The Career of an Accidental Professor

As an undergraduate student in chemical engineering I had my career path mapped out: I was going to go into industry for engineering - not research, not graduate school. Two decades later I am a professor - quite the shift! I will discuss my career path: how as I developed as a scientist; why academic research appealed to me; how I approached the faculty position search; lessons learned as I started my research group as a young investigator; and advice for my past self. I hope to help guide students in determining how to choose a future research path with incomplete knowledge, and how to adapt decisions as you advance in their careers.