What I Do I work at Procter & Gamble in Beauty Research & Development. I am in Product Design, designing new formulations and manufacturing processes for new the world Beauty Products. Although I work in R&D, I partner with our manufacturing plants to scale-up and start-up new manufacturing processes and lines, including new to the world equipment and products. I have worked across a variety of different Beauty Products, including Shampoo and Conditioner, Body Wash, Fine Fragrances, and Skin Cream.
Why Engineering? Most of my family are engineers from Purdue. I grew up loving Science & Math (AP Chemistry and Calculus) and being very hands building things, gardening, cooking. I loved to learn the "science" of how things worked, from understanding how to make whipped cream to pH adjustments in soils in the garden. My strong family influence and love of science made me choose engineering.
My Day At Work My job is very hands on. I spend a lot of my time in the lab performing product analysis or making small scale batches, or in our pilot plant manufacturing lines working on defining process specifications to meet product quality. My job is living the scientific method: generating Hypothesis and Learning Plans to test those hypothesis, executing the tests, Evaluating and Analyzing the results, and generating next hypothesis and learning tests.
Best Part The best part of my job is learning new things every day. There isn't a text book about how to formulate or manufacture Beauty Care Products. It's a new science that is constantly changing with new ingredients, industry trends, and sustainability, which makes every challenge new and unique with new problems that haven't been solved before. As a Principle Scientist, I often get to coach, mentor, and teach new engineers when they join the company. It is such an honor to see the next generation of engineers grow and learn, and achieve their own personal career milestones and products on shelf.
Proud Moments Working in Consumer Products, I get to see my products on the shelf at stores. It is so inspiring walking down a store aisle and being able to say "I am on the patent for that Shampoo", or being able to read the back of a label and know what all the ingredients are and their function in the product. I was also fortunate enough to work in London, England for 3 years with P&G to design new Fine Fragrance manufacturing processes. It was a wonderful opportunity for my career and my personal growth to live overseas and experience a different culture.
Challenges A lot of times we "don't know what we don't know" until something fails. For example, a product can change color or odor over time, or a skin cream can phase separate. When we work on new formulations and product forms that are new to the world, it is very difficult to anticipate all the issues that are going to arise because it's never been done before. At work, we learn as we go and we celebrate "failure" as a chance to learn and adjust so we can succeed. In my daily job, we rely on first principles in Engineering (physics and chemistry) to make hypothesis, but in general there is no text book or laws for what we are doing. It can make R&D very frustrating at times.
My Family My husband is also an Engineer (Masters in Mechanical Engineer) at GE Aerospace. We met in Cincinnati after college via a mutual friend (another engineer). I have two children, a 3 year old daughter and a 6 year old son. Working full time can be difficult and require choices, both at work and at home. My favorite part of my day is seeing my kids when I get home, but also getting to work in the morning to do job :)
Dreams and Goals I aspire to have a long career at Procter & Gamble in R&D. After retirement, I would love to become a STEM teacher, either for high school or community college.
Want to be an Engineer? Engineering is all about critical thinking (applying the scientific method) to solve problems. It can be very hard and challenging at times, and can feel very deflating or frustrating when you don't know the answer or the solution to a problem. But engineering is all about learning and evolving. There is no "right or wrong" answer to problems in the real world, like there is in homework or text books. It can take grit and determination to make it through school, but is so rewarding when you come out on the other end with a solution or idea. Engineering can change the world and improve people's lives in a meaningful way on a daily basis. Knowing what you don't want to do is just as important as knowing what you do want to do. For me personally, I knew I didn't want to work at a desk all the time, and I knew I didn't want to work in the Petroleum or Chemical Industry. I spent time in the Auto Industry and Pharmaceutical Industry early on in my career, and didn't like those either. Engineering is a very diverse field, so don't get discouraged if you don't find your "fit" immediately. A career in engineering can take you anywhere and you can do anything with it. My favorite book is "Rosie Revere, Engineer" by Andrea Beaty, a children's book about a young aspiring female engineering whose inventions fail miserably. Her aunt tells her "You're brilliant first flop was a raging success! Come on, let's get busy and on with the next. (...) Life might have it's failures, but this was NOT it. The only true failure can come if you quit". To me, that is the essence of Engineering.
Hobbies Outside of work, I love to cook for my family and others. If I wasn't an engineer, my dream job would be a personal chef. I spend most of my time outdoors, either gardening in our small backyard to create an "urban oasis" and a natural pollinators habitat, or walking, biking, hiking or kayaking with my family. I am a registered Yoga Teacher, and volunteered for several years in a non-profit to provide Yoga as an alternative therapy to Teens. My husband and I also love home improvement, constantly changing and improving our 100 year old home.