Special Career Talk: A Physicist’s Professional Journey and Career by Nancy Hecker-Denschlag

Everyone at my age can talk about their career and how it developed. At the upcoming seminar for the professional development program, I will have the opportunity to share my unique experiences transitioning from academia to industry, as well as my involvement with non-profit organizations. These experiences serve as examples of the diverse career opportunities available within the field of science. During my presentation, I will delve into both the serendipitous aspects of my career and the decisions that resulted from deep soul-searching. By doing so, I aim to provide valuable insights into the different trajectories one can take when pursuing a career in science, highlighting the contrasts between academic and industrial paths. For those who are interested in scientific research within an industrial setting, I will provide a detailed explanation of the concept of an expert ladder. This career path, exemplified by Zeiss (the company I work for), offers an alternative to management, and allows individuals to continue their work as scientists outside of academia. I believe it is important to shed light on this option and its benefits. 

In addition to discussing my professional experiences, I also want to emphasize the rewards of volunteer work for physicists. As the president of two non-profit organizations dedicated to establishing a Discovery Center in honor of Albert Einstein, I will share my ideas on how to promote scientific outreach. I envision this center as a "modern museum" that engages the public in exciting and accessible ways, fostering a love for science and discovery. By sharing my journey and insights, I hope to provide inspiration and valuable information to those attending the seminar, encouraging them to explore diverse career paths within the scientific field and consider the tremendous impact they can make through volunteer work and outreach efforts.

Speaker Bio:

Nancy Hecker-Denschlag received her Bachelor’s at the University of Michigan and her Master’s and PhD from Harvard University in physics. She was a Lise-Meitner Fellow and post-doc at the Universität Innsbruck in Austria and then an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow and C1 Assistant Professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Germany. Nancy moved from an academic career to industry to first become researcher and then the System Design Authority for the SURPASS hiT7300 product at Siemens AG. She has been the Managing Director two companies: one a spin-off from the Universität Innsbruck and the other an optical measurement company in Ulm, Germany. In sales, she  also has acquired experience as a key account manager for industrial optical measurement equipment. She returned to research at Carl Zeiss Meditec in Oberkochen, Germany where she designs microscopes for eye surgery. There she is currently a principal scientist in the Zeiss expert ladder. In addition to her physics journey, Nancy spearheaded an initiative to found an Albert Einstein Discovery Center in his birthplace: Ulm, Germany. She is president of two non-profits: an Albert Einstein Discovery Center Ulm and Albert Einstein Discovery Center USA.

PCD unit: 1 PCD unit