Young Alumni Spotlight – Ryan Pinard, ’25

We recently caught up with recent Cornell Chem graduate Ryan Pinard, ’25 to find out what he’s up to as a first-year graduate student at Yale University and to get his advice to other undergraduates in the department about the graduate school process.

Tell us a bit about what you’re doing right now:

I’m pursuing a PhD at Yale in the inorganic division of the chemistry department. My first year will consist of taking ten graduate-level chemistry classes, TA-ing both semesters, rotating through various labs, and starting my own independent research!

Considering where you’re at in your professional journey, what are some goals you have for your future?

Graduate school feels like my chance to get a better grasp of the field as it stands today. I’m looking forward to diving into the literature as well as discovering my own version of the scientific method. After graduating, I hope to pursue postdoctoral fellowships and hopefully become a professor in chemistry.

Can you share a little about how Chemistry at Cornell impacted or inspired your career path?

Cornell C&CB has an impactful presence in the field, both past and present, which you might not realize while you’re a student there. Cornell was directly or indirectly mentioned on the first day in all my classes this semester! I’m certainly proud to have a connection to that history. Moreover, the support you get in the department is top-notch; opportunities to connect with older students and faculty through things like Alpha Chi Sigma made it easy to figure out what research I wanted to do and whether grad school was right for me.

What advice would you give an undergraduate who just joined the Chemistry major at Cornell?

The best part about being a chem major is doing research! Don’t be afraid to start early or switch labs later on if you feel like you want to explore something new. If research isn’t what you’re looking for, make sure you’re getting Don’s emails, which can help with other opportunities. Also, join ΑΧΣ!

Do you have any advice for CHEM majors who will be applying to graduate school this year?

Start NOW if you haven’t. Make sure you ask for your letters, check your deadlines, and check GRE requirements. I think more schools (like Yale) are requiring the GRE than in the past few years. Get at least one essay done early so your mentors can read over it. I wish I had done that…