Podcast
Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi
Hosted by Darren Lipomi · EN
This podcast lifts the veil on all topics related to STEM in academia: research, teaching, writing, speaking, and other professional topics.
Darren Lipomi is a professor of nanoengineering, chemical engineering, and materials science at UC San Diego. He obtained his PhD in chemistry from Harvard in 2010 (w/ George Whitesides) and was a postdoc at Stanford in chemical engineering from '10-'12 (w/ Zhenan Bao). He is a recipient of the PECASE and became full professor in 2019.
Thanks to NSF CBET-1929748 for support. Views don't necessarily reflect those of NSF or UCSD.
Cover art bkg: Sam Root
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#101 – How this nerd got a PhD from Harvard
3d ago00:10:00Tap to summarizeIt's "pub week" for my book, Science Nonfiction: Behind the Scenes in University Research. I don't have a paywall, so if you've enjoyed my work or found it useful, I think you'll enjoy the book. Here, I talk a bit about it, and then read a few pages describing my PhD defense in George Whitesides lab at Harvard. Available in print and eBook and audiobook from all major distributors. Here it is on Amazon https://a.co/d/08XFxt3Q and Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3uEY9jOwopxCyZ6DHAFkLE?si=09745dff528444a0
Transcribe →#100 – The Skills You Never Got in Grad School | Darren Lipomi & Jen Heemstra
6d ago00:52:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode I sat down (though at our standing desks) with the great Jen Heemstra. Jen is the Charles Allen Thomas Professor of Chemistry and Department Chair at Washington University in St. Louis. I learned, among other things, that Jen never planned to be a chemist. She was headed toward bioethics law when a night job in a stockroom changed her trajectory entirely. Now she runs a nucleic acid chemistry lab, chairs a major department, and has just published "Labwork to Leadership: A Concise Guide to Thriving in the Science Job You Weren't Trained For" (Harvard University Press), a book for STEM researchers used to working in isolation who suddenly find themselves responsible for the success of other people.We dig into how scientists end up in leadership roles they were never prepared for, what a department chair does and who they answer to when nobody is technically their boss, and how Jen went from "I could never write a book" to finishing one in 45-minute early-morning writing sessions spread across a few years and while moving between institutions. We also lament the loss of academic Twitter, where we are finding community now, and other topics I've been dying to ask her about. You can find out more about Jen and her book at jenheemstra.com. It's also available on Amazon and all major retailers. I couldn't recommend it more. Instant classic in STEM leadership.
Transcribe →#99 – BOOK LAUNCH PREVIEW! The time I thought my advisor wanted me to make love to a molecule & other bits
May 100:06:22Tap to summarizeI've launched my book! Science Nonfiction: Behind the Scenes in University Research. Available in print and eBook (release date 6/1/26) and audiobook (available immediately) from all major distributors. Here it is on Amazon and Spotify (free with paid Spotify).
Transcribe →#98 – How to get into grad school: Lessons from a dean, chair, & grad admissions director
Apr 1900:50:00Tap to summarizeIn the last 10 years, I've posted many of my thoughts about getting into grad school. Here is the current state of my "wisdom," such as it is, now as department chair of chemical and sustainability engineering at the University of Rochester. Lessons learned from getting into Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Scripps, and Columbia, and now having reviewed thousands of applications at large public and small private R1 institutions, and having had more than 20 undergraduate lab members get into "top-5" graduate programs.
Transcribe →#97 – How much money do PhD students make? Lifetime earnings vs. pursuing a passion
Feb 1600:10:57Tap to summarizeExcerpt and commentary from my forthcoming book, Science Nonfiction: Behind the Scenes in University Research. Please subscribe for updates and more nuggets from the book!
Transcribe →#96 – The $60 Billion System Nobody Understands: University research and the engine of discovery
Feb 900:11:55Tap to summarizeI've been absent for a while because I wrote a book! I have permission to read the prologue. It's a memoir and scientific advocacy book about how research works, under the hood, and who actually does the work. Please subscribe for updates!
Transcribe →#95 – What no one tells PhD applicants to US universities when they're preparing their applications (interviewed by Andrew Akbashev)
Oct 2401:46:33Tap to summarizeIn this thorough conversation, I tell interviewer Andrew Akbashev everything I know about graduate admissions. My credentials are graduate admissions chair, associate dean for students, department chair, advisor to many successful applicants, and applicant myself. Please check out his YouTube channel here for a trove of information for young researchers, and PLEASE subscribe to his channel. This is better than payment to us content creators: http://www.youtube.com/@andrew_akbashevCheers,Darren
Transcribe →#94 – The best SciComm is unfiltered: Darren interviewed by Univ. of Rochester colleague Jeff Koslofsky
Aug 1100:54:45Tap to summarizeSince arriving in my role at the University of Rochester, I've developed a great collaboration with Jeff Koslofsky, Senior Marketing Strategist at the U Rochester Medical Center. Here, he asked me about my own particular brand of scientific communication, which eschews production flourishes in favor of honesty. (At least that's what I tell myself. It could also be because I don't have the skills or budget to make things more polished ; ) Please check out Jeff's other content here: exclusive content: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffKoslofskyUR Medicine: https://www.youtube.com/@URMedicineThe Next Step Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7byv4p78X1wB5JQHQTfyQ6?si=9e6ba3c2a5b84273
Transcribe →#93 – Chemical & biological engineering at a National Lab: leadership, communication, & commercialization
Jul 2400:44:46Tap to summarizeI sat down with Brian H. Davison, PhD, Chief Scientist of Systems Biology & Biotechnology in the Biosciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Center for Bioenergy Innovation. Brian is a graduate of the University of Rochester and Caltech and candidate for President of the American Institute for Chemical Engineering (AIChE). Brian discusses his career trajectory from bench scientist to Chief Scientist, science communication, skills needed for effective leadership, discovery and commercialization, and his long history of leadership in AIChE and what he would aim to accomplish as President.
Transcribe →#92 – What's the REAL purpose of science research? Knowledge? Training opportunity? Intellectual property?
May 20, 202500:58:03Tap to summarizeMy down-the-hall colleague Marc Porosoff and I sit down to discuss the public perception of scientific research done in universities and its value to society.Want more of Marc? He is the co-host of PodCAT, available on your favorite podcast apphttps://open.spotify.com/show/0tzTnMlZNcgBQfVUbvgchA
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