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Read POLY's interview with Dr. Dana Garcia below.
How long have you been a POLY member?
I joined ACS in 1975 and the Division of Polymer Chemistry in 1981.
What are you working on now?
I am part of the Analytical and Systems Research department, focused on FT-IR, NIR and Raman spectroscopy. Recently, I have been working on technologies coupling vibrational spectroscopy with other analytical techniques to mine structural data during polymer deformation.
What do you find most challenging about your work?
Keeping up with new scientific developments and applying new technology in a meaningful way to industrial R&D.
Tell us about someone who has influenced your work.
Prof. Ernest Grunwald, my PhD research adviser at Brandeis University for teaching me how a research project is run & Dr. Richard Ikeda, my first supervisor at DuPont for introducing me to polymers and the Division of Polymer Chemistry.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
I never took a polymer course during my undergraduate or graduate education.
What do you think will change about polymers over the next five years?
Polymers will play an ever-increasing role in wearable healthcare electronic devices, satisfying the need for on-demand detection, analysis, transmission and feedback.
What do you do when you aren't working?
Spending time with family and making sure our dog Leo gets a lot of attention. Also trying to have a vegetable garden - I do not have much of a green thumb.
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