By Perry Gee
(Saturday, March 11, 2017)
The Department of Chemistry at UC Davis welcomed industry representatives and alumni to its 2nd Annual Career Conference, a half-day outreach event that served as a vehicle for chemistry majors to learn about what they need to develop (or consider) when entering their post-graduate careers. Held on Saturday, March 11, the conference also gave the presenters an opportunity to meet with potential candidates and discuss internship or entry-level opportunities within their respective companies.
This year’s lineup of companies and organizations who appeared at the conference included Genentech, California Department of Toxic Substance Control, E&J Gallo Winery Research Laboratory, Intel, Geek+Makeup+Wisdom, and Origin Materials. Additionally, career pathways in science teaching and how to prepare for schooling in the health professions were represented by speakers and alumnus from River City High School (West Sacramento), UCSF’s School of Pharmacy, and UC Davis’ School of Medicine.
Audience reception was positive throughout the conference from the panel discussions to the one-on-one tabling sessions. As one student participant noted, “I appreciated the great variety of speakers and content. (The conference) gave a good representation of career opportunities for chemistry majors.”
New to this year’s conference was our featured keynote speaker, Dr. Mark Kurth, Distinguished Professor in Chemistry at UC Davis. He opened the event with a talk about the importance of establishing one’s voice and using it to develop a professional network.
The student and staff organizers of the 2nd Annual Career Conference would like to thank our co-sponsor, ACS Sacramento Section, for its support and contributions. Plans are already being prepared for next year’s event.
