Elizabeth Biddinger

Good for young faculty

In 2014, Elizabeth Biddinger was an undergraduate student at Ohio University, doing research under the guidance of ECS fellow Gerri Botte. With a little encouragement from Botte, Biddinger became a member of the Society, quickly realizing the impact that this community would play in her career.

“The ECS membership feels very intimate,” said Biddinger, winner of the 2016-2017 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship. “It’s a place where even as a new member, you can engage with anyone in the Society and know they’ll be very welcoming. The networking here is something that I’ve not experienced with any other major Societies, at least not to the level where at any moment you could be introduced to the president of the organization with really no fanfare. I think those interactions are great for a young faculty member.”

Fast-forward to present day, Biddinger has used her initial interactions with the Society as a springboard to develop a vast network of friends and fellow scientists, becoming a member of the ECS Industrial Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering Division and helping establish new opportunities for early career researchers.