(271c) Importance of Science and Engineering Fundamentals in My Industrial R&D Career

Since receiving my ChemE Bachelor’s degree in 2007, I have transitioned from primarily academic to more industrially applied projects, starting with government lab and industrial collaborations during my PhD and Postdoctoral research, and continuing in my current role as a Research & Product Development Engineer at 3M. I found myself surrounded with experienced industrial co-workers who have used science and engineering to innovate and create new technologies and products.

A common misconception I’ve encountered is that industrial researchers no longer need to use science to perform their job: that fundamental understanding of complex systems are only necessary in the university laboratory. While it is true that decision-making in industry depends on a great number of considerations including the market and business landscape, in my experience the key element that enables a successful product is understanding and leveraging fundamental science and engineering principles.

Specifically, I have found the following two attributes to be essential to successful product development:

1) grounding the product form and function to structural-property relationships, and

2) understanding of the inseparable interplay between materials and process.

In this talk, I hope to illustrate these learnings through product development vignettes in the fields of abrasives pads, pressure sensitive adhesives, and reflective safety products.