Her Story
About Allison
Allison Cordova-Huaman serves as a Senior Research Scientist at Brewer Science in the semiconductors industry, a role she began after completing her PhD. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in Peru before pursuing and completing her PhD in chemical engineering at Vanderbilt University. Prior to her current position, Cordova-Huaman was actively involved in a program supporting Peruvian students from limited-resource households by connecting them with science opportunities. She now directs the chemistry program within that organization, facilitating internships for qualified students at universities and research centers, including in the United States. Cordova-Huaman is a member of AICHE, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and previously participated as a board member of the Graduate Women in Science organization and a student organization for Latin American students at her school. She attributes her success to resilience and flexibility in adapting to unexpected challenges, values accountability, responsibility, and focused flexibility in both her professional and personal life, and advises young women entering the field to apply for opportunities and build supportive communities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Allison
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think that basically being resilient. Over the last few years I've come to realize that it doesn't matter how much you plan, it's very probable that nothing is gonna go that way, and that has made me very flexible in how I see problems and how I try to find solutions to it, and how fast I can recover from that, like letting go of a plan and just continue moving on. That resilience has allowed me to build the strength of knowing that it doesn't matter how things go, I'm gonna find a solution.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My parents used to tell me that if there's something that no one can take away from me, it's my education and everything that I learn. This has guided most of my decisions in life and has led me to look for the right opportunities to keep learning and growing both academically and personally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say two things. The first one is to just go for an opportunity. Just apply. Even if it is a no, that it's not something wrong for you, you're just gonna end up in the same position you were at the beginiing, so just go for it and try it. It doesn't matter if you don't feel like you're not completely ready. The second one is to find your own community. Building your community and finding the right people that is gonna surround you, that is gonna help you, and you can get advice from. I think that makes the biggest difference.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is that the semiconductor field is growing so fast that it's very hard to keep up with where everything is going and what is needed. Finding the right ways of identifying the skills that you need is becoming a little bit harder. However, this also comes with a great opportunity because you are constantly learning, just being in this field is allowing me to learn so many things that I had no idea existed out there, and having that chance of keep learning throughout my life makes it exciting.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The first one is being accountable. Being able to take accountability for your mistakes and learning from them. Also being adaptable, plans change all the time and even though I do my best to be prepared, I keep in mind that nothing is set in stone. Finally, being reliable, showing up consistently and keeping your word.
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