In this episode of The Rad Lab Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Jennifer Laaser from the University of Minnesota for a wide-ranging conversation about her career path, professional experiences, and their current research.

During our conversation, Jennifer shares her journey into chemistry, how she built her research program, and what excites her most about studying complex materials at the molecular level. We also discuss the role of modern spectroscopy in answering challenging questions in materials chemistry, as well as the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of research in this space.

The conversation also touches on mentorship, career development, and advice for students and early-career professionals navigating paths in academia and research. It’s an engaging discussion about the people behind the work and the many ways universities contribute to advancing knowledge and supporting the next generation of scholars.

Check out the work mentioned in this podcast below:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.macromol.4c02626

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02475

In this second conversation with Dr. Kyle Murphy, we dive deep into the realities of academic grant writing and reflect on where we are in the tenure-track journey. We discuss strategies for developing competitive proposals, lessons learned from recent submissions, and how grant activity fits into a broader tenure progress narrative. The episode also serves as a candid tenure update—what’s going well, what’s been challenging, and how our priorities are evolving as our research programs mature.

Dr. Lamb's research operates at the intersection of physical organic, catalysis, and polymer chemistry. Her current projects focus on developing new switchable N-heterocyclic carbene organocatalysts with advanced control, designing sustainable routes to non-isocyanate polyurethanes for high-temperature applications, and combining different polymerization mechanisms into a single material.

Beyond her research, Dr. Lamb is dedicated to teaching, mentoring, and outreach. She has helped develop and implement Organic Learning Sessions for Organic Chemistry II, serves as the Vice Chair of the Midwest Chapter of Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC), and is one of the faculty presenters for Energy and U.

Links:

Papers Mentioned

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.0c03492

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/sc/d4sc02511c

Dr. Jessica Lamb's website

https://lamb.chem.umn.edu/

Radical Candor

https://www.radicalcandor.com/

Twitter

@TheLambLab