Ellie Small – Doing Big Things: Writing for Engineers Interview Report
“As an engineer, I do the thinking so you as a consumer don’t have to.” Ellie Small, Principal Scientist at Johnson & Johnson, ensures the safety of ingredients in the products we use every single day. Ellie’s work has such a powerful impact on consumers; People can use J&J products without having to worry about it whether it will have a detrimental effect on their health. Because of Ellie’s responsibility to consumers, a bond of trust is formed between Johnson & Johnson, their products, and the people who use them. Ellie’s last name may be Small, but the impact her research in consumer products has on you, me and your everyday consumer is far from “Small”; it’s huge.
When asked why she decided to start working at Johnson & Johnson, Ellie immediately brought up J&J’s Credo, which first line reads, “We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services.” Ellie’s main reason for applying to J&J was deeply rooted in her passion for helping others, which is a belief J&J undoubtedly follows. During our interview, Ellie recalled a time she was invited to a dinner at the J&J headquarters in New Brunswick where the CFO of the company would be a guest speaker. She told me that by just analyzing the CFO’s body language and tone of voice, she could tell that he truly put the Credo first. Also, with her father being a doctor and her mother being nurse, she admits that the Credo hits close to home. With her family background, it is no surprise that Ellie chose to work in field where her job role directly impacts the health and general well-being of consumers.
Ellie not only graduated with Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, but also went on to get a PHD in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Drexel University, a decision that was aided by one of her own mentors at J&J. For her PHD, Ellie designed experiments and led subsequent engineering analysis for research focused on ultrasound-triggered drug release. Going from studying something as intense as ultrasound-triggered drug release to formulating mouthwash for Listerine was a big transformation for her. At first, she didn’t truly feel that her work at J&J was very meaningful. However, it was the wise words from her father that turned her mindset around. He told her, “George Washington died from bad oral hygiene, something that mouthwash or other oral care products could have helped prevent.” Ellie not only went away with this advice having a renewed sense of purpose, but also realized how her research is so vital for consumers that need to take preventative measures with their health.
Ellie has mainly worked within two different departments at Johnson & Johnson, located in Skillman, NJ. Working at J&J was her first job, and she has never left. She previously worked in Oral Care with Listerine mouthwash and now works in Wound Care with Band-Aid. On average, Ellie spends about four hours a day writing and sending emails. She told me in Band-Aid there is a lot of communication that needs to go on. She spends the first two hours of the day responding to inquiries and following up with people, which includes the time she takes to research an idea, compile the data and send the information across. She noted how her current role in Wound Care is much different from her former position in Oral Care, where she could batch mouthwash on her own without the need to constantly contact other people.
Although her roles at J&J were very different, Ellie concurred that both roles required a significant amount of communication. Ellie spends about 20% of her time in meetings and asking others for advice. She pointed out how important it was for her to always reach out to people in fields where they had more expertise. These connections are what propel Ellie’s research forward.
When I asked Ellie what qualities are required of her from her job, she mentioned that being thorough is a key trait to have in her field. She told me, “When I make a batch in lab, I need to think of how the product will be formulated on a large scale and consider all types of safety issues.” Not only must Ellie consider the ingredients and materials in the products she formulates, but also how the safety concerns from a lab bench will translate over to the mass production of the product. This is a prime example of how Ellie does the thinking behind the J&J products people use so consumers don’t have to. Every time I use a Band-Aid or rinse with Listerine mouthwash, I now consider all the thinking that was put into making these products, which is all part of Ellie’s job role as Principal Scientist at J&J. She even mentioned how she has to remind herself that she is a J&J consumer, too.
During the final exchanges of our interview, Ellie mentioned how she accredits a lot of her success to the support of her family and mentors. In fact, Ellie was my mentor at Johnson & Johnson over the course of my internship this past summer. It is evident that the support Ellie has received shaped her into the compassionate, dedicated chemical engineer she is today, something I aspire to. Her compassion has allowed her to recognize that the power to keep consumers safe is in her hands, and as a member of the Johnson & Johnson family she truly lives out their Credo. When I asked Ellie how she has thanked all the people in her life that have helped her, she replied, “You can’t always pay it back, but you can pay it forward.”
**Interview Report Link: Ellie Small – Final Interview Report
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