Highlighting Women in Science: Joyful Confidence
The Lab Depot had the pleasure of chatting with Hill's Pet Nutrition Associate Scientist Madison Amundson, or Maddie. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in veterinary medicine from The University of North Georgia. Originally, she thought she wanted to be a veterinarian, which is why she chose her field of study. As she continued her academic journey, she learned to love many of the other aspects of studying science. She changed her mind about attending veterinary school and began pursuing a path related to pet nutrition. This led her to an internship at a well-known, science-based pet nutrition company. She started in January 2022 as an intern and was hired full-time in August. This came as a result of what she calls “random searches” to try to decide what she would do in her career with her degree. She found several companies that shared similar values to her own before deciding to commit to where she currently works very happily.
Maddie is an Associate Scientist and part of the Global Clinical Nutrition and Claims Department. Her department focuses on clinical studies, claims support for their products, and substantiation. In her role, she works on clinical study projects as an investigator, helping to conduct and move the studies along smoothly, gather the results at the end of the study, do any type of data analysis that needs to be done, and publish papers and articles about the studies and the resulting findings to support their products. She has recently finished a study for a product that will launch sometime this year, but marketing has already begun releasing ads for it. She finds it very exciting and rewarding to see the results of months of hard work and effort as they release the product to the world. Maddie started work on this particular project as an intern and then took it over when she was hired as an employee. Her team must approve all messaging for any product marketing as a part of the claims support process to ensure that the company can support what the marketing is saying about any new product.
Choosing Pet Nutrition
According to Maddie, her company has two different product lines, each with specific parameters for supporting pets. The way the company decides which products to create and launch is a very detailed process involving multiple departments. Product development does its own analysis and researches scientific literature to determine what it wants from a potential product in any given area of importance to support pet nutrition. After development, during which a product has been created, it goes to a team like Maddie’s on the clinical side, where further analysis and case studies are performed to make sure that the product functions as it should and the claims being made in marketing and selling can be substantiated.
Maddie’s love of animals motivated her to pursue a degree and career in science. As mentioned previously, growing up, she always wanted to be a veterinarian. In high school, she worked in a veterinary clinic for three years, gaining valuable experience that helped her realize what a challenging career path veterinary medicine is. From the emotional toll of caring for potentially sick animals to the challenging work, life, and social balance schedule, she recognized that it might not be the best choice for her. She began to take other courses in college to try to see what might be the best fit. She studied ornithology, herpetology, and even helped teach a class in college, which helped her realize she did not want to be a teacher either. While she maintained her passion for veterinary medicine, she was faced with the choice of going into an innovation-based field for pharmaceuticals or nutrition. Ultimately, she chose nutrition.
Proud Contributions
Maddie believes it is essential for women to be in science because it can be done. “It’s not as hard as it may seem to put yourself to the task. It’s empowering and encouraging to say, ‘I am a scientist!’ I love calling myself a scientist because it's unique and brings me great joy. I am proud of myself.” She also says women in science are crucial because of the collaborative nature of problem-solving. “In any type of field, bringing people together is needed for different ideas and different mindsets to find the most efficient or the best path for any project.” She says that sometimes people are unaware of how many opportunities there are in their field, using herself as an example. She mentions that she would not have ever expected to be in the field where she is simply because she didn’t know it existed. Now, she wouldn’t change a thing, “I love my job and feel empowered by my position.” She says that women are taking advantage of the available opportunities in scientific industries, and as a result, the industries are becoming more balanced than before.
Maddie states that the most rewarding part of her job has been this sense of empowerment she has felt due to her work. She feels independent and strong, and her self-confidence has grown because she knows what she has accomplished, sticking with it even when it hasn’t been easy. She loves that she is always learning something new. As a part of an innovative team, her work is never bland, and there is always something new to discover. While at times overwhelming, working with a collaborative team of like-minded female scientists brings her encouragement and happiness. When a product goes to market, Maddie loves seeing what her contributions are doing for her company.
Dedicated, Diligent Work Pays Off
Maddie says to any woman considering a career in science, “Don’t give up on it.” She acknowledges that most people have dreams and aspirations that they may not achieve because they get tired or end up giving up on them. She encourages women not to give up on their dreams or themselves. “Many times, the things you want don’t come easy. Lean on other people for support. Other people are going through or have gone through similar situations. Find your own encouragement somehow because it will pay off in the end.”
In her free time, Maddie enjoys almost any outdoor activity. She enjoys running, working out, and swimming in the summer. Moving to Kansas nine months ago was a big adjustment for Maddie. When she arrived, she did not know anyone, so she took the time to learn about the community and meet people. She spent a lot of time working on herself and other important things, like ensuring that her new apartment was exactly what she wanted it to be. She made the effort to put herself in situations where she might meet new people. Now that she has been there for almost a year, she has a wonderful community of coworkers and friends.
Working with Pets
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance requires Maddie to take time to unplug. Because she loves what she does, sometimes work will come through during her off time. She practices self-awareness that allows her to make a conscious effort to take breaks. She is also supported by a team that ensures its members are taking their vacation time and encourages each other not to push themselves to the limit of an unhealthy work life. The company culture where she works supports her team in unplugging and spending time with friends and family.
One interesting piece of information about Maddie’s job and company is that a colony of pets lives there on-site! She says there is a rotating team of animal care technicians who work together to ensure they are all taken care of at the facility at all times. So, while Maddie might not be required to work at all hours based on how her case study protocols are developed, there are people there who work around the clock doing pet care. “We have dogs and cats on site. These animals live the dream. They run. They eat. They play. I work with animals daily, and I can hang out with them anytime I want. I have the dream job.” Her future plans include returning to school this summer to pursue a Master’s in Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and to grow with her company.
Women in Science Article Series
In this article series, The Lab Depot hopes to honor the International Day of Women and Girls in Science by building an awareness of the women doing the work every day. Mothers, daughters, wives, friends, caregivers, and colleagues. These are fascinating stories of commitment, dedication, transition, and a great love for the potential to make the world better, found in all sciences. We hope you enjoy learning more about these intelligent chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering contributors. If you are a woman in science or know one whom you greatly respect, reach out and let us know! Tell us about your path, or hers, using the comments section on any of our Women in Science social media posts, or send an email to our Communications Officer, Susie Csomor: [email protected].