KGI Student Selected as Life Technologies Campus Ambassador

CLAREMONT, Calif., Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Keck Graduate Institute student Paola Hernandez has been selected to serve as campus ambassador at KGI as a part of a pilot initiative launched by Life Technologies to increase awareness on college campuses.  

Life Technologies, a global biotechnology tools company, is hoping to reach the next generation of researchers as they prepare to accelerate scientific breakthroughs.

Hernandez, a Master of Bioscience (MBS) student originally hired as a 2011 summer intern, is one of 10 ambassadors chosen from different campuses across the nation. Other schools include UCLA, USC, University of Texas at Austin, Northwestern University and University of Pennsylvania.

"It is exciting to be able to shape the program," says Hernandez, "and simultaneously contribute towards developing a fruitful relationship between Life Technologies and The Claremont Colleges."

According to Sahill Nock, Life Technologies' market development manager and project coordinator, Hernandez was selected as an ambassador because she "came highly recommended. We're also intentionally trying a variety of different campus profiles, and KGI will demonstrate if a smaller and more focused program could drive better results."

Hernandez will oversee a small budget that will allow her to host events and coordinate promotional activities that engage and build connections with faculty, staff and students.

Both Nock and Hernandez are hopeful that the longstanding relationship Life Technologies has with KGI will be a supportive springboard for new initiatives. In addition to hosting on-campus recruitment and interview sessions, Life Technologies has sponsored a total of nine Team Masters Projects (TMPs), including one for the 2011-12 school year.  

"Life Tech is an important corporate partner to KGI," said Diana Bartlett, KGI's assistant vice president and director of corporate partnerships. "Mark Stephenson, Life Technologies COO, is a trustee, and John Gerace is a member of our Advisory Council. This opportunity to expand our relationship into faculty research is exciting."

KGI BackgrounD

Educating the future leaders of the bioscience industry, Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) offers an interdisciplinary graduate education through its Master of Bioscience (MBS), Postdoctoral Professional Masters in Bioscience Management (PPM), Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate (PPC), PhD and other academic programs. Using team-based learning and real-world projects, KGI's innovative curriculum seamlessly combines applied life sciences, bioengineering, bioethics and business management. KGI also has a robust research program concentrating on the translation of basic discoveries in the life sciences into applications that can benefit society.  KGI is a member of The Claremont Colleges, located in Claremont, California.

SOURCE Keck Graduate Institute