How Engineering Can Prepare You for a Career in Spectroscopy

Ayush Agarwal, a postdoctoral researcher, is our featured guest for the next series of “Pathways in Spectroscopy” interviews. Over the course of the next several videos, Agarwal will address topics like career transitions, his current research, and what engineers should consider before making the same career transition he made.^1,2

In the first part of our interview with Agarwal, he provided an overview of his transition from chemical engineering to spectroscopy. In this clip, Agarwal talks about how his chemical engineering background prepared him for a career in spectroscopy.

Spectroscopy: How did your chemical engineering background prepare you for a career in spectroscopy?

Ayush Agarwal: Chemical engineering gave me the why of doing things, so if I as a spectroscopist, or as an analytical chemist, do not really know why I'm doing certain measurements, or what the impact of it is. As a person, I would not be very satisfied with my work. However, by having the chemical engineering background, having an understanding of the PID diagrams of different biogas plants that I work in for sampling during my PhD, I can see whether the different onsite constraints are actually dictating whether the science can actually become technology. So, knowing the why behind the things really helped me. That's how I look at it.

This video clip is the second part of a multipart interview series with Agarwal. The insights presented in these clips are meant to highlight the versatility of engineers in pursuing non-traditional careers in their field. These videos will also dive into career transitions, and how to make these transitions smoother and more seamless, providing young spectroscopists with the necessary insight to help them navigate a dynamic and changing job market.

Our next clip with Agarwal will dive into his doctoral research, which helped him showcase both his engineering and spectroscopy knowledge, which will be focused on inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

References

1. Wetzel, W. Pathways in Spectroscopy Preview: Transitioning from Chemical Engineering to Analytical Chemistry. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/pathways-in-spectroscopy-preview-transitioning-from-chemical-engineering-to-analytical-chemistry (accessed 2026-04-13).
2. Agarwal, A.; Wetzel, W. How Difficult is the Transition from Chemical Engineering to Spectroscopy? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/how-difficult-is-the-transition-from-chemical-engineering-to-spectroscopy- (accessed 2026-04-13).