Scholar Profile

Andres Martinez

Voted Most Likely To:
Do something unexpected

Graduated:
Stanford University, Class of 2003
Harvard University, PhD

Currently Working As:
Associate Professor, California Polytechnic State University

What do you love about your job?
The opportunity to work on interesting research projects with a team of talented students, the opportunity to determine my own career path, and the opportunity to teach and learn on a daily basis.

What has been the most exciting part of your career so far?
Having contributed to the development of a technology that is now used by researchers around the world, having the opportunity to give back to society by mentoring students who were also underrepresented minorities, and having articles about my research published in C&EN and the New York Times.

What would you tell yourself at age 18?
Keep up the good work. Trust your instincts. And, do not ask Tina out on a date.

How has ACS Scholars impacted your life and career?
As a transfer student coming from a community college to Stanford, the scholarship gave me the confidence to feel like I could compete with my new, more-talented group of peers. I also got the scholarship at a time when my interests were shifting from biology to chemistry, and the program helped me feel like a chemist.