What Are Employers Looking For When Hiring Separation Scientists?

Per the U.S. National Academies of Science (NAS) 2019 report “A Research Agenda for Transforming Separation Science,” the number of America’s academic positions in separation science has decreased considerably in recent years, with a number of universities choosing to stop hiring faculty in this area. Specifically, since 1987 (the year of the previous NAS report on this field), the number of faculty members readily identifiable as “separations researchers” has dropped by 40% in the top chemistry departments, and by 30% in the top chemical engineering departments. At the same time, national government funding organizations (such as the National Science Foundation [NSF]) have significantly reduced funding for separation science. All this occurs despite the continuing demand for separation scientists and engineers in the largest economic sectors of the United States. LCGC North America spoke to Caroline McGregor and Justin Pennington of Merck Research Laboratories regarding the effects of the aforementioned occurrences on their firm’s hiring practices, and what employers in general are looking for in candidates they are considering for open separation scientist positions.