Julie
Tinklenberg '97
A Chemist Constantly
On the Go
When Julie Tinklenberg '97
saw the Heritage Science Center for the first time, she breathed a sigh
of relief and gave a nod of approval. Although the chemistry graduate never
used a microscope, flask, or Bunsen burner in that facility as a student,
she was pleased to see that current and future Trinity students will have
those opportunities.
"The Science Center filled
a big need for the College," she said. "Trinity has had terrific science
professors, but the facilities and equipment were lacking. There was a
lot of discussion about a new science building when I was in school, so
it was great to see it come to fruition."
Tinklenberg, who also earned
a degree in business at Trinity, remembers well the days of science classes
in the Classroom Building and the trips to Argonne National Laboratory
for science labs. She earned her doctorate in chemistry at Rutgers University
in New Jersey and now works at GE Advanced Materials in Exton, Pennsylvania.
As an analytical chemist, she works on test development for new plastic
platforms.
"I love being in the lab
figuring things out," she said. "When I was in high school, I knew I wanted
to go into science. I chose to major in business because at some level
in my professional life, I don't want to work for someone else. At GE,
it's important that I have a good understanding of finance, so my background
benefits me in that way."
Tinklenberg, the vice president
of Trinity's alumni board, grew up in Lowell, Michigan. Since graduating
from Rutgers in 2002, she has lived in Indiana, West Virginia, New York,
and China as a result of GE's Edison Engineering Development Program.
Living in different parts
of the United States and overseas opened doors for diversity in her career
and personal life. On the job, she sometimes would work on as many as five
different projects in one day. In her leisure time, she embarked on backpacking
trips to enjoy a different perspective of her environment. She lives in
Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and is "looking forward to staying in one place
for a while and being more active in my community."
Community involvement is
one of many lessons that Tinklenberg remembers from her four years at Trinity.
She expressed euphoria and gratitude about the impact that the College
has on her.
"I got a great college education.
Because of the small-college environment, there was such a close connection
with the professors. It would have been easy to go to a big school and
leave there without being noticed. Trinity provided the perfect setting
for me to make some dear friends, and I have a lot of fond memories of
my time there.
"It's neat to see how the
campus has grown. Certainly the science department can become even better
now that it has better resources. The College as a whole is in a great
position to accomplish wonderful things, and I hope it takes full advantage
of its location near Chicago."
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