George Mason prepared students for real-world experiences ahead of their senior years.
Ayham Elayan and Eileen Robles, bioengineering students graduating from George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing in December, spent their summer breaks at AstraZeneca—one in operations, and one in the lab. Their experiences demonstrate two of many possible paths in bioengineering.
Elayan is interested in entering the biotech industry when he graduates this winter. He went to AstraZeneca hoping to explore different aspects of the pharmaceutical industry and ended up working on the tech transfer team.
“My team was responsible for the transfer of knowledge of drug manufacturing between sites. If AstraZeneca wants to open a new manufacturing site, for example, we figure out what action or equipment needs to be taken or installed,” he said. “We also make sure that the equipment works and is standardized and nothing affects the medication quality.”
Elayan said that the experience taught him just how many different teams and steps it takes to get reliable drugs to the public. “There were two best parts of the internship. The first was taking my first steps into the industry and getting a lot of exposure and experience,” he said. “The second was meeting so many different people with tons of experience that they shared with me. It’s a global company and I’ve gotten to work with people from around the world.”
Robles’s experience was less strategic and more hands-on, which excited her. “Bioengineering is such a broad field with so many different pathways,” she said. “It was great to experience something you can’t learn in a classroom.”
She interned in a wet lab, working on improving methods to purify a specific protein used in medicines. “I compared two different resins that help capture the protein, tested them for unwanted contaminants, and analyzed the results. The goal was to figure out which resin would work best for making the purification process more efficient, helping ensure future medications are safe and effective.” She said that she hasn't worked on much faculty-led lab research in during her degree program, so the internship expanded her interests and confirmed that "I value hands-on experience.”
Robles said George Mason was helpful in preparing her not just through relevant classwork, but also by assigning hands-on group work. “That [team work] really helped me to work in this type of environment where you have to collaborate with different people,” she added.
Both Robles and Elayan emphasized that the professional teams they joined were supportive and made them excited for life after graduation. “Everyone there really respects each other and wants to help you out,” Robles said. “I spoke to employees who have moved between different roles. It helped me approach my career with more flexibility and less pressure to find the perfect job immediately.”