizing sessions at ACS regional, spring, fall, and topical meetings; and serving in divisions and committees. You are conducting and publishing research; you are discovering and developing new products; and you are educating and empowering scientists. You are building our vibrant ACS community. Thank you for sharing that with me during this journey.
Looking at next steps. In this year, I have also contemplated various paths forward for my career, whether that is continuing to work in a similar area, retiring, or transitioning to a new path. With these reflections and experiences, and the support of my ACS network, I will be poised to choose a path that works for me.
Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.
