Preparing Students for Real-World Careers

CNSI is one of four California Institutes for Science & Innovation (Cal ISIs) tackling complex scientific challenges that demand multidisciplinary strategies while focusing on bringing innovation out of the university and into society. Workforce development, the programs, and initiatives created to ensure individuals in the workforce can meet current and future industry needs, is a key piece in this effort. With support from the State of CA for Workforce Development, Prof. Thuc-Quyen Nguyen has designed Chemistry 153 to prepare students for real-world careers. 

In this class, students learn to work as a team, prepare samples, select instrumentation, solve analytical problems, and prepare written and oral reports, simulating the post-graduation working environments including industry, graduate school, national laboratory, and consulting. The course also discusses the acquisition of advanced instrumentation, preparing a resume, job searching, preparing for a job interview, and how to advance students' careers. 

With this additional training, students feel much more confident and well-prepared for the job market, as shown through the student comments, past and present. 

“It has been one of the most educationally rewarding courses I have taken. The experience that we have obtained will no doubt be invaluable in our future career,” commented one participant. 

Another student remarked on the impact of securing a job: “During my interview, I told them about the course, what I learned, and what I had to do for the course, and they made me an offer right on the spot.” 

Alumni students continue to reach out with the impact of the course on their careers: 

“I took your Advanced Analytical Chemistry course (Chem 153) Spring Quarter, 2014. After a brief stint working as an analytical chemist, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of a start-up laboratory. At first, my "lab" was an HPLC tucked into the corner of a greenhouse. We now occupy a 3,000 sq ft lab room. I am responsible for purchasing, installing, operating, and maintaining our analytical instrumentation. I developed our testing methodology, reporting templates, standard operating procedures, and laboratory information management systems. In two years the lab has gone from 2 employees to 5 full-time employees, with an internship program starting this summer.

I tell you all this because I do not think I would have graduated UCSB with the technical skills necessary to have gotten me this far if it had not been for you and your class. Notes from Chem 153 have proven to be integral in the development of the company. I have grown as a chemist and a professional working in this field.”