ACS-GHS Director and Communications Committee member Yangwei Liu was recently invited to give a talk about his career journey at Texas A&M University. As Yangwei shared on LinkedIn after the event:

"I had the privilege of being invited by the Texas A&M University SPE: Inspiring Plastics Professionals Student Chapter and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering to give a talk titled “From PhD to Industry.” I took this as a personal trip during my day off, hoping to do something meaningful while taking a moment to step back from work.

I shared an overview of Kaneka North America and the industry, along with my journey transitioning from academia to industry. It was a pleasant surprise to see strong in-person attendance and participants joining via Zoom. Many students shared that they feel anxious in today’s job market and have received rejections.

When discussing how to build relationships, I introduced organizations such as SPE South Texas Section, SPE Polymer Modifiers and Additives Division (SPE-PMAD), and the American Chemical Society Greater Houston Section (ACS-GHS). All of them are relevant platforms for connection and growth. At the same time, I emphasized that the key to networking is not about taking, but about understanding what value you can offer to others.

A few reflections I shared with the students:
• Never stop growing
• Take time to rethink what you believe
• Occasionally step away from your phone and reconnect with life

Hope my experiences and lessons learned can help students avoid a few detours and discover more opportunities. If I can positively influence even one young person’s future, that is more than enough."

You can view the full presentation here, and thanks to Yangwei for sharing his experience with TAMU students and ACS-GHS members.