My Career as a Separation Scientist

This memoir is a 3-part series on the mundane life of a China-born separation scientist coming to America as an international student and his career in research and industries. It chronicles my early interest in science and writing, leading to many books and articles in analytical chemistry and liquid chromatography. The autobiography describes my living experience in New York, New England, and California.

Part 1 describes my birth in Shanghai and upbringing in Hong Kong, where I developed an interest in science and chemistry, which led to a journey to America as an international student.

Part 2 chronicles my graduate studies in analytical chemistry and early career in research in chemical, instrument manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries in the New York and New England areas.

Part 3 describes my relocation to the Bay Area in California, working for Genentech in new cancer drug development and moving back to the east coast as a pharmaceutical consultant in Connecticut.

Immigration is difficult. Few would choose to leave home unless driven by the promise of a better future. Writing is also difficult. While everyone has a life story worth telling, very few would write them down. I started my memoir as a therapeutic pastime during the pandemic shutdown in
April of 2020. It took four months to write and another two months for translation into Chinese. I have a mundane life with daily living dominated by trivial chores and choices. I am lucky to be able to pursue my passion for science and a career in industry while living in peaceful suburbs near the American coastal metropolis.

Today, geopolitical conflicts between America and China continue to escalate. I hope these stories may bring some insights into the cultures and societal values of the two great nations through the eyes of a separation scientist with an ordinary life.