Women in Science and Engineering Blog Series Part Four: Amanda Dubbs

In recognition of Women's History Month, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) presents a special blog series featuring candid responses from female ECBC employees and leaders on their experiences as females in the science and engineering fields. The final blog in this series features Amanda Dubbs, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center's Public Affairs officer.

 

Finding an equal balance between work and life is one of the biggest challenges women face today.  Pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to choose between mother and employee.  Instead, you realize that you can handle both work and life. Working moms are amazing jugglers who fulfill many roles.  Balance is a feeling we all hope to achieve, yet none of us feel we have mastered. At the end of the day, however, we have. The fact that you did it today and will do it again tomorrow means to me that you have mastered it as well as anyone else.

When I walk out the door in the evenings I have an hour on my drive home to turn my work brain off and turn my mommy brain on.  I discovered that I thought about work more often when I had just one child but after my second, I quickly realized that my time must be devoted to them at home.  They grow up too fast.  I am fortunate to have a spouse that helps out at home so we can spend our weekends together doing family things.  You realize that the laundry can wait a day because your kids are only little once.

I didn’t take advantage of this piece of advice after returning to work with my first child, but this year, when I returned from maternity leave after my second child, I decided to try it and it is wonderful:  ME TIME!  As part of being a working mommy, you will occasionally need to plan some time to reconnect with your femininity and take care of yourself: exercise classes, a day at the spa and learning how to relax, are all ways that you can take care of yourself. Taking care of this aspect of your life is just as important as spending time with the kids and being a top professional in your industry.

Amanda graduated from Penn State in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She later earned a Master’s of Science in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins in 2007. Amanda started working at ECBC in 2004 as a biologist, then served as the Engineering Directorate's Executive Officer in 2010 and 2011, before serving in her current role as  ECBC's Public Affairs Officer in June 2011.  Amanda has been married for six and a half years and has two daughters: 2.5-year-old, Allison, and  5-month-old, Abigail. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Department of the Army, Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.