The Westminster College Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry will host Dr. Amanda Fond ’03 for the 19th annual Ken and Nancy Long Chemistry Lecture at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, in the Dietz Sullivan Lecture Hall in Westminster’s Hoyt Science Center.    

Fond's presentation, "Catalyzing a Career Change: A Chemist's Path into AI," will explore her non-traditional career from government contracting to working in the artificial intelligence (AI) field.  

"I think many people graduating with a chemistry degree think they have two options: working in a lab or working in academia. I know that was definitely the case for me," said Fond. "There are so many other options available that are not frequently discussed and students are not always given exposure to alternatives. I would like to change that perspective." 

Fond is a policy manager for Anthropic. Previously, she worked as a science specialist and technical adviser for Battelle, Nobilis and Schafer Corp. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Westminster, she earned a doctorate in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 
 
During her lecture, Fond will discuss how her career has evolved from working in countering explosives to developing AI policy. She will also explain how adversaries are growing more capable as technology expands and that government defenses need to remain aligned in both physical security measures and precautions for AI.  

As a former student of Dr. Long, Fond looks forward to returning to campus to share her work with a new generation of chemistry students.  

“I'm so honored to be invited to give the Long lecture. Being at Westminster and having had Dr. Long as a professor makes it incredibly humbling to be a speaker for this lecture series. I'm also very excited to see how the chemistry department has grown,” said Fond. 

Presented by Westminster’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the lecture series is funded by Dr. Ken Long, Westminster professor of chemistry emeritus and his wife, Nancy, and invites chemists to speak with students on campus. The event is free and open to the public.  

For more information, contact Dr. Pete Smith, professor of chemistry, at 724-946-7299 or smithpm@westminster.edu. 

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By  Kristen Aleprete  
Kristen Aleprete is a staff writer in Westminster College’s Office of Marketing and Communication.  
  

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