Jared R. Auclair is currently the Associate Dean of Professional Program in the College of Science at Northeastern University and Associate Teaching Professor in the department of chemistry and chemical biology. In addition, Dr. Auclair is the Director of the Biopharmaceutical Analysis Laboratory (BATL), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Center of Regulatory Excellence in Biotherapeutics and Advanced Therapies and oversees the International Council for Harmonisation training. Lasting, Prof. Auclair serves as the Technical Supervisor for the Life Science Testing Center at Northeastern University, which is a state and CLIA-certified lab. Dr. Auclair collaborate with both academic researchers, industry, and government in the area of biopharmaceutical development, manufacturing and analysis. He has expertise in mol. biology, protein biochemistry, analytical chemistry, protein crystallography, biological mass spectrometry, biomanufacturing; and is interested in use inspired research for the biotechnology industry.

Mary Beth is an experienced Talent Acquisition Leader with Pall Corporation, a Danaher Company (NYSE: DHR). Due to increased talent competition in the Boston market and a need for expertise in Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical recruitment, Mary Beth joined the organization in 2018. Mary Beth elevated the recruitment service delivery for leadership, scientific and engineering recruitments for Pall Corporate R&D and Pall Biotech specifically in: gene therapy, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and recombinant protein applications. In addition to managing multiple recruitments, Mary Beth is the Workday Recruiter Pro globally for Pall Talent Acquisition. She has spearheaded system adoption for desktop and mobile hiring, training for global HR and TA colleagues, and data governance. Prior to joining Pall, Mary Beth worked for Pfizer and Sanofi leading large, remote and local talent acquisition teams for Research and Development and Medical Affairs. Prior to these roles, Mary Beth worked for Randstad (onsite at Genzyme) as well as Pro Source supporting hiring for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Mary Beth holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Merrimack College. She is a LinkedIn certified recruiter, completed Danaher training in Problem Solving Processes and is a Danaher Master Trainer for Workday Recruiter. She is from the Boston area, loves her Boston sports teams, reading, biking, technology, helping others and her morning coffee.

Lauren Celano is the co-founder and CEO of Propel Careers, a life science search and career development firm focused on connecting talented individuals with entrepreneurial life sciences companies. Propel works with current leaders and actively cultivates future leaders through full time placement, internships, mentoring, career coaching, and networking. Propel Careers is engaged across all areas of life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, healthcare IT, diagnostics, consulting, venture capital, and investment banking. Prior to Propel Careers, Lauren was a senior account manager for SNBL USA where she worked with emerging biotech companies in Europe, Asia, and the US to help characterize and advance their drug molecules. Prior to SNBL USA, she held business development positions with Aptuit and Quintiles, where she focused on IND enabling studies to advance therapeutics from discovery into the clinic. Earlier in her career, Lauren held positions as a marketing manager and account manager at Absorption Systems, where she was responsible for managing life sciences companies in the northeastern United States. She has a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Gettysburg College and an MBA with a focus in the health sector and entrepreneurship from Boston University. Lauren is the Vice-Chair on the Board of MassBioEd and the Advisory Boards of the Boston University School of Public Health Pharmaceuticals Program, the Professional Science Masters Program at Framingham State University and NE GWISE. She also serves on the selection committee for the Life Sciences Immigrant Entrepreneur of the Year Award since 2014 with the Immigrant Learning Center

As President and CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Bob’s mission is to advance Massachusetts' leadership in the life sciences to grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system and improve patient lives. Over the last decade, Bob has truly become a champion for patients by ensuring innovative companies have the best environment possible to research, develop, and commercialize breakthrough therapies and cures for people around the world who need and deserve them. Bob has spent his career in both the public and private sectors. Before joining MassBio, he served as the Undersecretary of Economic Development within Governor Deval Patrick's administration, where he prioritized both healthcare and economic development issues and was a strong advocate for the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was elected as State Representative to the 11th Norfolk district for three terms. Bob has also held senior executive positions in the environmental services, capital management and venture capital industries. He brings passion and energy to all of his endeavors.

Jeff is Vice President of Stratacuity, a leader in Biopharmaceutical recruitment providing permanent search, contract staffing solutions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology arena. Over the past 20 years Jeff has been a key influencer and active contributor to the Boston area life science community from a staffing and recruiting lens and has played an integral part in hiring thousands of skilled life science professionals. Jeff is a passionate supporter of rare diseases, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and an active member of MassBio. He’s frequently involved in various local and national biotech networking outlets. Outside of work, Jeff enjoys life on the seacoast of Maine with his wife and 3 boys.

Dr. Sean Gallagher joined Northeastern in 2009 and is a nationally recognized expert with nearly 20 years of experience in higher education. As Chief Strategy Officer for Northeastern’s Global Network, Sean built a central strategy function unique among universities – working across colleges and academic domains to launch growth initiatives including the development of new campuses and degree programs. Prior to Northeastern, Sean worked for a decade at Edventures, advising executives at hundreds of universities, education companies, and investors. Sean’s writing and commentary have been featured in leading media outlets such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and CBS Television. His book, "The Future of University Credentials: New Developments at the Intersection of Higher Education and Hiring," was published in 2016 by Harvard Education Press. Sean holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree from Northeastern University; an M.B.A. from the New York Institute of Technology; and a BS in Marketing from Northeastern.

Julie has extensive experience advising a wide variety of clients, ranging from non-profit organizations to multinational corporations, regarding all aspects of employment-based immigration, including non-immigrant visa petitions, labor certification applications, preference-based immigrant visa petitions, and regulatory compliance. She also advises musicians, scholars, and educational institutions, as well as families and individuals. Prior to joining Chin & Curtis, Julie gained over 10 years of experience as Immigration Counsel for a management-side employment law firm and as an Associate at a boutique immigration law firm, where she worked on employment-based and family-based immigration matters, as well as naturalization applications. Julie earned her J.D. from the Washington College of Law at American University, located in Washington, D.C., where she served on the American University Law Review and was a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic, where she gained experience in asylum cases. She earned her B.A. from the University of Vermont, with a major in Philosophy and a minor in French. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). She has spoken at the AILA New England Conference and MCLE and Boston Bar Association events. Outside the office, Julie enjoys reading, yoga, skiing, and spending time with her family.

Robert Lue is a professor of molecular and cellular biology and UNESCO Chair on Life Sciences and Social Innovation at Harvard University, and the Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, where he is responsible for fostering innovative teaching in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Lue earned his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard, and since 1988 has taught undergraduate courses acclaimed for their innovative, interdisciplinary approach. In 2012, Lue’s extensive work on using technology to enhance learning took a new direction when he became the founding faculty director of HarvardX, Harvard’s university-wide online education initiative that includes the edX partnership with MIT, a role he held until 2018. Lue now helps to shape Harvard’s engagement in online learning to reinforce its commitment to teaching excellence and expand its reach and impact globally. In 2017, he was awarded a grant from the Amgen Foundation to build LabXchange, an online platform for science education that integrates the best of digital instruction and interactivity and connects students, teachers, and researchers for sharing and collaboration. He also serves as the faculty director of the Harvard Ed Portal, the primary community engagement center on Harvard's Allston campus.

Christopher Murphy is Vice President and General Manager of Viral Vector Services in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Pharma Services Group. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher, Chris served as chief operating officer for Brammer Bio, a leading viral vector/gene therapy CDMO. Chris has more than 30 years of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, process development, plant operations, and quality system implementation. Prior to joining Brammer Bio, Chris served as general manager for the Sanofi-Genzyme Allston Landing site overseeing operations and leading an integrated remediation program associated with the consent decree. Chris has led gene therapy operations and recombinant protein manufacturing at Genzyme and Bioreliance and he began his career in viral vaccine development at American Cyanamid/Wyeth (now Pfizer) in Pearl River, NY. He has an M.Sc. in biochemistry at New York Medical College, and his B.Sc. in biology at Rutgers University.

Tracy Nicholson joined Third Rock Ventures in 2012 and focuses on cross-functional recruiting to build teams within our portfolio companies, as well as performing executive search for the firm. Tracy has 15 years of recruiting experience specializing in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and has assisted with recruiting for several of the firm’s portfolio companies, including Jounce Therapeutics, Warp Drive Bio and Editas Medicine. Prior to joining Third Rock, she was the human resources manager and recruiter at Agios Pharmaceuticals. She also consulted at larger biotech and pharmaceutical companies like Novartis and Vertex, and at search firms before going in-house. Prior to launching her recruiting career, Tracy worked as a research scientist at Biogen, Genome Therapeutics and Avant Immunotherapies. Tracy received a BS in biology from Boston University.

Keith Pabian is the Founding Partner of Pabian Law, LLC, a national immigration law firm headquartered in Massachusetts that focuses on assisting employers through the visa and immigration process. Keith has extensive experience working with organizations and individuals in the life sciences and biotech industry, both in the Boston area and around the country. Keith regularly presents at national conferences, industry meetings, and on webinars on employment-based immigration topics and opportunities. He has also appeared in numerous publications and in the media to discuss immigration issues and topics affecting the foreign national workforce in the United States. He has received numerous awards for his success in providing solutions to employers’ most pressing staffing issues. Keith is an alumni of Villanova University School of Law and Union College. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and two elementary school aged sons.

Mike Palladino has 25 years of progressive experience in leading, advising, representing, and developing high-performing, global legal, human resources, and other organizations. Mike recently joined BlueRock Therapeutics, an international cell and gene therapy biotechnology company, where he leads the Legal, HR, Corporate Communications, IT, Facilities, and Program Management functions. From 2017-2020, Mike was Founder and Principal of Palladino Law LLC, a firm focused on employment law, litigation, and strategic human resources consulting and primarily advising area life sciences companies. Prior to founding Palladino Law, between 2009 to 2017, Mike held roles with increasing scope and responsibility at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, including Vice President & Head of Global Litigation and Senior Vice President & Head of Global Human Resources. From 2002-2009, Mike was an Employment and Labor Attorney in private practice. From 1995-2002, Mike served in organizational development and human resources training, education, public policy and government services roles at the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. Mike received his J.D. cum laude from Suffolk University Law School and his B.A. in Political Science from Yale University. He is admitted to law practice in Massachusetts, and in the U.S. Federal District Court (MA), First Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Supreme Court.

As Massachusetts Secretary of Education, James Peyser directs the Executive Office of Education, which oversees early education, K-12, and higher education. Secretary Peyser sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies, as well as the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Charlie Baker’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education reform agenda. Before serving as Secretary, he was the managing director at NewSchools Venture Fund. He supported innovative education entrepreneurs in urban communities to transform public education. Secretary Peyser was Massachusetts Board of Education's chairman from 1999 to 2006. He also served as education advisor to Governors Bill Weld, Jane Swift and Mitt Romney. He developed state policies of standards and assessments, school accountability, and charter schools.

Sarah Regan is the Sr. Director of Human Resources for the Viral Vector Services business unit within Thermo Fisher Scientific. This group, formerly Brammer Bio, was acquired in 2019 by Thermo Fisher and focuses on supporting the development and manufacturing of gene therapies. Sarah has an extensive background in the areas of talent and organizational development having worked over the past 11 years in HR Leadership roles at Thermo Fisher. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher she was an HR Business Partner at Fidelity Investments and also worked in staffing at Semper International LLC. Sarah has a Masters in Business Administration and Information Systems from Boston University and a Bachelors in Economics from Tufts University.

Bennett Savitz has practiced exclusively in the area of immigration law since 1994. Since 2008, Bennett Savitz has been selected as one of Boston's Best Lawyers in Immigration Law by Best Lawyers of America. Best Lawyers of America is a trademarked publication described as “the leading referral list in the legal profession.” Please go to www.bestlawyers.com for the most recent listing. Best Lawyers selects attorneys for listings based upon nominations by and voting by attorneys in the field: “They must earn a spot through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues.” In 2018, Savitz Law Offices was selected as Massachusetts Business Immigration Law Firm of the Year by M&A Insider Awards, and Bennett Savitz was selected as Immigration Lawyer of the Year in Massachusetts by International Advisory Experts and Corporate LiveWire. Additionally, in 2014, Bennett Savitz was selected to be added to The International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers. Since 1994, Bennett Savitz has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), serving on several local and national AILA committees, helping shape policies and procedures for the entire Immigration Bar. He has also served as the Chapter Chair of the New England Chapter of AILA. Bennett Savitz speaks frequently and writes numerous articles on various aspects of Immigration Law. He also authors articles in AILA's Immigration & Nationality Law, a nationally distributed handbook published annually at the national conference, where he is frequently a speaker. Bennett Savitz was also the Chairman for a series of Immigration Law seminars sponsored by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education. Additionally, he was the editor of their two-volume reference set entitled, Immigration Law Primer. He is currently teaching Business Immigration Law at New England Law School, and a Graduate School course on Immigration Law and Policy at Lesley University.

Sunny is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd), a non-profit organization with a mission of building a sustainable life sciences workforce in Massachusetts. In her previous positions, Sunny served as President & CEO of the MassHire Metro North Workforce Board, charged with leading workforce development policy and partnership building for a 20-city region, Chief Operating Officer of the Asian American Civic Association, a direct service education and training provider, and Program Development Manager at Commonwealth Corporation, a quasi-public state agency under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Sunny has been a leader in the education and workforce development fields in Massachusetts since 2000, building partnerships to provide employers with a highly skilled workforce and expanding access to great careers for low-income residents. Sunny also has previous experience in community organizing and social work. Sunny holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and a Master’s Degree in Social Work.

Matt Sigelman is CEO of Burning Glass Technologies, a leading labor market analytics firm. For more than a decade, he has led Burning Glass in harnessing the power of data and artificial intelligence technologies that have cracked the genetic code of the job market. Powered by the world’s largest and most sophisticated database of jobs and talent, Burning Glass delivers real-time data and breakthrough planning tools that inform careers, define academic programs, and shape workforces. Burning Glass has helped to fill millions of jobs and its data drive initiatives for more than a dozen state and national governments. Matt is consulted frequently by national media, by researchers, and the White House. He served previously with McKinsey & Company and Capital One. He holds an A.B. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Harvard.

Rita L. Smith is currently the Director Business Human Resources for AbbVie Bioresearch Center (Worcester, MA) and Cambridge Research Center (Cambridge, MA), the company’s center of excellence for biologics and neuroscience. In this role, lead the site’s Human Resources function and supports the Research & Development and Operations functions. Prior to this role, Rita was Director, Business Human Resources to AbbVie’s Chief Human Resources Officer and EVP and the global HR function. Rita joined AbbVie in December of 2013, as HR Business Partner Operations supporting Purchasing and Supplier Management (PSM) and Manufacturing Science & Technology (MS&T). She also held a previous role in Executive Development leading our manager level key talent workshop, the Emerging Leader Program (ELP) and Executive Coaching program for our global senior leaders. Prior to AbbVie, Rita was Senior HR Business Partner of Operations Business Group (OBG) in the Defence Business at Rolls Royce and held progressively responsible HR Business Partner and Labor Relations roles at Ford Motor Company. Rita started her career as a Staff Attorney in house counsel to Service Employees International Employees (SEIU). Rita has a Juris Doctorate (JD) and Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Dr. Spilios joined the Biology Department at Boston University in 2008. As a Master Lecturer, Director of Instructional Labs, and Director of the Learning Assistant Program, she strives to develop innovative teaching techniques to encourage student understanding of complex concepts and critical thinking skills. She works to move undergraduate lab experience away from the ‘cookbook’ labs to inquiry-based.

As the Director of Talent & Workforce Development for MassBioEd, Karla’s mission is to strengthen and grow the region’s life sciences workforce. Her analyses of life sciences labor markets are widely used to align educational practices to industry requirements. Karla is directing the launch of a novel apprenticeship program for biomanufacturing technicians which will produce qualified workers while opening doors for under-represented individuals to access meaningful careers. She also oversees the Career Exploration programs, which provide STEM career information to students from middle through graduate school. Karla holds a BA in Chemistry from Smith College, an MS in Biotechnology and an MBA from WPI.

Sunny Tam, PhD has 25 years of biotechnology and academic experiences in early stage R&D, preclinical testing, assay and technology development following his training from the Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard University School of Public Health. He has held numerous scientific and senior management positions in small molecule discovery and protein therapeutic companies such as TBC, Tanox Inc. and Charles River Laboratories. Dr. Tam is a pioneer in protein microarray development and application of proteomic tools in drug discovery, biomarker discovery and assay development. He is well published and has contributed significantly toward a number of issued patents and federally awarded grants. During his tenure as the Program Director and Research Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Tam had successfully established instructional programs in the training of Postdoctoral fellows, PhD/MD & PhD students, and local undergraduate student interns. While serving as a research faculty member at Clark University, he again had created a state of art GLP Proteomics and Metabolomics laboratory in the training of graduate and undergraduate students. More recently, Dr. Tam is leading a graduate Biotechnology department at Framingham State University in organizing faculty members and training students in the technical, regulatory and managerial roles of the fast expanding biopharmaceutical industry.