PCEC News
GVSU Professor Featured as Guest Speaker at MichBio BioTalent Summit
March 11, 2021
Anirudh Chowdhary, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs Coordinator, was an invited guest speaker at MichBio’s BioTalent Summit last month. The BioTalent Summit brought together industry professionals and faculty from higher education, in addition to state and regional level workforce stakeholders, aimed at collaborating to address existing and future talent demands, design curriculum that is more aligned with industry needs, and discuss best practices and solutions to challenges faced by the bio-industry in Michigan.
Professor Chowdhary provided a presentation titled, “Innovative Bioscience Talent Education and Initiatives: Michigan Recipes for Success,” which covered the ways that the PSM programs at Grand Valley are effectively training science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students to meet industry needs for a skilled and proficient workforce.
The PSM degree is a two-year graduate program which combines scientific expertise with high-value, transferable professional skills to prepare students for successful employment upon graduation. The program is designed to fill a management need for technology-based companies, governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations, and stresses workplace experience in addition to research experience. As part of their education, PSM students gain valuable work experience through a paid industry internship and get started solving real-world problems right away.
PSM students have 24/7 access to state-of-the-art facilities including a wide variety of project spaces, laboratories, and equipment. Alumni of the Grand Valley PSM program have nearly a 100% employment rate upon graduation; many receive job offers as a result of their internship experiences. The demand for professionals working in the PSM fields is high, with job outlook projections continuing to be positive in the coming years. All five PSM degree programs are tailored toward working professionals, offering flexible class schedules with evening meetings.
GVSU offers the following Professional Science Master’s Programs:
- Applied Statistics – The application of statistical techniques to data sets. Many graduates find work in business analytics.
- Biostatistics – The application of statistical techniques to scientific research in the life and health sciences. Many graduates work in biotechnology companies.
- Data Science and Analytics - Provides the fundamental analytics background necessary to work with big and complex data sets in any discipline. It also allows a statistics or computing student to gain additional cross-disciplinary skills, or a student of any discipline to develop skills to solve data-intensive problems.
- Cell and Molecular Biology (Biotechnology) – The industrial use of living organisms to produce food, drugs, and other products. Many graduates work in biotech or academic settings.
- Health Informatics and Bioinformatics – Utilizes computer technology to manage and analyze information in the life and health sciences. Many graduates work in hospitals and other healthcare companies.
In addition to the Professional Science Masters Programs, the GVSU Padnos College of Engineering & Computing (PCEC) offers degrees in Computing, Engineering, and Occupational Safety & Health Management.
Visit the GVSU Professional Science Master’s Programs website.
Visit the GVSU Padnos College of Engineering & Computing website.