On Monday, April 27, 2015, BCLA hosted an Info Session on the various Biosciences and Management programs offered by the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences(KGI), presented by Ms. Jennifer Ton, the Program Director of KGI’s Master of Bioscience (MBS) in Bioprocessing. Ms. Ton delivered a thorough introduction of KGI’s history, philosophy, and its highly successful graduate programs training students for careers in the biosciences industries.
KGI was founded in 1997 through a generous grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation and is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium, located in Claremont, CA. The institute offers programs for students of all backgrounds, such as Master of Bioscience (MBS), PhD in Applied Life Sciences, and even a Postdoc Professional Masters (PPM) for postdoctoral scientists who wish to acquire the business and management skills needed to pursue senior management positions within the biotech industry or embark upon entrepreneurial biosciences ventures. KGI also offers a unique two-week summer program for postdocs that allows students to get a quick taste of the life sciences industries and get a preview of their more lengthy degree programs.
Overall, Ms. Ton’s presentation was well-received and generated abundant interests from the audience. Many participants expressed concerns regarding the difficulty of job-hunting and transitioning from the academic setting to the biotech industry without prior business/industry experience. It seems that KGI is offering the exact programs that would help students and postdocs in bridging this gap and easing the transition. We would like to thank Ms. Ton for providing a very informative session and answering our concerns, and thanks to all who attended this event!