Local Clinical Research Company Turns to KU Edwards Campus Biotechnology Program Graduates for New Talent
September 30, 2022
Through strong connections with KC-area bioscience and clinical-research companies, KUEC’s biotechnology program provides internship and career opportunities for students entering this growing field.
As the clinical-research industry booms locally and across the country, the JCERT-supported biotechnology program at KU Edwards Campus (KUEC) continues to produce well-rounded graduates to meet the growing need for biotech expertise. Through strong connections with Kansas City-area bioscience and clinical-research companies, KUEC’s biotechnology program provides internship and career opportunities for students entering this growing field.
One of those partnerships is with Lenexa-based ICON, formerly PRA Health Services, a clinical trial and research center. Becky Losh, senior talent acquisition specialist at ICON, says the company’s collaboration with the biotech program at KU Edwards is beneficial for all involved.
“The KUEC students we’ve worked with are strong communicators with a high attention to detail, and show adaptability, resilience and initiative,” Losh said. “Those soft skills, combined with the education and knowledge they are gaining from their coursework, make them ideal candidates for the clinical-research industry.”
In 2022, ICON hired four summer interns. Two are being extended through the fall as they work on their senior capstone projects. ICON sponsored the program’s senior capstone projects for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years.
Since its start in 2016, KUEC’s biotechnology program curriculum has centered on the industry’s evolving needs to develop a pipeline of undergraduate students who are job-ready upon graduation. Losh anticipates that ICON’s connection to KUEC’s biotech program will continue to be an important component of the company’s hiring strategy.
“The clinical research industry, and ICON especially, is continually growing,” she said. “I anticipate we’ll have an ongoing need to hire more talent. “We commonly find there are not enough qualified and experienced candidates to do all the studies we’re conducting, so building this early talent pipeline to grow into experienced and senior roles in our organization is vital to our continued lifesaving research.”
Learn more about KU’s JCERT-supported undergraduate biotechnology program.