Tag Archives: career changes
Jay Dickerson’s Extraordinary Career In Science – And The Coin Flip That Started It
Jay Dickerson, Amherst Class of 1994, could give the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man In The World a run for his money. With a career in the sciences that spans not one but two tenured faculty positions, the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Consumer Reports as Chief Scientific Officer, Jay is as skilled at helping the rest of us understand science as he is at practicing it.
Jay has a PhD in physics, holds two patents, and has published two books and more than 85 journal articles, including one he co-authored with a Nobel laureate. You’ll also find videos of him on TikTok, and he has given more than 40 TV, radio, and podcast interviews.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
How a coin flip decided which career path Jay would take after graduating from Amherst.
What’s harder: explaining science to a lay audience, or engaging fellow experts in the field?
The life-saving work he did at Consumer Reports to improve product safety.
The member of the Amherst Class of 1994 he wants me to talk to next.
Big thanks to former Pre-Made guests Justin Neely and Ramya Swaminathan for suggesting that I interview Jay.
Marisa Silverstein Finds Life’s Passion In Helping Kids Find Theirs
“It matters less where you go than what you do when you’re actually there.”
So says my guest, Marisa Gonzales Silverstein. She said it in the context of deciding on where to go to college. She should know. After all, she’s the founder of MGS Educational Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping prospective college students design their own path, no matter where it takes them and especially if it leads them beyond the nation’s top college and university “brands.”
MGS differs from other college counseling services because of its focus on matching prospective students to the programs that are best able to cater to their unique learning styles and interests. That’s something most high schools cannot do if only because of a lack of resources; the average high school college guidance counselor has an average case load of 400 students.
Marisa is more than just an educational consultant. She’s also an artist, mother, and wife. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone considering college or parenting someone who’s preparing to take that step. Her story also will appeal to those who are contemplating a second (or third or fourth) career act, for Marisa will be the first to admit that she finally has found her passion after several career stops along the way. She loves what she does, and it shows.
Show notes:
Books Marisa recommends: Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges, by Loren Pope. Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, by Jeffrey Selingo.
Video: “Why Did I Say “Yes” to Speak Here?” by Malcolm Gladwell, speaking at Google.
Marisa’s art: Her work drawing attention to gun violence in the United States, called “92 Americans. Every Day” and the website that showcases her work.
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