Northeast Ohio educators traded the classroom for the manufacturing floor this week as part of a BioPathways educator workshop hosted at Olon in Concord, OH. The event gave teachers a firsthand look at the career opportunities available in Ohio’s life sciences industry, and the chance to connect directly with the professionals who fill those roles.
Educators spent the day hearing career journeys, exploring the science and manufacturing work happening inside Olon’s facility, and learning how classroom lessons connect to real careers in the industry. The goal: give teachers the tools and confidence to introduce their students to the wide range of scientist, technician, engineer, and innovator roles available right here in Ohio.
A Big Thank You to Our Hosts
A special thank you goes to the team at Olon for opening their doors and providing lunch for the day’s participants. We’re grateful to Robb Poe, Sahan Shivakumar, Venu Maralla, Shaunna Fircak, and Keti Bertman for welcoming our educators and showcasing the important work happening at their facility.
Thank You to Our Industry Partners
This workshop wouldn’t have been possible without the generous participation of industry professionals who took time out of their schedules to share their expertise and career stories, including:
- Michael Nelson, Cleveland Clinic
- Jon Snyder, NeuroLife
- Danny Spond, JALEX Medical
- Alexandra O’Connor, Team NEO
- Stephanie Harrington, Matrix Medical Devices LLC
- Logan Snell, Hunter Recruiting
- Ann Durbin and team, Abeona Therapeutics
Their willingness to talk openly about their career paths and the work happening within their organizations gave educators a much clearer picture of the breadth of careers available in life sciences, knowledge they’ll now carry back to their classrooms and students.
What’s Next
Educator workshops like this one are just one piece of the BioPathways puzzle. Industry partners interested in getting involved have several ways to plug in, including:
- Hosting a facility tour
- Participating in a future educator workshop
- Creating a BioPathways Career Short — an authentic, two-minute video introducing students to the people and professions behind Ohio’s life sciences industry
- Hosting a Virtual Field Trip, giving students across the state a behind-the-scenes look at your organization without leaving their classroom
- Serving on a panel or collaborating on another workforce development initiative
Explore current Career Shorts and Virtual Field Trips at biopathways.science/videos.
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. Together, we’re building the pipeline of talent that will power Ohio’s life sciences industry for years to come.
