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As we are in the midst of the holiday season, meeting and greeting other people and spending time with family, I am sure that I will be talking with people who want to know who I am and what I do. So, let me share with you some of my reflections on the question “Who is Michalle Adkins?” Let’s explore this question from a personal and a professional perspective and allow me to introduce myself as one of the many women in STEM. I’d like to focus on what I have learned from several aspects of my life and how it applies to STEM. So, let’s start with a few words about who I am - Life Sciences Expert, Chemical Engineer, Industrial Engineer, life-long learner, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, daughter, sister, mother, friend, and much more. I have not only gained knowledge and experience in science, technology, engineering, and math, but also in life!
I learned what it meant to work diligently and consistently growing up on a farm. Each and every day we needed to make sure that we took care of our calves. This is where I was first introduced to technology and science. I remember my father and the veterinarian giving vaccines and any other needed medication to the animals, and I learned a little about types of vitamins and medications. My first introduction to pumps, controllers, and valves was in the barn. I also recall my high school math teacher encouraging me to study engineering, and that is ultimately what I did.
I studied Chemical Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. I was keenly interested in the pharmaceutical industry and had a summer internship at Eli Lilly where I was introduced to process control and instrumentation. After that summer, I decided that I wanted to work in the instrumentation and automation world for a pharmaceutical company. My key take away from college was learning how to break down a problem and solve it. This is something that has continued to be useful throughout my career.
I worked for Merck for 13 years in various capacities. I started out in the instrumentation and automation group in central engineering. I subsequently managed the site support automation team and then a production team and also worked for a bit in the planning department. This was an amazing experience where I learned so much about technology, science, manufacturing processes, teamwork, business processes, and people. Have you wondered how all of this really fits together? Although science and technology are important and certainly interesting to me, it is through the teams of people that we truly solve problems and conquer challenges both at work and at home.
And yes, speaking of people, there are others in my life that make me not only engineer, employee, and manager, but also daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, wife and mother. And this of course, is where life teaches us to be more flexible, how to compromise, and how to be compassionate, and to cherish what is important. My husband, Jack, and I are the proud parents of a 12 year old - Johnny. Watching my son learn about life has also been a teaching experience for me. I am constantly reminded of truths that I have learned throughout my life and I continue to learn even more through being a wife and mother, especially while watching and guiding my son. Knowing when to step in and when to step back and let your child handle their own challenges is something that I can relate to my work experiences. As a team leader, one needs to be wise in handling organizational and people challenges, knowing when to step in and when to let someone struggle through a situation while providing the appropriate level of guidance.
When we are faced with challenges, we also learn more about who we are and more about STEM. This happened to me when I was diagnosed with cancer when my son was not quite 3 years old. Managing priorities, cherishing each and every day, recognizing what can and can’t be controlled, and holding fast to faith were critically important each and every day, particularly during this time. Again this was an intersection of science, technology, and people in my life. Relating to doctors, nurses, coworkers, and strangers in the midst of suffering reveals some of who we really are. I really appreciate the science and technology that were used during this period of my life. Although I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy, neither would I trade it for what I learned by walking through that challenging time in my life.
So, how does all that relate to who I am now and who I am yet to become? You can find me working with people across the globe, putting into practice all of my life’s lessons, both personal and professional. I manage a team of consultants in Emerson’s Life Sciences Industry Solutions group. So whether you find me working with a consultant, a particular group at Emerson, a sales team, or customers, you will see me using and adding to my life-long learning experiences. I will close with this thought: we engineers learn how to break down a complex problem into manageable pieces while we are in college; we learn how people, organizations, and processes play a part in our roles as we gain experience; yet, we must also be able to tell a convincing Story to sell our ideas.
Stay tuned for my next blog in Women in STEM where I will talk more about the importance of Storytelling...