Not all scientists are meant to work on one topic for all of their lives. Many have widely varying interests, both scientific and social. For some, those widely varying interests may make excellent scientists, but result in research careers being a relatively unattractive professional option. The ACS Congressional Fellowship represents the launching of a new career path for many participants, one that provides opportunities for a wide array of experiences and interests. Dr. Avery spent his fellowship in the United States Senate as a science advisor for Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). While in Congress, he worked on a wide variety of energy and environment-related issues. Subsequent to his fellowship, Dr. Avery spent time at the Department of Energy, working in a variety of roles, all focused on working with external stakeholders to advance the deployment of clean energy. From there, he worked in the non-profit sector before moving into government consulting. Most recently, he worked with the U.S. Global Change Research Program on the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Dr. Avery has also spent a great deal of time working in ACS governance, working to find space to bring in more non-traditional chemists to ACS leadership. In many ways, the Congressional Fellowship served as the start of a professional post-doctoral retraining. That retraining provided a pathway into a new world of professional opportunities and experiences. This talk will describe Dr. Avery’s career pathway and provide commentary and insights into how various opportunities along the way, including the ACS Congressional Fellowship, shaped his professional growth. He will also provide insights into the changing nature of the chemical community and how programs like the Congressional Fellowship are key to the future of the chemical enterprise and ACS itself.

In defense of being nontraditional: Building a career that plays to my strengths

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.