Category Archives: CEO

Advancing Science and taking a LEED position

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Dr. Jack Dean, Dr. Ken Wertman, Joan Koerber-Walker, and Mike Capaldi with Sanofi US LEED GOLD emblem. Photo courtesy of Sanofi US. All Rights ReservedOn Tuesday July 12, 2011, I traveled to Southern Arizona to join Dr. Ken Wertman and the team at Sanofi US as they celebrated another milestone. This time it is not for groundbreaking advancements in human and animal health. Instead we were recognizing the team’s achievement of  LEED Gold Certification at their home in Oro Valley, Arizona and congratulating the team that made it happen. Laboratories are very difficult to certify because of demands posed by air handling and other challenges in an environment where scientific experimentation is taking place. Sanofi-aventis U.S. strives to limit the environmental impact of their business and the team is proud of having achieved a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certification.

LEED is a building rating system that was developed by the US Green Building Council in 2000 and is a nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operations of high performance “green buildings”. The 110,350 square-foot site was constructed in Oro Valley Innovation Park with the grand opening held on January 13, 2010. Of all the buildings in the U.S. that are LEED certified, only two percent are laboratories. Sanofi  US  operates two of those laboratories, one in Cambridge, MA and the one here in Oro Valley just north of Tucson, Arizona.

Another highlight of the trip was getting to spend some time with Dr. Ken Wertman and learning more about his journey, why Sanofi  US chooses Arizona, and what they do here.

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We want to know your name

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Biotechnology is changing the way we live, how we think about health, how we combat disease, how we create a more sustainable planet and so much more.  It’s an exciting field in an exciting time and Arizona is a place where bioscience companies, research institutions, and the companies that support them come to  engage, connect, collaborate and grow.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztRcb7fLqGQ&feature=related]

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For Business and Bio there is new opportunity in the cloud

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There’s lots of talk of cloud computing these days.  From basic accounting to sales and from marketing/media to HR management companies are leveraging new resources to move forward faster.

But the cloud is not just for administrative applications.  Cloud computing is causing a major shift in how we tackle complex scientific opportunities.  Check out this video from IBM on how researchers from ETH Zurich, IBM and high-performance cloud computing are leading in the bioscience field across the cloud.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16bR8h1VXyg]

 

Highlights from AZBIO’s week in DC

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After months of planning and collaboration the Arizona contingent packed our bags and headed out to Washington, D.C. to join the bioscience world at the 2011 BIO International Convention.  Erin and I headed out early Saturday morning to Sky Harbor where we boarded our USAIR flight to DC.  Packed in our bags was our new AZBIO information package hot off the press after long hours of collaboration by the AZBIO Marketing and Communications Committee, especially Renee Narvaez of DPR and Lisa Minzey of Affordable Image who worked overtime to get us ready to go .  (You can see the online version here at Scribd. )

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Looking Back and Looking Forward

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During his 5-year tenure leading at the University of Arizona, President Robert Shelton created both an impressive tenure and laid the foundation for a  lasting legacy.  Shelton will depart the UA at the end of next month, having served five years as the institution’s 19th president. He will become executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, beginning August 1, 2011.   Read more here.

Thank you President Shelton for your  commitment to the U of A, to our bioscience  community and to our state.Continue reading→

First Things First

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In an industry like ours, doing things in the right order matters.  It does not matter of you are working in the lab, biz dev or the front office.  When you forget to put first things first you might not get the outcome you expect…or need.

At AZBio we have been investing our time in research.  For us that means getting out of the office and into the  community to talk to Members, create opportunities to connect and to listen to what they have to say.  Whether we are are in one-on-one visits to Members and their companies, meetings at the GPEC, The Desert Angels or BCLSA or hanging out with the AZBio Gang at Beer and Bio, we’ve been asking questions and gathering data on what you, our members want and need.   So far this research has led to some new developments and there are a lot more coming,  Here are FIVE important things you said…Continue reading→

Who is Your Hero?

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"Marie Curie as portrayed by Susan Marie Frontczak"

When I was a young girl, Marie Curie was one of my heroes.  There was something about the story of a young girl who was fascinated with science and math and who went on to change the world that captured my imagination and the imagination of millions of other young people like me over the years.  She was a Healthcare Hero!Continue reading→