Name: Michelle Seitz; Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Program: AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship; Education Level: STEM Professional
April 24, 2024
minute read time
After spending 18 years in the dry, dusty heat of the Arizona desert, Michelle Seitz wanted out.
“I was somewhat pretentious as a teenager,” said Seitz, a Phoenix native. “I wanted to go to a school on the East Coast and live in a city that had public transit.”
Public transit might not be every young girl’s dream, but Seitz got her wish. For her undergraduate studies, she attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge where she got her transit but also a little more winter than she expected.
“My hair froze walking to class,” Seitz said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God. What happens now? Does it fall off?’”
Funny enough, hair—and why it frizzes like a chia pet on a humid day or doesn’t fall off when frozen—ended up being part of Seitz’s coursework and, eventually, her area of expertise. Just like metals and plastics, hair is a material. And, as Seitz knows well, each material comes with a backstory, one that explains why it melts, cracks, sticks, frizzes, or performs other funky tricks.
Today, Seitz, who earned her undergraduate and doctoral degrees in materials science, is using her mastery to try to solve an especially complex challenge: recycling.
Seitz is currently an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, usually pronounced “triple A S”) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO). Here, she’s working to create a circular economy for the United States—in which plastics and other materials can be remanufactured, recycled, or otherwise reused rather than thrown in the trash.
“Everything is made from something,” Seitz said. “So, how can we make it better, stronger, and last longer?”
In this Q&A interview, Seitz shares how her MIT literature professor changed the way she approached science, why she worked in the Netherlands for 11 years, and why she cares so much about improving recycling.
Michelle Seitz had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up, but being a permanent student sounded pretty darn good. Funny enough, as a fellow in the U.S. Department of Energy, she got her wish: She’s constantly learning about everything from materials and manufacturing to recycling and clean energy.
How did you go from 18 years consuming literature in the desert to life cycle analysis?
When I went to MIT, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I liked science, but I wasn’t a sci-fi, super-into-science teenager. I was somewhat terrified of taking chemistry in college. MIT offered a material science version that was less scary. And I loved it; it talked about how the world works and why your hair is frizzy on a humid day. For material science, you have to know the whole history of the material and why it works the way it does.
I used to think there were two parts of me: the Michelle who likes to read and talk about Jane Austen and the part that likes science. But I don't think they're different. What I like about science is telling the story of “Why does this happen?” or “Why do we care?”
In addition to studying material science, didn’t you also play varsity women's ice hockey while you were in college?
We were terrible. I knew how to skate. I grew up watching hockey. And we could play dorm ice hockey at MIT at midnight. It was like six-year-olds playing soccer. And then a member of the women’s hockey team asked me if I had considered joining the women’s ice hockey team. My senior year, when I finally had time, I walked onto the team, and it was fantastic. We lost every game that year except for one, but we had so much fun.
In her free time, Seitz bikes, knits, and reads. And she still ice skates occasionally, a hobby she originally picked up at age 12 or 13 when famous ice skater Michelle Kwan was dazzling rinks worldwide.
I know you still do some ice skating. Do you have any other hobbies outside work?
I knit, I read, and I really like to bike. When I lived in the Netherlands, the best part was my commute biking along the river. I thought bike culture in Boston was strong, but in the Netherlands, I saw entire families on bikes in the freezing snow.
How did you end up in the Netherlands?
I'll be honest, I accidentally got the job in the Netherlands. I ran into a professor who consulted for a company there, and the next thing I knew, I had a job offer. I thought I’d stay for 2 years. And I stayed for about 11.
What did you work on in the Netherlands?
The company I worked for had a lot of different plastics businesses. I worked on contact lenses but also high-temperature polyamides that go into car engines. I worked with a lot of different plastic and polymer materials to understand how the materials behave and their applications.
I don't think there's a better place than DOE to learn about the technology and analysis behind sustainability.
So, why did you leave and come to DOE?
Because I’m a human alive at this time, I’m more and more interested in sustainability. When the company decided to sell their materials businesses, it seemed like a good time to think about what I wanted to do next in my career. When you’re working in the private sector, it’s hard to have a broad view. The AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship has been tremendously powerful in getting that wider perspective. Like, there are plastics that are theoretically recyclable. But in reality, they’re not being recycled.
If you met someone who was considering applying for a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow fellowship, what would you tell them about your experience?
I don't think there's a better place than DOE to learn about the technology and analysis behind sustainability. You get exposure, time, and flexibility to explore while contributing to the office’s mission. I think of it as an unstructured master’s. Many scientists haven’t been encouraged to think across fields to understand whether you need new technology, greater knowledge, or new policy to affect change. At DOE, you learn all the different levers you could pull.
“Find mentors—and not just mentors but champions,” Seitz said when asked what advice she’d give to the next generation of women scientists and engineers. In short: Don’t try to go it alone.
What are you working on for AMMTO’s circular economy pillar?
Everything is made from something. To make that phone or coffee cup, it takes a lot of energy, money, and engineering. Can we make it better or use it again? Can we recycle that material into something new rather than go all the way back to the beginning? How can we keep living our modern life without generating as much waste?
In an ideal world, what do you hope to be doing in the 10+ years?
I have no idea. But I want to look back and say that I tried to have a positive impact. But I’ve been equally proud when people tell me I’ve had a big impact on them personally or in their career. You can be impactful in science or technology and in society. Behavior changes are also important to contribute to sustainability and circularity. We don't all have to invent an amazing new technology. We could help society accept and adopt that technology.
Do you have any advice for women interested in working in this field?
Have a group chat or a brain trust that you can go to and say, "I've had this interaction. Here's my response. What do you think?” Support networks can also push you to push yourself and go for opportunities. Also, early in your career, find mentors—and not just mentors but champions. Navigating the transition from junior colleague to peer, when you start competing for resources, can be quite challenging for not just women but any nondominant group.