Alumna Spotlight: Mari Rosen
By Sophie Tidd
Mari Rosen, a Mirkin Lab alum, defended her thesis five years ago. A native New Yorker, armed with a degree from Amherst College in chemistry, she headed to Northwestern in pursuit of a graduate degree. Not limited to the east coast, she was attracted by our well-known inorganic chemistry program.
Mari was first smitten by the chemistry bug at the age of eight, after reading a biography of Marie Curie, written by Dr. Curie’s daughter, Eve Curie.
At Northwestern, she joined Chad Mirkin’s organometallic subgroup, which focuses on supermolecular assembly. One goal of supramolecular assembly is to mimic the three-dimensional environment in an enzyme active site to try to achieve the incredible catalytic and stimuli-responsive capabilities that enzymes have. Her research goal was to gain a fundamental understanding of the coordination chemistry the Mirkin Group uses to synthesize these supramolecular assemblies. She also designed new scaffolds to achieve different supramolecular architectures.
Upon earning her PhD, Mari joined The Dow Chemical Company as a scientist doing research in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis with a focus on catalyst development for industrial processes.
Mari fondly recalls being a student in Joe Lambert’s spectroscopy class, the last one taught by the noteworthy professor. She credits her degree for the ability to think critically and to follow scientific methods and preparing her for dealing with scientific issues.
For the past four years, Mari has been involved in recruiting in the Chemistry and Chemical and Biological Engineering Departments on campus and at Industrial Associates, held on campus each May. She enjoys this role in that she can interact with the students and hear directly about their scientific research, and learn about their research relevance and impact. Equally important is getting to know what motivates candidates and what they’re proud of, both in lab and out.
Mari had some suggestions for students preparing to join the work force. She stressed the importance of developing strong communication skills, recommending students learn to effectively communicate their science and highlight key aspects, which will make them a more successful candidate and result in a more enjoyable process all around. She recommends students take advantage of the poster session at Industrial Associates, as an opportunity to interact and network, and be open to new opportunities.
Mari will be attending Industrial Associates on May 2.