MS in Biotechnology Innovation & Regulatory Science (Hybrid)
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Mike Muskett, Engineering Manager
SHINE Technologies
I have a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I spent 10 years in the Navy in the submarine community, working as an officer in the engineering department on nuclear submarines. Once I transitioned out of the Navy, I started in the pharma industry, working as a maintenance supervisor at a biologics API manufacturer. I transitioned from there to being the operations manager for the contract manufacturing division at the same company, helping our clients develop and manufacture drug substance material to support clinical trials.
I felt that I understood my small slice of the pharma industry but wanted to broaden my knowledge. I decided a master’s degree in biotechnology would be a great way to do that. I did a lot of research about various remote, hybrid, and in-person programs, and the BIRS program at Purdue allowed me to get in-person experience without impacting my ability to do my full-time job.
I found the in-person weekends to be invaluable and would recommend that you make the effort to travel to campus for those experiences. The professors and lecturers are exceptionally knowledgeable about the industry and the topics covered and really seemed to enjoy the material they were covering. The wide variety of experience, knowledge, and the backgrounds of the rest of the students also added a lot to the in-class sessions.
I now work as an engineering manager at a startup. The breadth of knowledge I have gained through this program has been very helpful as I contributed to regulatory filings and helped make important decisions as we validated our manufacturing processes.
If you are eager to learn about the industry and are willing to work hard, this is a great program!