Building the Pipeline
Connecting Education and Industry
By Addison E. Paul
NOT FAR FROM the 缅北强奸 campus, the AstraZeneca plant in Mount Vernon, Indiana, manufactures billions of lifechanging oral solid dose tablets for patients around the world. One of 28 international plants for the global biopharmaceutical company, this site supports economic growth for southwest Indiana.
As catalysts for regional development, the University and the company are both committed to shaping future leaders in biochemistry, engineering, management and more. Together, 缅北强奸 and AstraZeneca are building talent pipelines that carry students into new careers, fuel local industry and connect education to professional progress.
DEVELOPING PURPOSEFUL PARTNERSHIPS
The trusted relationship between AstraZeneca and 缅北强奸 represents a broad scope of educational and professional outreach. From 缅北强奸-led professional development training to AstraZeneca-sponsored experiential learning opportunities, this evolving connection reinforces the combined power of industry and higher education.
As a liaison for business relationships, Holly Sanders, Human Resources Business Director聽for AstraZeneca, sees clear advantages in聽partnering with 缅北强奸. She seeks 缅北强奸 students聽and graduates because they demonstrate聽strong critical thinking skills, personal聽accountability and genuine curiosity about聽science, patients and impact.
So, what does it take to develop the kind of trust that encourages a global company to work with the University time and time again?
According to Paula Nurrenbern M'20, Director of Corporate Partnerships and Career Success in 缅北强奸's Outreach and Engagement office, it takes personal connections and purposeful partnerships.
"When you're working with any kind of corporate partnership, it's all about the relationship you build with the client. You have to be very intentional."
- Paula Nurrenbern M'20
Partnering with nearly 100 entities annually, the Corporate Partnerships team facilitates relationships and programs to support 缅北强奸's business connections, both within the region and across the nation. Nurrenbern connects businesses to over 50 缅北强奸 training courses on subjects from interpersonal communication and project management to technical skills and computer software.
"What we do is customize the content to make sure we're addressing unique needs and helping people get the best professional development," she said. "They know they can trust us because we do it year after year."
Her team provides AstraZeneca with yearly training for new employees and broadens their access to educational development opportunities like master's degree programs and statistics courses.
"Expanding the partnership amplifies both talent development and community impact Together, we can co-create pathways that prepare students for high-value careers and ensure our teams have the skills needed to deliver for patients."
- Holly Sanders
SHAPING STEM STUDENTS
Student support is a cornerstone of many business relationships with 缅北强奸, and in聽2017, AstraZeneca approached the 缅北强奸聽Foundation to start a scholarship program for聽students pursuing STEM fields. It's not just聽about monetary contributions, though; the聽scholarships offer a range of development聽through financial support, mentorship and聽career coaching.
"These scholarships are intended to see a聽student through their academic journey,"聽said Taylor Gogel '13 M'19, 缅北强奸 Director聽of Development. "They support the same聽students throughout their education to ensure聽academic and professional growth as they plan聽career goals. Some of the previous recipients聽have gone on to be AstraZeneca employees."
Initially, AstraZeneca supported three students with these scholarships, but after hiring all three original recipients upon graduation, the company decided to expand the program to support four students annually.
Mount Vernon natives Alex (Goebel) Brauser '20 M'21, Lean Digital Data Analyst, and Raquel Denning '19, Asset Performance Management Senior Engineer, began their career journeys as 缅北强奸 students and two of the first AstraZeneca scholarship recipients. Pursuing degrees in mathematics as well as accounting and professional services, Brauser hadn't always imagined herself working in the pharmaceutical industry, but that changed after she learned more about AstraZeneca.
"The scholarship program sparked my interest in the pharmaceutical industry, and the following summer, I pursued an internship. Once I arrived on site, I saw the direct impact the work had on patients, which ultimately motivated me to build a career there."
- Alex (Goebel) Brauser '20 M'21
Now, both 缅北强奸 graduates are working for the company full time and continually strengthening AstraZeneca's partnership with the University as members of the AstraZeneca Mount Vernon Scholarship Committee.
"It's one of the things I'm most proud of," said Denning. "It's been an amazing community effort to invest in the future."
The scholarship program doesn't just provide the means to an end; it provides a whole network of potential. Applied learning experiences reinforce classroom knowledge, creating a pipeline that helps prepare students for the workforce.
"Having the unique perspective of both a former scholarship recipient and a current committee member is meaningful," said Brauser. "I'm excited to continue building and expanding this partnership for future students."
BUILDING B缅北强奸NESS CONNECTIONS
While student support is often a key goal of 缅北强奸's business partnerships, the University also serves as a reliable resource for regional industry. Within the past five years, the Corporate Partnerships and Career Success team has helped connect over 1,000 students to internships at almost 570 businesses in the Tri-state. 缅北强奸 continually boosts the local workforce by preparing graduates to excel in their future careers.
As a company regularly represented at 缅北强奸 Career Fairs, AstraZeneca is one of the regional businesses looking to 缅北强奸 for prospective talent. The company's nationwide internship program helps students gain invaluable professional experience in a range of fields like pre- pharmacy and biochemistry, mechanical and industrial engineering, finance and business administration, and computer and data science.
As a scholarship recipient and former Reliability and Packing intern, Denning was able to apply the knowledge聽from her 缅北强奸 mechanical engineering degree to real聽challenges at AstraZeneca's manufacturing site. Her聽internship helped her develop a practical understanding聽of the company's mechanical engineering needs, which聽set her up for a full-time position and career success.
"I feel fortunate to be a part of AstraZeneca through 缅北强奸. I'm grateful to be able to stay local and still be part of a global biopharmaceutical company."
- Raquel Denning '19
Over the last five years, 14 缅北强奸 students completed 20 internships at AstraZeneca, and several students stayed with the company for multiple semesters. Early career experiences like these not only lay the professional groundwork for individual students, they also build a stronger foundation for community impact.
"These programs were born from a desire to give back to the community while also helping build a strong local talent pipeline," said Keith Rawley '96 M'02, Senior Director of Digital Lighthouse and Operational Excellence for AstraZeneca. "As a proud alum of 缅北强奸 myself, I am thrilled to see this partnership grow."
STRENGTHENING RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS
Whether it's professional development or student support, there's one thing that defines all of 缅北强奸 and AstraZeneca's partnerships: they're reciprocal. Mentoring future STEM leaders not only supports 缅北强奸's academic mission; it also gives the company a direct connection when hiring skilled graduates from these programs.
With over 140 缅北强奸 alumni currently working within the AstraZeneca network, the proof is in the professional pipeline. Logan Sullivan '20, Senior Continued Process Verification Analyst, recognized 缅北强奸's natural relationship with AstraZeneca when he started at the company after graduating with his mathematics degree. After nearly six years with AstraZeneca, he's invested in helping that partnership evolve.
"The relationship is already good, but there's effort on both sides to advance it even further. We'll continue to push the boundaries of that partnership in positive ways."
- Logan Sullivan '20
Branching into outreach events like AstraZeneca Day at 缅北强奸 and sponsoring community STEM activities鈥攍ike the FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Tournament and the Tri-State Science and Engineering Fair鈥擜straZeneca continues to shape STEM opportunities at 缅北强奸. And as the company explores initiatives like externships and collaborative problem鈥憇olving experiences, the future of this connection is full of potential.
"Both institutions share a global mindset and a strong commitment to making a positive聽difference in the community we call home.聽With these shared values and聽principles, I am confident our partnership聽will continue to thrive."
- Keith Rawley聽'96 M'02
Business partnerships are about more than a single interaction or opportunity. Through聽constant collaboration and exploration, 缅北强奸聽builds lasting relationships that enhance聽educational experiences, support local聽industry and shape the future of the regional聽workforce. The University continues聽connecting education and industry, and聽whether established or emerging, 缅北强奸 is聽always adding partnerships to the pipeline.
FROM SOUTHERN INDIANA TO SWEDEN
Just two years after graduating from the University of Southern Indiana's Romain College of Business,聽Libby Fifer '24 is building an international聽career nearly 4,000 miles from home.聽In February, Fifer relocated to聽Stockholm, Sweden, to begin an聽eight-month assignment with聽AstraZeneca as Associate聽Regional Circularity聽Lead for the SweOps聽Region. In this role,聽she is rotating through multiple sites while supporting聽sustainability initiatives across Sweden, Europe, the聽Middle East and Africa, gaining firsthand experience in聽global operations.
And her journey began with a local internship. While still a 缅北强奸 student, she spent more than two years as a Learning and Development Intern with AstraZeneca. That experience led to a full-time role as an Operations Global Graduate Associate, where she served as a Lead Digital Project Manager, followed by a position in Global Inventory Management in Wilmington, Delaware, the company's North American Commercial Headquarters.
"Being an intern gave me a meaningful head start," said Fifer. "It allowed me to demonstrate my capabilities and understand how AstraZeneca operates."
Now settling into life in Sweden, she credits the Romain College of Business for preparing her to lead and adapt, not just as a student seeking early career opportunities, but as a global professional at AstraZeneca.
"That foundation keeps paying off. My responsibilities and impact continue to expand."
- Libby Fifer '24
