Microcredentials are gaining real traction in the Massachusetts life sciences workforce — but their full potential depends on what happens after the first credential is earned. Can a microcredential stack toward a certificate? Toward a degree? Into the next job level? And how do institutions design programs that make that progression real rather than theoretical? 

This session brings together higher education researchers and practitioners to examine how institutions are designing microcredential programs that don’t just open doors — they build pathways. Panelists will address what the research tells us about learner engagement and outcomes in STEM microcredential programs; how training providers are developing life sciences microcredentials that are employer-validated, stackable, and connected to career progression in biotech and biomanufacturing; and how community colleges are sequencing short-term credentials into longer-term workforce and academic pathways. 

Jared Auclair, PhD

Dean, College of Professional Studies, Northeastern University

Sasha B. Goldman, PhD

Director of Supplemental Academic Support & Assistant Teaching Professor, Northeastern University

Rob Moore, PhD

Assistant Professor of Educational Technology, University of Florida

Marie Tupaj, PhD

STEM Dean, Middlesex Community College

Jim Peyser

Former Massachusetts Secretary of Education

Uzochi Erlingsson

Co-founder LEAS Lab

Members of the MassBioEd Early Talent Recruitment Coalition, (METRC), share insights from behind the scenes of what drives recruitment for emerging talent in life sciences, including workforce planning, internships, co-ops, and conversion strategies. This could be educational for university and program partners, thinking about how to engage with life sciences to create opportunities for their students.  

A session dedicated to hearing what schools want from companies in order to create strong opportunities for their students, what companies want from schools, what are non   starters  for both, and where can we find commonality. Year over year, both parties listen to each other but often come up short with an answer. This will help at least see where we can bridge gaps. 

Andrea Dropkin-Mackey

Director, Talent Acquisition Programs, Blueprint Medicines, a Sanofi Company

Mike Convicer

Lead, Early Talent & Strategy Biogen

Ali Joyce

Program Manager for Early and Emerging Talent Strategy, Ultragenyx

Nellie Hogler

Global University Relations Lead, Takeda

Ashley Jefferson

Director, HR Business Partner, Beam Therapeutics

Join the author of the MA Life Science Employment Outlook for a “Data Deep Dive” into the latest life sciences employment data while leaders from Industry, Government and Higher Ed describe how the data fits with what they are seeing and how they are responding. 

Ryan Helwig

Principal and Senior Director, TEConomy Partners, LLC

John Brothers

Senior Director, Workforce Development Strategy, MassBioEd

Sarah Hokanson

Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives & Operational Excellence, Boston University

Katy Gall

Director of Workforce Grantmaking, Office of Workforce Development, City of Boston

The life sciences industry, and the workforce it employs, represents a vital economic and innovation engine for the Commonwealth. The state’s investments in this industry over the past two decades have contributed significantly to Massachusetts’ global leadership position in the sector. The shared vision and unified strategy of the state executive branch and its executive offices of Education, Labor and Workforce Development, and Economic Development, together forming the Workforce Skills Cabinet, have been a driving force behind the Commonwealth’s success. As the industry continues to rapidly evolve in response to dynamic business and policy realities, we will hear from the three Undersecretaries of these Executive Offices, reflecting on successes to date, lessons learned, and priorities moving forward. They will focus on the value of leveraging the distinct authority of each office in supporting a comprehensive economic growth agenda to benefit all corners of the Commonwealth. 

Moderator – Sunny Schwartz

Chief Executive Officer, MassBioEd

Assistant Secretary of Career Education Robert LePage

Massachusetts Executive Office of Education

Undersecretary Zenobia Moochhala

Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development

Undersecretary Alysia Ordway

Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

The life sciences industry is rapidly evolving in response to a dynamic business and regulatory environment and significant, fast-paced advances in scientific discovery and new technology. These changes will not only impact an important sector of the nation’s economy but also its role in driving innovation that improves human health. Key industry leaders will share their insights, challenges, and priorities in navigating this dynamic moment in which the confluence of science, technology, business, and policy is re-shaping a vital sector. 

Moderator – Sunny Schwartz

Chief Executive Officer, MassBioEd

Kena Swanson, PhD

Vice President and Head of Viral Vaccines, Pfizer

Yvonne Hao

Chief Operating Officer, Flagship Pioneering

Faisal M. Kahn, PhD

Corporate Vice President, AI and Analytics, Novo Nordisk

The Industry-Educator Advising Session will provide an opportunity for conversations between pre-registered company teams and schools/training providers to deepen each other’s understanding of current talent needs, curriculum, and programs in the Life Sciences.  

The life sciences industry is facing a growing talent paradox: a temporary surplus driven by hiring slowdowns is masking a looming long-term shortage. As hiring freezes push skilled graduates out of the field and PhD programs contract, the risk of a “brain drain” is real—one that could have significant consequences for the industry in the next 5–10 years. 

Without sustained investment from the state and industry, talent may shift to other regions and sectors, weakening the pipeline just as demand begins to rise again. At the same time, AI is reshaping the workforce—creating both new opportunities and new pressures on how talent is trained, deployed, and retained. 

This session will focus on high-impact areas, including community colleges and Master’s programs, and explore upskilling pathways to bridge near- and long-term talent gaps. Panelists will spotlight successful models and propose new approaches, including industry-funded PhD and postdoctoral programs, while identifying actionable strategies to expand training opportunities and create alternative career pathways. The conversation will focus on what it will take—now—to retain emerging talent, rebuild the PhD pipeline, and align training with the evolving demands of an AI-driven industry. 

Lauren Celano

Co-founder and CEO of Propel Careers

Josh Finkelstein

Executive Director, Biological Design Center, Boston University

Joy Right

VP, Talent Acquisition & Executive Search, Flagship Pioneering

Mary Ellen Lane, PhD

Dean, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Professor, Department of Neurobiology,
UMass Chan Medical School

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Lorelei Stoica

Executive Director, Nonclinical Gene Therapy Research, Ultragenyx

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Breakthrough science and AI are transforming biopharma—from discovery through delivery—but success rates remain low. Increasingly, the challenge is not just pipeline and manufacturing risk, but how effectively organizations build and deploy talent to translate innovation into approved, commercially viable therapies – and how educators can prepare that talent to succeed.  

This session explores how companies are rethinking the use of AI across every stage of development and commercialization. As AI accelerates workflows and decision-making, impact depends on teams that can integrate biology, data science, clinical strategy, regulatory insight, and market understanding. 

Panelists will discuss how to: 

Matt Truppo

Senior Vice President, Global Head of Computational & AI Strategy, R&D, Sanofi

Kevin Otipoby

Chief Research Officer, Seismic Therapeutic

Peter Clark, PhD

Head of Computational Drug Design, Novo Nordisk

Chandra Ramanathan, PhD

Biopharma Executive / Board Chair/ Global Head of Innovation