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Chemical Solutions continues its blog series this week by featuring Francine Walker. With over 25 years of laboratory, quality control, and manufacturing experience, Francine’s expertise is highly valued by the both the industry and our team. Here’s a Q&A with Francine…
Looking down the road, where do you see the company in the future?
As Technical Director, I look to the technology that we may be utilizing in the future. There are exciting opportunities within our specialty of elemental analysis in terms of sample introductions techniques (e.g. laser ablation), advanced separation and detection capabilities (triple quad instrumentation) and more unconventional techniques (neutron activation) that I want to explore. Nanoparticle (single particle analysis) and reliable speciation techniques (speciated isotope dilution mass spectrometry or SIDMS) hold great opportunities in the next few years.
Based on the 68 elements on the periodic table that Chemical Solutions tests for, which element would you use to describe yourself and why?
Iron. Iron is a strong metal, that by itself isn’t expensive or particularly, flashy but when combined with other elements it is extremely useful in so many ways. It functions to transport oxygen throughout the body and it has important functionality in water purification and pesticide activity. When combined with a few other metals, it takes on the additional strength and beauty of surgical steel.
What advice would you give someone who is just entering your field?
Scientists are not generally those that will make the cover of a popular magazine! You enter into the STEM fields not because you are looking for accolades, but rather for the pursuit of knowledge – the answer to questions which, if you’re fortunate, will lead to improvement in the world around you.
What phrase do you use to motivate yourself and team to better serve our customers?
One of my favorite motivational quotes: “Attitude + Aptitude = Altitude.” If you love your work and feel you are contributing for the better good, you will spend your days working hard – doing your best – and hopefully having a positive impact on the attitude and abilities of others, along the way, helping them to reach new heights.
What is one interesting fact about you?
I don’t find myself to be a particularly interesting person – but I will share that my husband has nearly 100 patents!
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