Lisa Ramond Kistner, B.S. 1996

1996 Major: Chemistry

How has being a Chemistry graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?

"Honestly, it funded my graduate school in architecture, and set the groundwork for my approach to the field. I fell in love with architecture in a Civil Engineering class at Duke my senior year. I had to finish up my Chemistry degree, because Duke did not offer architecture. I took a solid-income position in the largest Speciality Chemicals company in the world and worked to earn enough for graduate school. Once I became an architect, and even before, in graduate school, I developed a highly analytic approach to problem solving in my projects. My analysis was grounded in my previous work as a scientist at Duke. Although I did not follow chemistry as a career ultimately, I find that the coursework gave me an edge in my chosen field."

What advice would you give students in Duke's Chemistry programs? 

"Stay curious. Realize that you are building your brain, not necessarily laying a specific set of skills."