Meet A2i Alumni Emily Krzystowczyk, Ph.D.

Dr. Krzystowczyk is a 2022 NC State Chemistry Alumna and participated in A2i’s Industry Insights (formerly known as Job Search Strategies). Her current role as a Sustainability and Strategy Specialist is within the PhD Leadership Development Program at BASF.

When asked about what her current role entails she said, “as a PhD LDP I rotate every 8 months to a new role. In my current position, I work in a New Business Development team as a project manager between the technical R&D work and the business and sales team to ensure new projects have a sound business case. I also manage our polyol portfolio and do market analysis on our key competitors.”

There are many aspects of a role, co-workers, or company that make a great working environment. It is important during the job searching process to understand what your role would entail, what kind of team structure is in place, and what the company culture and values are. These are all topics that, we at the Graduate School, emphasize to our students and trainees.

For Dr. Krzystowczyk, she said that she “likes being in the LDP because it allows me the flexibility to try new experiences and gain perspective on different business segments within BASF. Having a technical background, learning about the business side has given me the understanding of how a company runs and what it takes to launch new products.”

How did A2i impact you?

When asked about how A2i helped her in your career journey, Dr. Krzystowczyk said, “A2i not only helped me network with industry professionals, it also taught me how to present my best self when networking and applying to jobs. Because of the modules, I was thoroughly prepared with my resume and for each of my interviews, ultimately leading to me getting an offer from BASF.”