Month: February 2022

The Permian Basin Local Section members were invited to attend the 2022 talks sponsored by the California Local Section Woman Chemists Committee. The February 12, 2022, presentation “The Stories We Tell as Women in Chemistry” was the first one this year. As with previous sessions, during the time allotted preceding the talk, attendees had an opportunity to participate in breakout sessions for chatting/networking. The talk concluded with a Q&A with the speaker. All talks were via Zoom.

Dr. Fanny Frausto

Dr. Fanny Frausto is currently a Senior Scientist in Product Development at the Clorox Company. She works as a Product Developer and formulates cleaning products to meet the future needs of professional and healthcare spaces. Dr. Frausto is the WCC Co-Chair of the California Section of the ACS and the 2022 Chair for the Section. She is an ACS Scholars Alumna and credits the programs offered by the ACS for her success. Dr. Frausto earned her SB from MIT and her PhD in chemistry from Tufts University, studying fluorescent doped conjugated polymer nanoparticles to detect a reactive oxygen species called singlet oxygen.

“At times the world can seem incredibly frightening and unfathomably exciting.” This was a recurring theme of Dr. Frausto’s talk. Through storytelling, she shared her journey as a “pre”-scientist and formerly undocumented immigrant navigating the world to get through her early education to her current chosen field of formulation chemistry and data analytics. She shared with the audience how her use of such powerful tools as storytelling, mentorship, and service helped shape her world and got her through to the present. Dr. Frausto provided examples of hope, experience, and strength for those early career and mid-career scientists, or anyone who is asking what they truly want to do today.      

This is the fourth talk from The California Local Section Woman Chemists Committee. The November 13, 2021, presentation “A Career Journey in the field of Environmental Toxicology” was the last one this year. During the time allotted preceding the talk, attendees had an opportunity to participate in two breakout sessions for chatting/networking. The talk concluded with a robust Q&A with the speaker.

Dr. Alicia Taylor

Dr. Taylor is an environmental toxicologist and will share her career path (academia, consulting, government) with audience members. Dr. Taylor studied environmental toxicology, which included water chemistry, for her PhD at the University of California at Riverside.

She completed a postdoc at UC Berkeley, and then was an environmental science consultant for five years. During the pandemic, Dr. Taylor took a new job, and now holds a government scientist position at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Within the Safer Consumer Products Program, Dr. Taylor helps to reduce potentially toxic chemicals in consumer products.

Dr. Taylor discussed her early education and what drew her to environmental chemistry, especially into environmental toxicology. She shared several networking tips for early career scientists, specifically how to prepare for conference networking. Dr. Taylor also stressed the importance of volunteering in expanding one’s network. She provided examples from her own participation in the California Local Section. Dr. Taylor can be contacted via her LinkedIn page.