Internship and job leads, career insights and cutting-edge research were all on display at the third annual Biotechnology Conference at Syracuse University on March 28, 2026. Six industry scientists from leading life sciences and diagnostics companies gave students in the College of Arts and Sciences' (A&S') biotechnology program an inside look at careers during the event which drew more than 100 attendees spanning academia and industry.

The heart of the conference was a series of morning presentations from the six scientists. They included:

• Tonya Villafana, vice president of Franchise and Medical and Scientific Affairs at AstraZeneca;
• David Chafin, principal scientist at Roche Diagnostics;
• Cody Hastings and Bharat Chaudhary, both scientists at LOTTE Biologics;
• Alyssa Lau, senior scientist at Precede Biosciences; and
• Benjamin Mason, scientist at IQVIA.

For students, hearing directly from working scientists was a highlight of the day. Ramesh Raina, professor of biology and executive director of the biotechnology program in A&S, emphasized the career-focused dimension of the event.

"The conference provided biotechnology students with valuable exposure to current advances in the field and helped them connect with industry leaders and alumni, offering insight into career pathways and potential internships or job opportunities,” Raina says. “The poster session also gave students the opportunity to present their work and engage in meaningful discussions with attendees."

Hear from biotechnology students and faculty about the day’s events in the video below, produced and edited by biotechnology major Jonas Chiesa ’26.

All six speakers reconvened in the afternoon for a panel discussion titled "The Future of Biotechnology," moderated by A&S biotechnology graduate student Vanessa Newbauer and undergraduate student Taryn Keefe. The session gave attendees the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with professionals across a range of specializations, from vaccine development and diagnostics to biologics manufacturing and precision medicine.

The day also featured a poster competition showcasing more than 30 student research projects. Top honors went to Faeze Mousazadeh, Taryn Keefe, Jyoti Devendra Adala, Isabella Fuschino, Allison Hellman, Chidansh Mehta and Prathna Patel.

The event was organized by biotechnology faculty leads Ramesh Raina, Surabhi Raina, Allison Oakes and Jason Boock, alongside student organizers from two groups: the Biotech GO Executive Board, comprising Vanessa Newbauer, Kye Desbiens, Venkatesh Lottipalli and Nithyasree Senthil; and the Biotechnology Society at SU (BSSU), comprising Aliana John, Taryn Keefe, Shahina Alibekova, Janiya Clarke, Kaltra Qilleri, Cameron Miller, Katherine Bakley and Leah Landry.