Introductions Among Scientists

Dear Mrs. Newton,

I have a public relations job at a new company. It is my first experience working for a technical company. Last Friday night, before leaving work, I attended the monthly beer bash in the cafeteria. I joined a group which contained one of the few people in the R & D department I have met so far. He and I were in the same orientation put on by human resources to review the company's benefits package. As I juggled my Coors Lite, he introduced himself to the other scientists in the circle by telling them where he went to school and where he did his post-doctoral studies. He mentioned that he had he worked in the laboratory of a Professor Herman Schultz. Up to that point, the other guys in the circle were fidgeting or scanning the crowd for prospective dates. Suddenly, my new acquaintance had everybody's attention. You would have thought he was about to read out the lottery numbers for the Mega-Millions jackpot. When I am introducing myself to scientists should I mention the names of my journalism professors? I studied with some real heavyweights.

Mystified Margaret

Dear Margaret,

Just as you don't know who Dr. Schultz is, your scientific colleagues are unlikely to recognize the names of your accomplished professors. We live in a very specialized world. However, within a particular specialization, the stars are known to all. Your colleague was informing the other scientists that he had studied with an important professor, someone who had made significant contributions to their field. The other people in the circle had probably heard Dr. Schultz give a paper at an important meeting or, at the very least, read some of his published work. In the scientific disciplines, mentioning key professors and mentors is an efficient way of letting others know about your specialized knowledge and training. It is helpful shorthand. I would not try copying this behavior, because, in your case, with your background in a completely different sphere, it would not serve the same purpose. I suggest you Google Professor Schultz and learn why he is famous. Don't be frustrated if you can't figure it out right off the bat. Oftentimes, profound scientific contributions are subtle or even obscure to lay people. Ask your new friend to translate for you. Chances are, he'll be happy to oblige and a bit flattered as well.