Alumni Spotlight

Scott Yoder

Program Manager

Hospira Corporation (Chicago, Illinois)
Class of 2005

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Scott Yoder applied to the program because he saw it as a perfect match between science, law and business. "I wanted to become more familiar with the business side of biotech, its legal aspects, clinical and regulatory strategies. The challenges associated with a startup company, in particular, require a breadth that goes so far beyond a traditional M.S. or M.B.A. degree."

Learning about business strategies, mergers and acquisitions in the program was somewhat serendipitous for Yoder. "Talk about timing and the usefulness of hands-on information-I was living it while I was in graduate school." Two of his consecutive employers, PowderJect Vaccines, Inc., and then Bone Care International, were purchased and relocated within a span of two years. The degree gave him the skills, not to mention confidence, to use each acquisition and downsize as an opportunity for career advancement. Following the sale of the latter, Yoder advanced into a position as Operations Manager at Stratatech Corporation, Inc., a biotechnology manufacturing company with about 30 employees.

"The biotechnology industry is unique for the variety within its pace of change...the science and technology changes so quickly, but the path to the marketplace is a long, often delayed, one. The program's courses in technology transfer topics were invaluable to me in learning how to get products to the marketplace...whether in a small start-up company based on university research, or a global pharmaceutical company."

The mobility and value of his degree was tested again when Yoder was recruited by Hospira, Inc. in fall 2007. Hospira, a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, reintroduced him to the world of big-pharma. "The courses in the M.S. in Biotechnology were the most applied I have ever taken...that direct application has been incredibly valuable to me as I have moved into different business environments, where a lot of concepts are shared, if you can identify the common factors. The program definitely gave me a competitive advantage in pursuing career and salary progression."

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