tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post4933437983141983159..comments2024-03-27T21:23:40.339-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: Interview: Edwin Villhauer, medicinal chemist, process chemist and high school teacherChemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-36535420914574519412016-11-11T16:59:56.528-05:002016-11-11T16:59:56.528-05:00I'm in my 5th year of public schoolteaching an...I'm in my 5th year of public schoolteaching and I'm quite happy with the work and the school where I've ended up. I'm not at some fancy test-prep place, I'm at a voke, but that kind of works for me because I have kids who enjoy making things and working with their hands as well as minds. AP is kind of a dream with the scheduling constraints we have, but I do as much as I can get away with and I'm often surprised by what we can do.<br /><br />If I was interviewing for industry, which I don't plan to do, I'd be competing with guys who worked with BigName researchers and synthesized the crucial intermediate to bastardolide, so it's not like I'd beat anybody in a game of reaction bingo. The kind of synthesis that happens in my lab is stuff like converting aspirin tablets to liquid ethyl salicylicate, or turning steel wool into pyrophoric iron powder, so yeah that's baby chem. But the students have to do this sort of thing without risking permanent injury, in steps that cannot run longer than 40 minutes, using Erlenmeyers and beakers and hotplates and not much else. I come up with ways for students to synthesize, analyze, and purify stuff that illustrate the core concepts of the curriculum, and I share activities with colleagues so that their students can do them too. Not to mention that the students have to be capable of understanding, reporting, and describing what they're doing as well, and do a bit of planning and problem solving on their own here and there. This has got to show some sort of project management aptitude, and I think that's what I'd push if I was looking for one of those elusive 6-figure 'real jobs'. Of course I'm not because fuck those bastards. They'd probably just lay me off and leave me unemployable in my 50s anyway.<br /><br />OldLabRathttps://www.reddit.com/user/OldLabRat/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-38656719773773706722016-11-10T22:25:56.663-05:002016-11-10T22:25:56.663-05:00I sat next to Ed in the New Jersey alternate route...I sat next to Ed in the New Jersey alternate route classes. Ed is a fantastic guy, and I'm so happy that he continues to enjoy his role as a teacher. My journey has been a bit different. I completed a postdoc in 2010 and was unable to find employment as an organic/medicinal chemist, so I became a HS teacher at a private high school in NJ. I taught for five years. There were times when I loved it, and there were times when I hated it. Eventually, I made the decision to attempt to find a job more fitting of my PhD title. Six months after leaving my teaching position, I am still searching for that elusive job. Ed was lucky enough to do what he loves as a medicinal chemist for many years, and for him, teaching is the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, what I am finding is that five years as a HS teacher at the beginning of your career is a VERY hard sell for potential employers. Benjamin Schroedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-87600198918066528892016-11-10T17:41:16.569-05:002016-11-10T17:41:16.569-05:00Hi Ed,
I was not aware that you were now a teacher...Hi Ed,<br />I was not aware that you were now a teacher, I hope you are enjoying life to the full away from company politics.<br />Best wishesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15287977920784124907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-41519672370079739892016-11-10T12:00:38.470-05:002016-11-10T12:00:38.470-05:00LOL, blue jeans with holes.........LOL, blue jeans with holes.........biotechtoreadornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-5919503867282880472016-11-10T10:21:48.998-05:002016-11-10T10:21:48.998-05:00fixed, thanks. fixed, thanks. Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-20779372047829644052016-11-10T07:25:04.543-05:002016-11-10T07:25:04.543-05:00"the Alternative Route" link seems to be..."the Alternative Route" link seems to be no good, at least for me.<br /><br />Thanks for doing this interview CJ, very insightfulAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com