Congratulations to Monica for being selected to participate in the 2022 Future Faculty Workshop “Diverse Leaders for the Future.” The workshop was held at the University of Delaware on June 21–23, 2022, and was sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

The workshop provided mentorship to senior graduate students and postdoctoral researchers aspiring to become independent academic researchers in the broad areas of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, and Polymer Science, with a focus on soft materials and biomaterials. Eminent professors and workshop alums covered topics such as the faculty application process, interviewing, proposal writing, networking, choosing research directions, research management, well-being, and publication/presentation skills. The workshop included numerous discussions, breakout sessions, and active-learning scenarios. A mentee/mentor ratio of ~3:1 was maintained to encourage personalized mentoring.

“The Future Faculty Workshop was an amazing opportunity to learn, in detail, all that goes into the faculty job application process as well as what life will look like as an assistant professor,” said Monica. “I was able to connect with mentors and peers that, prior to this workshop, I had only met virtually, and build relationships with so many people. I look forward to watching their career’s progress and staying in contact with them at future conferences.”

Monica was awarded her Ph.D. in Chemistry in September of 2021. In November, she joined the Anseth Research Group at the University of Colorado–Boulder. As a chemical and biological engineering postdoctoral researcher for the Anseth Group, she is conducting research on bottlebrush polymer hydrogels.