The Boston College Career Center Invites You to Join the Conversations
Science Night 2008
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
7-9 PM, Higgins Atrium, Higgins Hall
What is Science Night?
- An informal networking opportunity to meet and mingle with alumni in Science-related fields. Get going with your job exploration!
- If you are interested in meeting alumni working in science-related fields this is a great opportunity for you.
- This is not a formal setting - alumni will be stationed around the room so that you are able to mingle with them and talk informally about their careers, how they got were they are, ask questions about their field, and find out what suggestions they have for students considering science-related careers.
- This is also a great opportunity to find out more about the many different kinds of jobs in the sciences.
What do I bring?
- No need to bring anything with you. However, please make sure to practice introduincing yourself with your first and last name as well as a little information about yourself.
What should I wear?
- The dress code for this event is business casual. Click this link what to wear for more information about what this means.
Who will be there?
- A variety of fields would be represented for you to choose from - a list of past alumni participants and information about them is available on this page. In the spring, information will be available about alumni attending Science Night 2008.
What if I have questions or want to talk to someone about the event?
- Before the event: for more information, email Liz McBain at mcbaine@bc.edu or Katie Hewett at hewettk@bc.edu .
- At the event: Career Center staff will be available to answer any questions you have.
Dave Chavous
Associate
WilmerHale LLP
Biology PhD 2001, JD 2004
Dave obtained his Ph.D. in biology from Boston College Graduate School in 2001, and immediately entered Boston College Law School in 2004. After graduation from Boston College Law School, Dave joined the Intellectual Property department of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP as an associate.
During his time at WilmerHale, he has represented small and multinational clients in all aspects of intellectual property practice, concentrating in the life sciences. He has drafted and prosecuted patents for clients in technologies ranging from cancer diagnostics to novel drug treatments. His litigation experience involves representing clients in a range of patent matters including blockbuster drugs, computer software, LED lighting systems, and small engine technology.
Steve Crowell, MSPT
President & Clinical Director
Rebound Physical Therapy
Biology/Psych double major, with concentration in Pre-med program, 1981
Mr. Crowell knew nothing about physical therapy as an undergraduate, it took him another four years after graduating to find the 'just job' and career fit. He went into the Peace Corps after BC, as he wanted to apply his 'science' as quickly as possible. He was re-routed after 2 PC volunteers were murdered to a placement in Africa, and came home early after.
He went to work in Pathology at Children's Hospital Boston to see if medicine was still in the cards, where he learned a TON, but still wasn't convinced. He then switched into Genetics Research, also at Children's, where he had some influence with uncovering the gene for Muscular Dystrophy. He started a PhD program at BU Med doing genetic mapping, and dropped out after 1 wk, still confused and feeling out of place.
Working at Children's he would walk past the PT office to get home. His brother in law and sister in law mentioned to him that they thought it would be a good career for his interests. He finally investigated, after still feeling that medicine wasn't personal enough, psychology want active enough, and chiropractic wasn't true enough. Being the only school in all of NE at the time, he put all his eggs into an application to BU, and was accepted. 2 1/2 yrs later, graduating at the top of his class, he knew he had found the right career matching his passion for neurology, orthopedics, sports, and pediatrics.
Mr. Crowell has concentrated in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine for the past 15 yrs, owning his own clinic for 12. He says they have a blast every day, he enjoys going to work, and gets instant rewards every day helping people get better. It's still an extremely under-known field, with an enormously growing demand for therapists. He remains a huge advocate for PT locally, and with many H.S. students they treat daily.
William Gavin
President & CEO
The Gavin Group
Biology, 1963
William A. Gavin is the President of the Gavin Group, Inc. which is a consulting firm based in
Before creating his own corporation, Mr. Gavin served as the Vice-President of Guardsmark, Inc., a half billion dollar security services provider from 2000-2003. In this position he had responsibility for budget, operations, policy and business development in the Eastern United States and all of
From 1997-2000 he formed and was President of U.S. Security Care, Inc. specializing in corporate consulting, complex investigative solutions and personal protection. From 1995-1997, he was Vice-President of US Healthcare a $3 billion HMO. In that capacity he established internal integrity protocols, monitored compliance programs for existing industry regulations and insured personal security for corporate executives.
Mr. Gavin retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after 28 years. At the time of his retirement he served as Assistant Director of
He also served as Special Agent-in-Charge of the Miami, FL office from 1989-1992 and the Denver, CO office from 1982-1986.As such, he was responsible for directing the investigation of all federal violations of the law under the jurisdiction of the FBI and coordination with all other local, state and federal agencies. Other assignments included second-in-command of the
Mr. Gavin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology in 1963 from
Stephen Lempitski
Technical Specialist
Associates of Cape Cod
Biology, 1987
Since graduation, Stephen has worked for three companies in the biotech industry. Currently, he is in his 9th year at Associates of Cape Cod. He is currently in the Engineering department, as an instrumentation specialist, developing software, and training customers in the use of ACC's Pyros Kinetix endotoxin detection system, as well as traveling around the
Jack Mulvena
Director
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Jim Murphy
Principal
Wheatstone Engineering & Consulting, Inc.
Geology, 1983
Jim started out doing fieldwork for a geotechnical engineering company in Massachusetts. This meant lots of drill rigs, back hoes and construction sites. Then the environmental industry exploded. In 1988, regulations were written to try to control this work in Massachusetts; revisions of the regulations continue today. Jim is an LSP (Licensed Site Professional), and was part of the initial group licensed in 1993 to oversee cleanup activities, and be able to prepare reports for submittal to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
Some of Jim's varied projects include: assessing large tracts of land for major industrial park and shopping plaza developments along Routes 128, 495 and 95; evaluating the impact of a community well on the fresh water lens on Nantucket; conducting borings though frozen soil in Boston in the summer; monitoring and testing landfill cover materials at a chemical landfill; managing projects with leaking underground storage tanks and buried drums; completing emergency response actions for spills to the environment; and, recently, negotiating and managing a major redevelopment project at a contaminated property at Hanscom AFB.
David Oberhauser
Environmental Scientist
U.S. Environmental Agency
Chemistry, 1961
Mr. Oberhauser has been a scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for nine years, where he does works for the Senior Environmental Employee (SEE) Program. The SEE Program is authorized by Congress to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in protecting the environment by hiring individuals 55 or older who wish to contribute their experience in providing technical assistance to Federal, state and local governmental agencies for projects of pollution prevention, abatement and control. He has also worked for the Clean Air Act (CAA112(r) Outreach and Training; RMP and EPCRA Enforcement; and
CERCLA (Spills and Chemical Releases) Investigations and Enforcement.
Mr. Oberhauser worked for the Polaroid Corporation for 30 years, as a Senior Scientist, Film Imaging Research. There, he pursued his interests in safety and spill control on the Hazmat Team. Additionally, he spent two years conducting biomedical research at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology.
David Petrarca
Associate Pediatric Dentist
Children's Dental Associates of Medford and Westford
Biochemistry, 1992
David first became interested in the field of dentistry as a wee teenager while in the midst of orthodontic treatment. The doctor’s job looked very neat and tidy. His office was beautiful and he had lots of people working for him who appeared to make the operation of the office quite seamless. Quite honestly the idea of a fairly lucrative profession was also part of the attraction. David describes himself as the type of person who likes simple directions for an easily defined path. Although there was a significant amount of work along the way including many years of school after college, dentistry seemed to be that type of path he was interested in. It was straightforward: go to college, go to dental school, complete residency, and join a practice. OK so there was tons of work, hundreds of tests, lots of competition and plenty of $$$$ in student loans, but at least the path was pretty straightforward with little thought involved.
David kept that idea in the back of his head as he matriculated through BC. During his third year of dental school at
Michael Piatelli
Director of Undergraduate Biology Laboratories
Boston College
Biology (PhD), 2003
After graduating with a B.S in Biology from Villanova University in 1985, I worked as a land surveyor for a year each while still pondering my career path. Still having no real career direction a full year after graduating from college, my decision to do graduate work in biology at Northeastern University was only by default. As dispassionate as this decision was, it proved to be a very fortuitous one for while at Northeastern, I began to tutor undergraduate students in the biological sciences.
I quickly found myself looking far more forward to interacting with these students than I was at conducting experiments. My passion for teaching was ignited, and I left Northeasterns’ biology graduate school program and pursued a graduate degree in education at Curry College, which I completed in 1991. During that time, I was hired as a secondary-high school biology teacher at a small Catholic school while enrolled at Curry.
As science department chair of St. Clement’s High School, I developed my teaching philosophy, which embodied an interdisciplinary, student-centered science curriculum program incorporating math, history and religion into a number of science units. My five-year tenure at St.Clement’s high school was a rewarding and challenging experience and forever shaped my teaching perspective.
In 1994, I was presented a unique opportunity to be an educator in a pilot program at Boston University School of Medicine called CityLab. At CityLab, high school students used authentic research equipment at a university research facility and performed experiments related to biotechnology. During my efforts in developing CityLab curriculum modules, my zest and curiosity for the scientific process was re-kindled and I decided to pursue an advanced degree in biological science.
Choosing to do research at Boston College, I joined the laboratory of Thomas Chiles where my research focused on elucidating the signal transduction pathways regulating genes involved in cell cycle entry of antibody producing cells; or B-lymphocytes. As much as I delighted and was immersed in my research project, I still relished my teaching assistant assignments. Experiencing the simultaneous jobs of science researcher and educator awakened me to the possibility of combining the two after graduating with my Ph.D. Once again, fortune lay at my feet because I was recently hired in 2003 to be the new Director of Undergraduate Biology Laboratories here at Boston College.
The Director position enables me to blend my scientific research knowledge with my experience as a professional educator. As Director, I develop undergraduate laboratory curriculum, train, and mentor teaching assistants in the “art of science teaching”. My responsibilities here offer the perfect marriage of my two life career fascinations, science and education.
Frank Previte
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
EBI Consulting
Biology, 1965 and Business Administration
Mr. Previte, founder and CEO of EBI Consulting, has over 40 years of top management experience. Mr. Previte has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston College and a master’s in business administration from Boston University. Mr. Previte also completed graduate studies in advanced biological chemistry at Boston University. He has served on the Environmental Studies Committee at Boston College, the Advisory Council at the University of Massachusetts-Boston School of Management, the Board of Trustees of Winchester Hospital, as a Corporator of Winchester Hospital, on the Board of Directors of Kaye Instruments Inc., and as a Trustee of The Arthritis Foundation.
Katherine Prior
Associate Manager, Clinical Operations
Quintiles, Inc.
Biology, 1998
Ms. Prior has a B.S. in biology from BC and has pursued coursework toward a Master degree in Clinical Investigations at BU Medical. Ms. Prior started her clinical research career in 1999 at Quintiles Transnational, the world’s largest clinical research organization. During her tenure at Quintiles, Ms. Prior has assumed roles of increasing responsibility from Quality Control and Clinical Assistant to Clinical Research Associate (
As a CTL for North American studies, Ms. Prior managed the clinical aspects of the trial. She served as the primary customer contact for clinical matters and managed a large team of CRAs offering training support, study documentation development and the review of site visit reports. Prior to the CTL role, Ms. Prior worked as a CRA for 5 years. Kate monitored multiple Phase II and III clinical trials in various therapeutic areas including cardiovascular disease, psoriasis, circadian rhythm disorders and general medicine. Ms. Prior has experience in all phases of clinical trials from study start up and site selection through project close out and database lock.
In her current position, Ms. Prior manages a team of 20 traveling CRAs and in house clinical assistants for Quintiles. Kate provides clinical leadership and operational strategy to her team as well as being responsible for their training and career development and ensuring the team adheres to FDA regulations and
Anthony Schwagerl
Anesthesiology Resident
Saint Elizabeth's Hospital
Biology, 1993
Anthony graduated from
Linda Tanini
Biology Teacher
Methuen High School
PhD in Biology& M.Ed. 2007
Linda graduated from UMass Lowell in 1998 with a B.S. in Biology. She completed her Ph.D. in Biology in 2006 and her M.Ed. in 2007, both from
Past participants include:
Katherine A. Fogarty, P.E., LSP
Senior Environmental Scientist
Menzie-Cura & Associates, Inc.
Chemistry, 1979
Ms. Fogarty has extensive experience managing human health and ecological risk assessments at Superfund and state sites and RCRA facilities. She has fifteen years experience managing projects for Menzie-Cura & Associates, Inc. in Winchester, MA. Prior to that she worked as a project scientist for GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. in Norwood, MA. She specializes in the application of risk assessment methodology to solve contamination problems in groundwater, surface water, soil, and sediment. Her background in engineering allows her understand and bridge the special needs of risk assessment and remediation.
Ms. Fogarty is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Licensed Site Professional in Massachusetts. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Boston College and a M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Tara Villing
Environmental Scientist / Project Manager
Shaw Environmental, Inc.
Environmental Geoscience, 1999
As an Environmental Scientist/Project Manager for Shaw Environmental, Inc.’s Hopkinton, Massachusetts office, Tara Villing performs a variety of assessment activities including ASTM Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, historical use research on client’s properties, compliance audits, preparation of regulatory reports including Phase I and II, Tier Classification, Risk Assessment, Immediate Response Action, Release Abatement Measure, and Activity and Use Limitation reports under the Massachusetts (MCP), New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island regulations, and evaluates and interprets assessment data. Ms. Villing also assists in writing proposals for various site assessments and acts as a client liaison and project manager on several projects.
Rich Finnegan
Health and Safety Manager, New England District
ONYX Environmental Services
Sociology, 1992
Rich graduated from BC in 1992 with BA in Sociology. In January, 1993, he enrolled at Anna Maria College, Paxton MA for an MS in Occupational & Environmental Health & Safety. Rich started in the environmental field in 1993, working at an environmental instrument manufacturer specializing in personell dosimetry and air pollutant monitors. In 1995, he worked at Environmental Testing Laboratory as a chemist analyzing water and soil samples. Following lab, Rich worked as a laborer in the soil remediation field assisting with clean-ups of several military sites and chemical company sites. In 1996, he completed an internship with the MADEP for Environmental Strike Force, and worked in the soil remediation field as laborer. Then he started with OES in 9/96 as a field chemist, attaining a position as Project Manager for Boston Territory managing projects from chemical cleanouts to Emergency Response to large soil remediation jobs. Rich was promoted to Environmental Health & Safety Manager for OES in 2000. Daily responsibilities include managing OES compliance within New England and NY state with OSHA, DOT, EPA, and state regulations. Also responsible for all training, incident investigations, emergency response, worker's compensation, reporting to state and federal agencies, auditing, and assisting customers with environmental compliance.
Robert E. Pino
Combined DNA Indexing System (CODIS) Administrator
Massachusetts State Crime Lab
Chemistry, 1983
Mr. Pino is a graduate of Boston College holding a B. S. degree in Chemistry. Mr. Pino has been employed at the Crime laboratory for over 22 years. He has been the CODIS Administrator for the past seven years building the state’s DNA database to one of the top ten databases in the country. He has also worked at the Crime Laboratory in the Criminalistics, Crime scene, Narcotics and Office of Alcohol Testing sections of the crime laboratory during his career. He has had a role in several thousand criminal investigations involving evidence submitted to the Crime Laboratory and has testified in the Courts of the Commonwealth over 240 times.
Joseph Landyn
Vice President
Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc.
Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. is a full-service environmental consulting and contracting firm with offices in three states in New England. The mission of CEA is to provide clients with quality, responsive and creative customized environmental solutions that control costs and identify and reduce customer liability.
Caroline Allison
Genetic Counselor and Clinical Coordinator
Children's Hospital Boston
Human Development/Biology, 1996
Caroline is a genetic counselor in the Genetics Division at Children's Hospital. She is also the Clinical Coordinator of the Neurofibromatosis Program. Her specific duties include participating in the diagnostic work up of pediatric patients suspected of having genetic conditions, genetic counseling of families/parents, and coordinating the care of children with Neurofibromatosis.
Michael Connelly
Anesthesiologist
Lawrence General Hospital
Chemistry, 1982
Michael graduated from Boston College in 1982 as a Chemistry major. From BC, he went on to receive his MD from University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1986. Michael did his internship in Internal Medicine at Faulkner Hospital in Boston. Then, he completed his residency in anesthesiology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Michael now serves as the Chief of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at Lawrence General Hospital. Michael also serves New England Neurological Associates in their Division of Pain Medicine.
Suzanne Kerrigan
Product Manager
Alkermes
English Literature, 1989
Suzanne comes with a wealth of experience of working in the field of science industry. She currently works in marketing at Alkermes, a world leader in the development of products based on sophisticated drug delivery technologies. They partner with many of the world's finest pharmaceutical companies and develop drugs for their own account. They seek to apply their technologies to product candidates that solve important health problems and meet true medical needs. www.alkermes.com
Kate Letourneau
Recruiter - Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical Industry
Aerotek Scientific
Philosophy & Political Science, 2003
Prior to her current position, Kate worked for a year at an environmental laboratory handling Marketing and Project Management. This Rhode Island based lab is the only facility in the country to receive certification from the EPA for both organic and inorganic contracts. The lab analyzes and reports more samples for the EPA than any other lab in the country. In addition, Kate managed the analytical aspects of environmental remediation projects for the Navy, Coast Guard, Army Reserve Corps of Engineers and other Department of Defense branches. In the Fall of 2004, Kate began working for Aerotek Scientific as a Technical Recruiter. This position has allowed her to continue to provide a valuable service to the Scientific community in Massachusetts.
Steven Migridichian
PG Chairman of the Board
Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. (CEA)
Geology and Geophysics, 1983
Steve spent a year with AMOCO Production in Los Angeles. Following that position, Steve spent three years working with a hazardous waste and petroleum contractor. Steve has been with Corporate Environmental Advisors, Inc. for 20 years. CEA is a full-service environmental consulting and contracting firm with offices in three states in New England. The mission of CEA is to provide clients with quality, responsive and creative customized environmental solutions that control costs and identify and reduce customer liability.
Jessica O'Leary
Associate Chemist
Microbia Inc.
Biochemistry, 1998
Jessica joined Microbia in 2000 as an associate scientist. Microbia is a privately owned company focused on creating and developing innovative human medicines. Current programs include anti-infectives, gastrointestinal therapeutics, and pain and inflammation treatments. Microbia also has a Precision Engineering team that advances Biomanufacturing by engineering cell circuitry. Jessica has worked on both the drug discovery and Precision Engineering teams, running the gamut from molecular biology for Precision Engineering to automating assays in drug discovery. Working at a start-up gave the opportunity to wear many hats, including that of facilitator for meetings, and integrating micro and molecular biology skills into a meaningful goal (developing lifesaving medicines).
Marielle Thorne
Laboratory Manager
Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Children's Hospital
Biology, 1990
During her senior year at Boston College, Marielle had done a work study job at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and they offered her a full time position in the lab at graduation. At Dana-Farber Marielle worked in the Electron Microscope Core facility. The basic research at Dana-Farber involved blood coagulation factors. After a couple of years she moved on to a job at Beth-Israel Hospital, where she worked for two investigators in Hematology and Infectious disease, studying blood cell infection of viruses such as HIV and Hepatitis. Marielle’s next career move was back to her alma mater BC, where she worked for a young professor, Dr. Donna Fekete. Together, they studied the development of the inner ear. Dr. Fekete moved to Purdue after a couple of years, so Marielle moved on to BIDMC, where she worked in the Bone and Mineral division in a lab that studied parathyroid hormone. In 1999, Marielle moved to her current position at Children's Hospital. She works for a Howard Hughes Investigator, Dr. Lou Kunkel. The lab at Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a genetic genomic lab that works on a variety of diseases but is best known for its work in Muscular Dystrophy. The lab is currently looking at using adult stem cells as therapy for MD.
Rich Finnegan
Health and Safety Manager, New England District
ONYX Environmental Services
Sociology, 1992
Prior to his employment at ONYX, Rich completed temporary project work in remediation and site decontamination projects at military bases and various environmental corporations from 1995 to 1996. He began working at ONYX in 1996 as an environmental specialist. He was promoted to supervisor and then to project manager for Boston before becoming the Health and Safety Manager for the New England District. Rich also has an MS in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety from Anna Maria College, 1996.