PhD graduate selected for career development mentoring program

SMDP connects scholars with mentors from biotechnology, consumer healthcare and medical technology companies. Through the program, scholars attend a multi-day training session that includes career development coaching and exposure to industry career paths. Scholars also attend a major industry conference and work with their mentor following a yearlong, personalized mentoring plan to prepare for careers in industry.

Ette was selected for the SMDP Biotech program and will attend a five-day training session in Boston from June 14-19. There she will be paired with an industry mentor from a biotechnology or consumer healthcare company. Following the session, she will receive a full year of personalized career mentoring, membership to an online career portal, complimentary registration for a major industry conference, up to $500 in travel reimbursement and valuable networking opportunities.

“It is truly an honor to be selected as an SMDP scholar,” says Ette. “This program has been providing students access to mentorship and invaluable knowledge about careers in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years. I am excited to learn from one-on-one mentoring with an industry professional and pay it forward by mentoring future scholars someday.”

Ette expressed pride in joining a diverse cohort of scholars who are poised to shape the future of drug discovery and development. She says the program aligns with her professional goals of becoming a clinical pharmacologist and pharmacometrician by providing both insider industry knowledge and meaningful connections to support her career journey.

Ette’s gratitude reflects the collaborative support she has received throughout her academic path. “I would like to thank my SPPS faculty advisor, Dr. Donald Mager, for always guiding and supporting me; my lab members for fostering a healthy and welcoming work environment; my mentor Dr. Kimberly Collins for always providing personable and practical advice; my siblings for teaching me character development from a young age, my father and mother for inspiring me to pursue pharmacy and, ultimately, quantitative clinical pharmacology; and lastly, I have to thank God (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) for making this all possible.”