Jessica DeWitt, PhD

Jessica DeWitt, PhD

Jessica DeWitt is a scientific writer for Integrated DNA Technologies. Jessica decided that she wanted a career in the industry, midway through completing her graduate degree. During her final year, while working on her thesis, she understood that working remotely was high on her priority list. During her postdoc at the University of Iowa, she recognized her prioritization of writing over data analysis and benchwork in the lab. To gain writing experience, Jessica volunteered to assist other scientists in the editing of grants and journal articles in areas outside of her expertise. She also started a scientific blog to practice communicating science to nonscientists. Jessica’s daily routine consists of coordinating marketing projects, and writing content and editing for web pages, journals, flyers and guides. Jessica acts as the liaison between science and marketing. She feels that Programs In Biomedical and Biological Sciences (PIBBS) helped her figure out what was important to her. She appreciates the cross-disciplinary relationships she gained from being in the program. For Jessica, the PIBBS program was helpful in providing resources and support, but she advises that it is truly up to the individual to put in the time and effort to determine how to use them for his or her personal benefit. Her advice to those nearing graduation is to use the USC Career Center for assistance with interview practice. She encourages current graduate students to attend as many conferences, workshops and networking events as possible, to meet academic and industry professionals. Moreover, she urges students to get involved with university groups; not only will these organizations provide great networking opportunities, but these volunteer positions will be helpful in knowing what you enjoy doing in any career you decide on. Student government positions helped Jessica gain a better understanding of the field and the type of work in which she was interested. Jessica’s goal is to remain a part of the scientific community, by assisting researchers in communicating their work to a wider audience.