WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? SANDY'S VERSION

Robertson holds bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering. While pursuing her graduate degrees, she worked as a teaching assistant and discovered a joy in teaching that she hoped to pursue in academia. As an undergrad, her career path first took her into manufacturing for Dow Chemical. Then during her graduate studies, she worked for Procter & Gamble in formulation research. After finishing her graduate degrees, she moved to Merck & Co, a switch that allowed her work to impact people more directly. Robertson’s early work saw her focused on improving stain-fighting properties in laundry detergent – something that might not have seemed significant at the time. Later in her career, she applied what she learned about surfactants in detergents to improve the bioavailability of a potential pharmaceutical treatment for HIV. 

At Merck, Robertson worked with global teams that developed treatments for significant conditions like Hepatitis C and insomnia. Simultaneously, she was balancing the needs of her growing family and supporting the career aspirations of her husband, who is also an engineer. 

A few years following a move to Colorado that allowed her husband to pursue his dream job, Robertson came to a crossroads in her career path. Not finding a next project in pharmaceuticals that was inspiring, a happenstance conversation with Kati Dorais at a youth basketball game where both their children were playing found Robertson inspired her to consider moving back to what she thought she would be doing with her career – teaching. Dorais had just taken a job as a social studies teacher at Regis Jesuit and her effusiveness about the experience convinced Robertson to investigate the possibility for herself. 

It happened that a chemistry position was open starting the following school year. Robertson applied and was hired. Eight years later her Honors and AP Chemistry classes are some of the most sought-after in the Science Department. She also moderates the STEMBlazers Club which boasts a membership of three dozen girls looking to pursue a career in a STEM field. Robertson has also led school retreats and chaperoned the March for Life delegation. Her approach to connecting her work and faith life is a powerful model for both her students and colleagues.

Now, that is some wisdom we all can learn from!

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Don’t miss our final presentation in this year’s Wisdom of Women Speaker Series!

On Friday, April 26 at 12:55 pm in Magis Hall of the Science & Innovation Center., we are excited to welcome Air Force Academy graduate, Lt. Col. Tracy LaTourette USAF (Ret), Colorado’s first female fighter pilot and one of the first women in the world to fly fighter aircraft. 

See the full docket of speakers we welcomed this year here.