Happy December!

As first term comes to a close, I would like to thank all of the students, mentors, and sponsors who have helped us to make the first part of our 2011-2012 season a success. Since August, the SBN Executive Team has worked hard to put together high quality events that encourage students to step out of their university bubble and grow networks that will help them start their careers.

In September, we kicked off the new season with our Annual Building Biotech: Inspiring Innovators and Growing the Bioeconomy Symposium at the Hyatt Regency, Vancouver. Students and mentors enjoyed a plated three-course dinner, while listening to a fascinating array of speakers talk about opportunities in Green Energy and Entrepreneurship. Following our Building Biotech event, the SBN hosted a Pub Night at Mahoney and Sons, sponsored by Cardiome Pharma Corp., which was a huge success in connecting students to industry mentors on UBC campus.  The Pub Night was so well received that we decided to keep the theme of informal networking at a local restaurant for our new initiative Networking Nights. We were thrilled to host about 70 mentors and students at the inaugural Networking Night at Original Joes (Broadway and Cambie) in November. We had a great crowd, and I know that many students met new and exciting contacts—keep your eyes out for more Networking Nights in the New Year!

November was also a great month for students to learn about key job hunting and networking skills at the first two workshops of the SBN’s Critical Skills for Success Series at Genome BC. We were excited to start this series with workshops on these two key career building topics—lead by energetic, upcoming, young members of the local biotechnology and technology community—and will be continuing in January with a more in-depth look at resume and interviewing skills. Also, in January, the SBN Executive will be collaborating with members of the social sciences community to launch a new blog focusing on the non-bench aspects of biotechnology, particularly genomics.

Looking ahead, the SBN Executive is preparing a packed second term for all of our supporters. In February, the SBN is partnering again with the Technology Vision Group to pair our Annual Biotech Expo and Conference with Biopartnering North America 2012. At the beginning March, during UBC’s Celebrate Research Week, we will be collaborating with the UBC Neglected Global Diseases Initiative to highlight an exciting project out of the UBC Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and iCo Therapeutics that has the potential to help thousands of South East Asia’s poorest citizens. For May, the SBN will give students both a chance to show off their research at Genome BC’s Genomics Forum, and behind the scenes access to local biotech companies in the Career Connect Series.

Of course, none of these events would be possible without our generous sponsors and mentors.  To them, I would like to send the warmest of holiday wishes, and seasonal cheer.

To all of the students who support us, I wish you the best of luck on your first term finals—if I am invigilating one of your exams, I promise to smile encouragingly at 8:30 am.

To my team, have a great winter break! You deserve it.

Happy Holidays,
Jennifer