Alex Valdes

Background

About Alex Valdes

I graduated from the University of Florida (UF) in May 2015 with a B.S. in Chemistry with a focus in Biochemistry. During my time as an undergraduate, I was fortunate to have been able to participate in academic research in the fields of pharmaceutical chemistry as well as polymer chemistry. Exposure to the field of chemistry left a lasting impression on me, causing me to shift my career goals from becoming a health professional to engaging in lab work as an organic chemist. Beginning in January of 2016, I was given the opportunity to participate in an internship with Arizona Chemical performing chemistry related research in an industry setting. As an intern I lead an aging study, which analyzes the effectiveness of the addition of various sterically hindered phenol, phosphite ester, and hindered amine light stabilizer antioxidants to resin products. I also work in collaboration with the analytical team on HPLC method development and validation to detect the presence said antioxidants over time. The third phase of my rotation involves the synthesis of Ziegler-type catalysts for use in the hydrogenation of polymer products. During my time with Arizona Chemical I fine-tuned my lab skills and improved upon my analytical technique while gaining valuable insight into the importance of chemistry in industry. During my time in graduate school, I have not only been able to hone my already learned skills as an undergraduate and intern, but have also been able to expand my repertoire, further improving my abilities in the laboratory. I have also had to opportunity to engage with younger students as a teaching assistant, allowing me to develop practical life skills such as time- management, leadership, and public speaking. In the laboratory, all group members are assigned certain tasks in order to keep the facilities in top shape. Because of this, cooperation among lab members becomes vital, leading to growth in communication skills as well as working with teams.