When a top biotechnology company is located within a few miles of a leading academic medical center with a robust research portfolio – chock full of rising, ambitious graduate students – it only makes sense to strike up a series of win-win partnerships.
So says Chris Connelly, PhD, director of business segment, molecular, at Streck, himself a product of UNMC Graduate Studies.
Streck “develops and manufactures solutions that ensure every result counts by empowering clinical and research laboratories to reliably deliver accurate results, advance diagnostics and enable healthier, happier lives for patients everywhere,” according to its website. Streck has more than 278,000 square feet of production facilities in La Vista, Nebraska.
The company also serves as a model and resource for UNMC graduate students, conducting tours, panels and get-to-know-you sessions for those looking toward a future post PhD.
These same UNMC graduate students also serve Streck as a potential and future workforce.
“There is great opportunity to being in those relationships,” Dr. Connelly said. “It might be a good fit when it comes time.”
The outreach to UNMC is intentional, Dr. Connelly said. “I’m Nebraska born and raised and didn’t know much about Streck,” when he first saw a job posting there in 2010.
Later, as a Streck leader who continued making outreach visits to UNMC and other local institutions, he noticed, “There used to be a time when I asked who has heard of Streck and only a few hands went up.”
Now, Streck is among UNMC Graduate Studies’ most active partners in industry. “And we’re going to continue that outreach, continue building” those bridges.
Why?
“The quality of education at UNMC is great,” Dr. Connelly said. “We have lot of confidence in how they train their students.
“Our onboarding of alums of that program has great success and retention, and we have a lot of them on staff today.”
UNMC grad students have a wide range of skills and backgrounds. Plus, their proximity to patient care makes them ideal for helping Streck turn basic science into translational science.
“Our goal is to utilize the science to develop products that improve patient care,” Dr. Connelly said.
Who might be a candidate for a place like Streck? Dr. Connelly serves as an example.
“I was a little bit nontraditional,” he said. “I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go. I took some jobs in industry to gain experience after obtaining my undergraduate degree.
“But that confirmed I wanted to develop a deeper understanding about the science,” and he went back to school, to earn his PhD at UNMC.
He found, “I also liked the connection, translational science, to do work that was going to positively impact the clinical laboratory or hospital and ultimately have some connection to the patient.”
And Streck turned out to be the best of both worlds.
He encourages UNMC graduate students to take advantage of any outreach or sessions with Streck, to start building relationships, and to submit their CVs whether or not they see their ideal job advertised.
“Some years we hire less and some years we hire more,” he said. “But a lot of times as we grow and take on new initiatives, we’ll often review our database for good candidates and you’ll see HR reach out directly, as we’ve built up relationships over the years.”
Any other advice?
“Find your mentor group, and it doesn’t have to be just one,” Dr. Connelly said. “Find people who will consult with you and share ideas. Build upon your skillset to differentiate yourself and better yourself. Honing your communication skills and cultivating a business mindset are great examples.
“That’s why you are in graduate school.”