Graduate Student’s Success Helps Others
After earning an undergraduate degree in pharmacy in his native
India, Rishi Mahajan ’09MS looked forward to
attending a leading graduate program in the field. He decided he
would find what he was looking for in the United States.
“The school I went to,” he explained, “did not have the funding
to provide sophisticated technology or hands-on laboratory
training.”
Rishi’s goal was to gain the expertise and accreditation that
would enable him to contribute to the discovery of new therapies to
treat diabetes. “I was inspired,” he said, “by wanting to help
people like my mother, who suffers from the disease.”
His quest led him to St. John’s University. “The program clearly
offered students outstanding opportunities for field experiences,”
Rishi said. “I was also impressed by its graduates’ success in
securing high-level pharmaceutical positions.”
Rishi enrolled in St. John's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ master’s degree program in pharmaceutical
sciences. He found the program’s specialization in biotechnology
especially compelling. When the program moved to the University’s
Institute for Biotechnology, so
did Rishi.
The new Master of Science Degree
Program in Biological and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology proved
to be even more intensive. It further sparked Rishi’s intellectual
curiosity and drive. “His academic excellence set him apart,” said
Diana Bartelt, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological
Sciences and Internship Coordinator, Institute for
Biotechnology.
This prowess led to Rishi’s becoming the first in his class to
earn an internship. The company, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, was
so pleased by his performance that it extended his position by
three months, ultimately hiring him.
At Regeneron, Rishi has continued to shine. Finishing his
internship on a Friday, he graduated during the weekend and began
his full-time position as a research associate on Monday. He has
already received a promotion. “My immediate goal,” he said, “is to
become a scientist in the company’s research and development
division.”
Since Regeneron tapped Rishi, it has awarded internships to 10
additional graduate students — five of whom also have been hired.
Rishi credits Dr. Bartelt for making it all possible. “Her classes
gave me a solid foundation in molecular biology and helped me
develop laboratory research expertise,” he said. “And the personal
support I received made the final difference.”