Making the connection personal
After joining the Society in 1978, Robert Savinell was headed to Boston, MA just one year later for his first ECS meeting. There, as a young researcher, he would be introduced to such notable electrochemists as Jose Giner and Zoltan Nagy. For Savinell, these interactions would help steer his career and dedication to ECS into the future.
“I just got my PhD around that time and this was my introduction to the scientific community,” Savinell said. “At that meeting, Jose introduced me as a speaker, and he did it in such a way that felt like he was welcoming me into his home.”
That family dynamic and mentorship would continue far beyond that session, with Savinell quickly realizing the value that the ECS community would offer, both professionally and personally.
“Zoltan just came up to me after the session and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you join us for dinner tonight,” Savinell said. “And I felt like I was welcomed into an organization that I have this strong affiliation for ever since. That connection started because of those personal interactions.”
Throughout his career, Savinell has continued to grow those relationships established within the Society, taking on an editorial role in 1984, serving as chair of the Industrial Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering Division in 1992, and participating in various Society committees over the years. He was elected ECS fellow in 2000 and currently serves as the editor of the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, where he focuses on continuing the tradition of rigorous review while transitioning the journal to full open access.
