When Chang Dou and his friends sought shelter from a rainstorm during a camping trip in Bremerton, Washington in April 2014, they had no idea they were about to stumble onto a lifelong mission. Recruited on the spot to help judge at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair, Chang was captivated by a student’s project on microplastics pollution, leading to a lifetime commitment of volunteer service to science, often involving mentoring students through internships.

Q: What first inspired you to start volunteering, and can you remember your very first volunteer experience? What was that like?

In 2014, I was a PhD student at the University of Washington in Seattle, and joined some friends in graduate school on a spring camping trip. While driving to the campsite it began pouring rain, forcing us to pull off onto the side of the road. As we sought warmth and coffee, we noticed a large event taking place in a school near us, not realizing it was the venue for the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair featuring more than 1,000 students. We spoke to the organizer, who upon learning that we were all science and engineering PhD students, surprised us by asking if we’d be judges for the student presentations because many of the scheduled judges had to cancel because of the weather.

We were happy to help judge, and the experience was fantastic and we were inspired by the many ideas that the high schoolers had – some were years ahead of their time. One such budding scientist presented on microplastic contaminates on Puget Sound beaches at a time when few were focusing on ocean plastic waste. I was shocked by the quality of her presentation and we exchanged contact information and I still keep in touch today, sometimes mentoring her in other projects, such as biofuel research. She inspired me to pursue my work in plastics.

Q: Have you seen any shifts over time in how the scientific community values volunteerism?

Interest remains high, but the impacts of COVID-19 as it relates to remote work and online events have presented challenges, such as decreased engagement and participation. But the pandemic created opportunities, as well, such as teaching people to host successful online events and providing access to those who might not be able to attend in-person events because of school, work, or family. I am working to revitalize participation in the Bay Area local chemical engineering community, as well as at the national level.

Q: What advice would you give to other scientists who want to get involved in service or outreach?

I encourage scientists to take that first step to volunteer because people are interested in both what scientists do and why they do it. Volunteering is an opportunity to help others, improve communication skills, and gain a better understanding of the importance of one’s work — a process of self-reflection . Also, interacting with people with different perspectives can lead to new ideas and insights, as exemplified by my current work on plastics.