Bronco Spotlight: Mary Sajini Devadas

Photo of Mary Sajini Devadas

PhD, chemistry, 2012

Assistant Professor of Chemistry; Fisher Endowed Professor in the Physical and Biological Sciences at Towson University

Recognition for research and mentoring by the American Chemical Society with the George L Braude Award 2019 https://acsmaryland.org/2019-braude-award-dinner/

I am a professor of chemistry, specifically hired in the inorganic division. So, I mainly teach inorganic chemistry. As part of the job, I have to establish an externally funded research program. My research focus is on nanostructure synthesis and single particle optical spectroscopy. With any teaching job comes the joy of mentoring students to make them prepared for a career in STEM fields.

What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?

The most rewarding part is being able to see my students transform into independent researchers and transition into careers in science or allied fields. The challenging part of the job is to secure external funding to sustain my independent research career.

What activities, resources, or people helped you prepare for your career?

My sense of independence and being able to muster the confidence to speak in front of an audience. My PhD research advisors gave me the freedom to design my own research project. This made me self-reliant and confident.

What advice do you have for others pursuing a career similar to yours?

Seek out every opportunity to present your work. Although, you have to have a work-life balance, at times you have to put in a few additional hours to get where you want to end up. Start planning your next step in advance and talk to others around and say please and thank you.

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