Dawn L. Shiang, (BA 1983, Ph.D. 1987), completed her Ph.D. degree under the direction of Curators' Professor of Chemistry Robert W. Murray in physical organic chemistry in 1988, and went on to the Pennsylvania State University to do postdoctoral research. In 1990 Bill and Dawn Shiang went to work for the Dow Chemical Company in Midland in Michigan. Dawn's career at Dow has been nothing less than spectacular. She began her career at Dow doing process research in the laboratory in various areas and in a matter of ten years went from an entry-level Ph.D. bench chemist to, using old terminology, a Laboratory Director role. This is about twice as rapid as regular promotion rates at Dow. She spent some time in Geneva Switzerland with the company and between 2006 and 2010 was Director for Asia-Pacific Research for Dow in Shanghai and was responsible for planning and establishing the company's research presence there.
