Robert “Bob” Reuss, BS ’68, MS ’69, PhD ’72
From the CIA to Motorola, from Boulder to D.C. to Phoenix, Robert “Bob” Reuss, BS ’68, MS ’69, PhD ’72 crossed cities and sectors for his 45-year career in chemistry. Yet none of his positions were what he pictured as an undergrad. He says, “You think you’re going to do A, B, C, D, but it might not work like that. My career paid off in different ways than I expected.”
Bob’s original plan was hatched during high school in Havertown, Pennsylvania, where his chemistry teacher inspired him to study the same field in college. When he committed to Drexel University in 1963, he had already decided to become a chemistry professor.
At Drexel, Bob was inducted into the National Chemistry Honor Society, joined ROTC and the lacrosse team, and completed co-ops at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and at Drexel with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF). In his junior year, he had the opportunity to start graduate school early. Everything was going according to plan — until it wasn’t.
In 1968, Bob received draft papers for the Vietnam War. As a graduate student, he rejoined ROTC. He was commissioned as a U.S. Army officer in 1971, sent to the Chemical Corps School in Alabama and then placed in the Army Reserve. Finally, he could pursue a post-doctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Health at the University of Colorado. By now, though, Bob realized that being a professor in a struggling job market (due to an oil embargo) might not be the most satisfying option. What did he want to do now?
Encouraged by Drexel peers, Bob applied to the CIA. He realized, “They wanted program managers with science backgrounds to provide technical support for intelligence-gathering. It combined the research side of academia with the development side of industry.” For example, he and his contractors developed focused ion beams for microfabrication — a tool that became essential for the microelectronics industry.
Ironically, it was while he was at the CIA that Bob’s original goal also came to life. Through his participation in chemical organizations, Bob had the opportunity to teach organic chemistry on weekends at a local community college to students who planned to go to medical and dental school.
Even then, Bob’s career goals continued to evolve. After seven years in D.C., he was recruited by Motorola. He laughs, “People asked, ‘Why is a chemist at an electronics company?’ But electronics are manufactured by applying chemistry.” He held multiple roles in Phoenix and Chicago, developing and refining special-purpose widgets, telephone/radio batteries and display technologies. By the time he lef Motorola in 2001, he had published 50 papers and received 13 patents.
In the last leg of his full-time career, Bob worked at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, where he researched novel materials and fabrication methods for thin, flexible, lightweight electronics to use in healthcare and sensor technologies. In retirement, he became a consultant to government agencies, defense contractors and commercial suppliers for 10 years.
Today, Bob supports the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Drexel’s lacrosse team. He recently established a charitable gift annuity (CGA) with Drexel.
He says, “There was no question. Much of my career has been shaped by and associated with academia. Drexel — especially the co-op program — was a major influence for me. And a CGA was the easiest path to do something without overextending ourselves.”
To the chemists of tomorrow, Bob offers advice from experience: “Learn about all the possibilities. You never know what you’ll find exciting until you get out there. Be ready to change course based on experiences — good or bad!”