NJIT hosts Biomedical Engineering Showcase and Career Fair

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 29 Jan 2005 - 6:00 PDT


New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is hosting the second annual New Jersey Biomedical Engineering Showcase and Career Fair - an annual event that unites industry professionals and academics interested in the applied-life sciences.

The theme of the showcase, scheduled for March 11 in the NJIT Campus Center, is "Creating Connections - Enhancing the Synergies between Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology." The showcase will feature prominent keynote speakers from academia and industry, a panel discussion as well as a display of research projects by students.

The showcase will provide a forum to discuss scientific and business issues of central importance to the biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

"Bringing people from all these communities together in one setting is essential," said William Hunter, PhD, chair of the biomedical engineering department at NJIT. "Building synergies among them is key to biomedical engineering and biotechnology, since both rely strongly on interdisciplinary collaborations."

More than 300 people and 25 companies are expected to attend the showcase. Students who are studying biomedical engineering, biotechnology and other health-science related careers will have a chance, during the afternoon career fair, to meet with prospective employers in those fields. The companies will discuss full-time, co-op, internship and summer employment opportunities.

In addition to NJIT, the co-hosts of the showcase include the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey, the Health Care Institute of New Jersey, the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, Rutgers University, Princeton University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Stevens Institute of Technology, the Public Health Research Institute and the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials.

Sponsorship support has been provided by Cushman and Wakefield, Lowenstein Sandler, Schering-Plough, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Whitaker Foundation.

The keynote speakers for the showcase are Ronald Weiss, PhD, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Princeton University; Kathryn Uhrich, PhD, associate professor of chemistry at Rutgers University; and Don Drakeman, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Medarex. There is also a lunchtime panel discussion titled, "New Models for Technology Commercialization - Perspectives from Industry and Academia." Ray Thek, an attorney at Lowenstein Sandler, will moderate the panel that includes academics, business professionals and health-care representatives.

For a full program of the showcase visit the website bmeshowcase.njit.edu but some highlights of the day are these: Ron Weiss and Kathryn Uhrich will speak from 8:45-9:45 a.m. The student poster session will run from 9:45-1 a.m. and Don Drakeman will speak from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

The panel discussion, from 11:30 - 1:00 p.m., includes the following panelists: Peter Tolias, PhD, of Johnson and Johnson; John Ritter, of Princeton University; Roger Cubicciotti, PhD, Creative Technology Partners; Helena Wisniewski, PhD, Stevens Institute of Technology; and Andrew Pecora, PhD, of Hackensack University Medical Center.

The career fair runs from 1:30 -3:30 p.m., when student posters will also be on display.

For participant registration please go to bmeshowcase.njit.edu/register.html or call Judith Sheft, assistant vice president of technology development at NJIT: (973) 596-5825.

Companies interested in registering for the career fair, visit the website cds.njit.edu/BioMedFair.htm or call Louis Cain at (973) 596-3219.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, the state's public technological research university, enrolls more than 8,200 students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 100 degree programs offered by six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, Albert Dorman Honors College and College of Computing Sciences. NJIT is renowned for expertise in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and eLearning.

Robert Florida - florida@njit.edu
New Jersey Institute of Technology

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