Until recently, Hansel Montalvo was a fourth-year Ph.D. student exploring reaction mechanisms and material catalysts to produce alkenes and aromatics. However, it’s networking that helped him get selected into two prestigious programs this summer and helped him determine his next career step. 

Montalvo met Beata Kilos, Ph.D., a Dow Fellow, when she delivered a graduate seminar at the University of Florida. Her encouragement prompted him to apply to the Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) Symposium. He was accepted and he attended this past summer.  Dow Chemical Company hosts the symposium to introduce minority groups to career pathways in Research and Development at Dow’s headquarters.  

He was also selected to attend the NextProf Nexus Program after encouragement from colleagues and faculty who participated in the program while pursuing their Ph.D.s. Hosted by Michigan University, University of California Berkeley and Georgia Tech, this program is for individuals who show potential to become faculty.  

Montalvo said he applied so he could explore careers in both academia and the private sector.  

“Pursuing a Ph.D. is challenging and comes with sacrifices, so I owed it to myself to look at all the opportunities out there,” he said. “I strongly encourage my peers to do the same, so that they can find the best place and environment for them to thrive.”   

Both programs were immersive experiences, complete with seminars and panels that help attendees learn how to be competitive faculty candidates or in the case of Dow, to learn about their research and business sectors. While they learned about the plastics economy, circularity and sustainability, participants also presented a potential design responding to those metrics. Additionally, Montalvo delivered a two-minute elevator pitch to Dow members about his research. 

Montalvo said that he learned a lot, but more importantly he “developed long-lasting connections with brilliant people, at different levels and stages in their careers, both in academia and private sector.” He said these experiences gave him insight into the inner workings of both academia and the private sector and led him to decide that an academic career is the path he will take.  

Since completing his Ph.D. in August under the advisement of David Hibbitts, Ph.D., Montalvo has secured a tenure-track faculty position in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez. He plans to develop a research program on theoretical and fundamental catalysis, in addition to teaching kinetics and reactor design.  

“Puerto Rico and its relevancy in the world is at stake, and there are areas of opportunity for the island to grow both in human competence and capital. Thus, my mission is to contribute to the development of the future generations of chemical engineers, who I strongly believe will play a key role in our relevance and existence,” he said.  

By Ada Lang