Nobody Likes Surprise Visitors

Dawn Mason’s tough day on the Texas Gulf Coast
Industry Matters Newsletter
Dawn Mason, Global External Innovation Manager, Eastman Chemical Company
Dawn Mason, Global External Innovation Manager, Eastman Chemical Company
Photo credit: Dawn Mason

Dawn Mason, Global External Innovation Manager, Eastman Chemical Company

Dawn Mason is the Global External Innovation Manager at Eastman Chemical Company in Raleigh, N.C. where she is influencing front end innovation by utilizing external resources to accelerate internal growth initiatives. Since her arrival at Eastman in 2003, Mason has been a contributor across a broad spectrum of areas that range from bench chemist to enhancing workforce capabilities.  

Prior to her arrival at Eastman, Mason worked with E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. as an area superintendent and an R&D chemist. Mason earned her B.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Throughout her career, she has used her combination of scientific expertise and people skills to drive safety culture without sacrificing business results. 

Dawn is an ACS Fellow, a past-Chair of BMGT and Corporation Associates, and serves as an advisor to universities. Away from work, Dawn is raising a young man, enjoys playing outside, and cooking.

 

What is the one essential piece of personal tech you always travel with? 

A cell phone power bank

Window or aisle? 

Window

Where would your dream business trip take you? What appeals to you about this destination? 

Anywhere near a beach. Salt water is good for the brain!

How do you pass the time while flying? 

Flapping my arms, but seriously, reading.

Favorite ACS meeting site? 

San Diego: California meetings always have a ton of energy. It’s near the beach and you can walk along the water and look at boats between meetings. The food is usually good, too!  

What do you do to alleviate jet lag? 

I stay in a permanent state of lag. You can’t tell the difference that way.

Was there a business trip you have taken that went particularly badly? What happened? 

My luggage got lost & I was wearing a sundress because it is HOT and humid on the TX gulf in August; I spent the next day freezing in an air-conditioned conference room not dressed for the occasion. Upon arrival at the hotel, I had to switch hotels, then switch rooms and had a surprise visitor. There is also the fact that I won’t stay in an Intercontinental any more…. They tend to like to evacuate multiple times when I stay there. In their defense, others don’t have the same experience.  

Your best business travel tip for readers of ACS Industry Matters

Safety First. As soon as you enter a hotel room, lock the inside lock & look at the map for the nearest exit.

This article has been edited for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of their employer or the American Chemical Society.

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