Building networks
Esther Takeuchi joined ECS in 1985, the same year she joined the researchers at Greatbatch Inc., where she would lead a team in developing the battery system that powers life-saving cardiac defibrillators. According to Takeuchi, her interactions with the Society over the years and the access to an international network of researchers has impacted her both personally and professionally.
“Scientifically, ECS has been a great organization to be a part of,” Takeuchi said. “The cross-section of participants both in term of background; meaning academic, industry, national lab; and country of origin really guarantees that you get to interact with the best of the best from every corner of the world.”
Building a network of collaborators through ECS prompted Takeuchi to expand her role in the Society, taking up the positions of secretary, treasurer, chair of the ECS Battery Division, and even ECS president from 2011-2012.
“Scientific participation and scientific discovery is a marathon, not a sprint; you have to be in it for the long-haul,” Takeuchi said. “I think that idea is very reflective of the Society and its members.”
