Featured Friar: Sean McCarthy ’11
Sean McCarthy is currently a senior process chemist at Exemplify BioPharma in Cranbury, NJ. His company specializes in partnering with small pharmaceutical companies to help solve challenges in the development of synthetic routes to new drugs and analysis methods to assess their quality. He graduated Providence College with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry as a member of the class of 2011 before attending Penn State for graduate school. Throughout his education and career, Sean has been involved in chemistry research, which is something he began as a Friar working with both Dr. Czech and Dr. Breen. Working in two different labs put Sean in a unique position to try out a range of different areas of research, which helped inform his choice of a lab in graduate school and ultimately, his career path. He was even able to present his work at the American Chemical Society Conference in Anaheim as an undergrad, which proved to be a valuable experience that allowed him to develop communication skills which have proved to be critically important throughout his career in a field that relies on clear communication of scientific ideas between client and business. He was drawn to Providence by the close-knit community feel as well as the clear commitment to investing in the infrastructure of the science departments as chemistry was a natural choice for Sean. From an early age, he was always interested in science and was particularly fascinated by the idea of using concepts at the molecular level to explain phenomena that we observe in daily life. Chemistry was also his favorite class in high school, which further cemented his decision to pursue a major and a career in chemistry. As an undergraduate student, Sean particularly enjoyed taking high-level organic chemistry classes due to his passion for the subject as well as the helpful and dedicated professors he encountered along the way. Although chemistry can be a challenging major, small class sizes ensured Sean had the greatest opportunity for success which he took full advantage of while forging great, personal relationships with his professors. His time at Providence College placed him in a strong position to forge a successful career around his passion for chemistry.
1. What drew you to PC and why did you major in chemistry or biochemistry?
Coming from a small high school, the small class size and close knit community feel of PC was very attractive to me when I was choosing a school. At the same time, despite being a school with a liberal arts focus, it was clear that there was a commitment to investing in the infrastructure of the science departments. When I started at PC, lab upgrades were either in progress or planned in Al-Mag and Hickey, so I knew that by the time I graduated I’d have the opportunity to work in brand new lab facilities (of course, a lot more has happened since I graduated 10 years ago). My decision to major in chemistry was made before I even started looking at colleges. From an early age I was always interested in science, and I was particularly fascinated by the idea of using concepts at the molecular level to explain macroscale phenomena that we observe in daily life. Chemistry was my favorite class in high school, which cemented my decision to pursue a major and a career in chemistry.
2. Describe your experience as a chemistry/biochemistry major at PC. Any favorite courses, memories, experiences in the program?
My experience was a very good one; courses were challenging, but well-taught and engaging, and faculty members were always very helpful and accessible outside of class. My favorite courses were the higher level organic classes- Organic Analysis with Dr. Pike and Advanced Organic with Dr. Overly, both of which were major factors in my decision to join a synthetic chemistry lab in graduate school. Research was also an important part of my experience, as I got to work with both Dr. Czech and Dr. Breen. Working in two different labs put me in a unique position to try out a range of different areas of research, which helped inform my choice of lab in graduate school and ultimately my career path. I was also able to present my work at the ACS Conference in Anaheim my senior year, which was definitely a highlight of my time at PC.
3. What do you do now, and how did you get there?
I’m currently a senior process chemist at Exemplify BioPharma in Cranbury, NJ. Our company specializes in partnering with small pharmaceutical companies to help solve challenges in the development of synthetic routes to new drugs and analysis methods to assess their quality. After graduating from PC in 2011, I moved to Penn State for graduate school, where I worked in the lab of Prof. Alex Radosevich, developing novel phosphorus compounds capable of unique reactivity with the goal of using them in place of transition metal complexes as catalysts in synthetically useful reactions of organic molecules. After graduating with my Ph.D. in 2017, I spent a little over two years as a process chemist at Nalas Engineering Services in Centerbrook, CT before moving to my current job at Exemplify in late 2019.
4. How has your degree helped you in your career, either directly or indirectly?
There is no question that my time at PC put me in a strong position to succeed in grad school and beyond in a number of ways. The course work gave me a solid foundation to build on, while my research experiences taught me to work in a more independent setting and allowed me to figure out what kind of research I was most passionate about. Opportunities to present science to a wider audience, both within the department in seminars and to the greater chemistry community at ACS conferences taught me communication skills which have been critically important throughout my career since leaving PC. Especially now, working at a company where our entire business model depends strongly on clear communication of scientific ideas between us and our clients, I lean heavily on the skills I first started developing at PC.
5. What advice would you give to a prospective student who may be interested in chemistry or biochemistry?
Chemistry can be a challenging major. Be sure you’re ready to put the work in. With that said, the size of the department is an advantage- small class sizes mean that you’ll have access to your professors and the ability to form good relationships with them. They are excellent teachers and mentors, so make sure you use them as a resource. Also, look to get involved in research as early as possible. Standard course work is obviously important, but getting research experience is incredibly helpful in preparing for a career beyond PC and looks great on your resume, regardless of whether you’re planning to head to graduate school, med school, or entering a career in chemistry directly.
