“The problems our planet is facing are unprecedented. Many people are already experiencing the symptoms of more erratic weather. I do believe that no nation, and no single group of nations, can change the path our planet is on. It will take all of us coming together. ”
This issue features Dr. Anne Shim, Head of Advanced Materials and Systems Research, NA, at BASF.
Dr. Shim leads a cross-functional research group including teams in Formulations, Monomer and Polymer, and Analytical sciences as well as a Pilot plant for scale-up. Prior to this, she held positions as the director of New Product Development for BASF’s Performance Materials division in North America, as the Director of Technology and Quality for the Coatings Division. She has been part of global and regional business leadership during her various tenures at BASF. Anne received her PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Akron, Ohio. She also holds a Masters in Polymer Science from the University of Akron and a Masters of Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark.

How many languages do you speak?
I am fluent in Danish and English and know a little German and Spanish, as well.
How did you become interested in this field?
I knew I wanted to go into STEM and was considering statistics. My father connected me with people in the insurance industry and though the math was really interesting, I thought it was not quite what I liked to do. I had been exposed to chemistry and engineering from an early age as both my parents hold advanced degrees in chemistry and my mother was a professor of chemistry at the Technical University of Denmark. I liked the industry focus of engineering vs the academic focus. So that is how I chose.
Could you describe what you do at BASF?
I connect science, customer needs and people. For example, the world needs more responsible inhabitants—and most consumers want to maintain the standard of living that they have today. To accomplish both, society’s best minds must use their scientific knowledge to reduce and avoid waste and to use renewable raw materials. We are already doing this at BASF. To further enhance sustainability, we need to address some technically difficult challenges. Luckily, we have scientists and engineers who are exceptional and excel at solving challenging questions. My job is to connect all of these people and topics.
