Being Brave – How Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Can Increase Developmental Opportunities and Improve Team Performance

By Ken Sims, MS, PhD Candidate in Translational Biomedical Science

“Be brave. Someone has to take advantage of this opportunity. Someone will receive the award, get the nomination, complete the internship, or participate in the workshop. Why not you?”

I have heard different versions of this paraphrased message multiple times over during my participation in the URBEST program. It is still as thought-provoking and inspiring to me today as the first time I heard it a few years ago. Most importantly, though, it is true.

Offsite Internship Experience at Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

By Hong Zhu, PhD Candidate in Biochemistry

I am a biochemistry PhD student by day and a TEAM (technical entrepreneur and management) master student by night, since most of the business classes takes place in the evening. With my PI’s consent and support, I sought an internship opportunity that could engage my interests in both science and business. Last semester, I had the opportunity to participate in an offsite internship for the Basic Science Research and Advanced Technologies group in Estee Lauder Companies Inc (ELC). I met Kurt Schilling, Senior Vice President of Basic Science Research and Advanced Technologies for ELC in a networking event organized by URBEST. Since I was the first graduate student intern in the group he leads, we had several phone conversations to pin down the details of this internship. We talked about what this internship could entail in order to achieve his group’s aims as well as my aims. Based on our discussion, Kurt proposed a project in which I would be able to put both my science training and business training into practice, which I happily accepted.

Don’t Take No for an Answer

By Amy Hein, PhD, Director of Scientific Workforce at Ripple Effect

As early as grade school, I can remember being fascinated by how the brain works. Mental health disorders ran in my family, and role models like Jane Goodall only drew me further to the field of psychology (and later, a very well-trained border collie named Napper). By high school, I was certain I wanted a career in biomedical research and even did an internship in an addiction lab. My future looked crystal clear. But, as they say, the best laid plans often go awry…

Sharpening your skillsets for a successful career in science policy: How I moved from the bench to impact health and medicine in a different way, and you can too.

By Sarah Beachy, PhD, Roundtable and Forum Director at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (and previous AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow)

I always thought I would be a scientist, an investigator, a researcher, and a mentor. Now I am also a communicator, convener, facilitator, writer, problem-solver, team-builder, project manager, fund-raiser, and negotiator…but how did I get here? And how can you too?

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are

By Alicia Henn, PhD, MBA, Chief Scientific Officer at BioSpherix, Ltd.

I had a friend who described his career path as “blown through life sideways.” While I’d like to think that I’ve been more self-directed than that, opportunity came from unexpected directions.