alumnae
Spotlight: Els Paine ’82 After graduating from Castilleja, Els Paine ’82 attended Princeton and earned a degree in molecular biology. She returned to school after a few years in consulting and venture capital, receiving an MBA from Wharton, and then accepted a job in pharmaceutical marketing with Merck. During her career she enjoyed various roles, eventually directing a group in market research for osteoporosis and drugs in late-stage development. Along the way she married and had three children and gradually shifted down at work from five to three days a week. “I stayed at home for a few years after witnessing the accidental death of my five-year old goddaughter rendered the thought of leaving my children at home too difficult. When my youngest went off to pre-school, I began work as a contractor to a consulting firm, working 15 hours a week and leading teams that serviced pharmaceutical clients.” Seven years later, with an increasingly empty nest at home, she decided to return to work full-time. Soon she had three job offers on the table — one from her existing firm, one from a pharmaceutical company, and one from Princeton University. “I took a risk and after many years in the corporate world, mostly in pharmaceuticals, I shifted to academia and am now the administrator for the Council on Science & Technology at Princeton. We fund and approve the courses in science and engineering that are appropriate for students who are concentrating in humanities and the social sciences. The Council aims to ensure that all graduating students know how to think like a scientist and can be exemplary citizens, voters, and leaders armed with the ability to assess the technological and scientific issues of the day. We are putting in place curricular changes and introducing research-based teaching methodologies to achieve our goals. I’ve never been happier at work.” Looking back on her 25-year career and its many transitions, Els offered the following advice to those contemplating their own transitions: • Get the best education you can; Castilleja is a fabulous start, and I do think a graduate degree helps with re-entry.
Alumnae Spotlights In this issue, we focus on alumnae who have made or are making thoughtful transitions in their personal and work lives.
• Keep your “toe in the water” in the workforce in some way, even if it is just one or two days per week. You never know when returning to full-time work will become a financial or personal necessity. • Don’t be afraid of re-entry — you’ll be surprised how wise you have become through your life experiences and volunteer work. • Maintain your contacts with your old colleagues. I was picked out of the stack of resumes at Princeton in part because I emailed my thesis adviser from 25 years ago, and he took it upon himself to put in a good word for me.
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