Letter to My Younger Self: Dean Cynthia Peterson
Dean Cynthia Peterson, head of LSU’s College of Science, is the newest researcher to offer some sage advice to her younger self as part of the Science Next “Letter to My Younger Self” series. Dean Peterson gives a message of encouragement and wisdom that can only be gained from hindsight. She offers the 19-year old dean in waiting answers to her many questions, a glimpse into her future career, and an assurance that she is on the right path. Read on as our “Letter to My Younger Self” series continues with Dr. Cynthia Peterson, dean and Seola Arnaud and Richard V. Edwards Jr. Professor at LSU.
Dear Cynthia,
I am writing this note hoping to slow you down and give you some time to reflect. I want to take this opportunity to catch you at an important juncture in your life. You are busy absorbing as much as you can at age 19—trying new things, making new friends, enjoying coding in Fortran (!), and also enjoying reading the works of William Blake. You are a sophomore in college and things are going so well! You sailed through that scary freshman year with flying colors and have adjusted to life away from home. There are new opportunities around every corner. Your professor for organic chemistry suggested something about graduate school. And that has piqued your interest!
So you think you want to be a scientist? I really want you to go for it! You have shared with me that you have lots of questions. What does a career in science hold? It seems exciting but challenging. Do you have what it takes? You look for role models, but don’t quite see yourself in them. What is a pathway to success? You want to do well and don’t want to misstep. How much will you work on your own or in a group? You enjoy people and learn lots from others. What if it doesn’t work out? It is hard to picture yourself as a professor who teaches and writes grants and runs a research group. Can you balance a scientific career with other things in life? So many questions!
My vantage point – a mature perspective -- gives me the benefit of knowing that it will all work out. But, of course, you cannot know that as an undergraduate with one year of college under your belt. In reflecting on those questions, I do have some thoughts I want to share.
First of all, you have a rich and wonderful life ahead of you. There will be hard work involved, as well as lots of celebrations and successes. One of the best things about a career in science is being engaged with the people in science. While you will have times that require solitude for deep thinking, science is much more of a social endeavor than many people realize. You will work in teams with some of the most brilliant people around. You will have heated debates and will be asked questions that challenge you to learn more. You will develop lasting relationships with colleagues around the world.
There is no single pathway to success in science. Be ambitious and take risks. You have always enjoyed puzzles, so continue to enjoy putting the pieces together. Your pathway will be just that – YOUR pathway. You will be fortunate to have two experiences in the next year or two that will open your eyes to what it means to be a scientist. First, you will need to search for a professor to supervise your independent research project. The research project you undertake will show you what it is like to make a new discovery. Thrilling! And this experience will also show you that there is a social dimension of science. Yes, you will even be invited to a lab party at your professor’s home! You also will be selected for an honor and big challenge – to teach a freshman chemistry lab. From this opportunity, you will learn how important it is to be prepared and how being a teacher makes you a much better learner. You will take your professor’s advice and will go to graduate school. After that, then you will move to California for a postdoctoral fellowship before you apply for faculty jobs. Life certainly will keep you busy – you will have your two children while you are a postdoc. Finally, after all that – you will be a professor, teaching and pursuing your research and running a lab of your own. You will enjoy the job of a professor, primarily through seeing the success of your students.
Finding a balanced life is ephemeral, so I suggest enjoying all of the seasons of your career and do your best to juggle things as they come along. I also encourage you to get to know yourself and trust yourself to make good decisions. Find good mentors – and rely on them at every stage of your career. Be brave! No one has a crystal ball and no one is assured of a seamless path to their goals. You will not always be successful, and that is OK. You have always been able to recover from missteps, so hang tough. And remember – failure is an important component of learning. Always be open to change. Advances in science often come from the most unexpected circumstances.
Well, I have tried…but you have so many questions! They can’t all be answered to your satisfaction, of course. So my advice to you is “just do it!” You are up to the challenge. One day you will face students who are in the same position that you are right now. And you will tell them three things: 1. Science is fun; 2. Science will take you places; and 3. Science makes a difference! These are the lessons you will take away from pushing forward and betting on yourself. You will enjoy being a scientist, asking questions every day. You will revel in those “ah hah” moments and they will sustain you through tougher times. Being a faculty member at a great university like LSU is a privilege. It will require you to work hard and know yourself. You will have smart students and faculty colleagues, and this will push you to achieve more than you could by yourself. You will really enjoy being a dean, helping all of the faculty members in your college do what they enjoy, and have as much fun as you have had. You will travel the world with science – to Europe and Asia and Central America. These experiences will broaden your perspective and give you an appreciation for culture across the globe. And, yes, science DOES make a difference in the world. The technological advances that await you in the next several decades are mind boggling.
Thanks for sharing the questions you face right now as an undergraduate student, considering all kinds of possibilities in life. And thanks also for slowing down for a few minutes to consider this advice. Most importantly, keep asking questions. It’s always “your question next.”
- Cynthia